Winter calving works for Collie producer

"You can run more cows per hectare, your feed costs less and you are calving onto green feed," Mr Rees said.

"But the biggest gain is mating on the flush, which is when cows cycle better."

About 70 producers and service providers gathered at Mr Rees' property earlier this month, as part of the Western Beef Association's 2021 Spring Field Day.

The event focused on time of calving and weaning management in a bid to help farmers make "healthy, wealthy and wise decisions" for their systems.

Western Beef Association executive officer and livestock production adviser Jeisane Accioly said it was great to see many new faces at the event from across the South West region.

Ms Accioly said the location was chosen because of Mr Rees' decision to adopt a later winter calving practice several years ago, which enabled him to increase his carrying capacity and fertility by better matching pasture supply to the breeding herd's peak requirement.

"The stress caused by season variability in recent years has sparked an interest from many beef farmers in changing their calving time," Ms Accioly said.

"Most were unaware that a comprehensive research project was performed here in the South West, comparing traditional calving time (March to April) to a later calving (June to July).

"The work found that calving later increased profitability, decreased the pressure on the breeding herd and enabled increased carrying capacity.

"The Rees family were members of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD) Time of Calving project farmer advisory group almost 20 years ago, that aimed to improve the year round supply to abattoirs."

Mr Rees shared his experience with later calving, which allowed nature to run the system, and produced better results, as it better matched feed supply/ demand.

He runs 560 breeders in his South Devon breed herd and, unlike other farmers, has chosen to calf in mid-July to August with a September finish.

This approach means he weans in March and has the flexibility to sell weaners when there aren't many on the market or carry some through if there is an early break.

"At weaning, the oldest of the mob are six to seven-months-old and usually about 250 kilograms," Mr Rees said.

"Sometimes I wean down to 200kg depending on the season, but I wouldn't go below five months onto hay - that is too savage.

"If hay is too expensive and straw is cheaper we will save some lupins and put on top of straw.

"Other than that, I don't use grain at all."

Mr Rees said he moved from autumn to winter calving after reading into the animal's production cycle.

He said in a tough year, cattle moved their cycle back.

"We have tried it many times and as soon as you get the stocking rate and they have had a tough season, they won't cycle until late,'' Mr Rees said.

"We find that mating them on the spring flush is awesome, especially this year - they are going mental.

"My advice is, if your cows aren't cycling this year, then sell them."

At the break of the season Mr Rees defer grazes, moving cattle into a smaller paddock and feeding them hay.

"We do that until roughly about the two-and-a-half leaf stage and then we send them out to rotational graze, as one big mob,'' he said.

"We rotate on the ryegrass leaf emergence and try not to get below that two-and-a-half leaf stage.

"Everyday we check the cows, we tag and birth weigh the calves, using a calf catcher, which has been very successful."

When mid-September hits, Mr Rees starts his artificial insemination (AI) program with a natural cycle for one cycle.

He said by doing so he made a nucleus herd and by that mid-September to October mark he broke down the herds for mating.

"The big mob is cut down into smaller mobs for individual bulls," Mr Rees said.

"Sometimes with the yearlings we will put two together.

"In October, once we breakdown our mobs, we go through and mark our calves, select our bull calves out of that and on our first marking we ring what we don't want.

"We inoculate 5in1 for the first one, we earmark and we select potential bull calves on that."

With the second marking, Mr Rees returns with another dose of 5in1, before marking treated cattle with a National Livestock Identification System tag.

This helps him to identify which animal has had two doses of inoculation.

"We split up the bull calves into a mob and the leftover cows, that don't have bull calves, are all put back into one mob again," Mr Rees said.

"For me it is much easier to control one mob, as opposed to numerous mobs."

Mr Rees pregnancy tests his cows in February and weans calves as soon as possible in March onto hay.

Calves are yard weaned for seven days in stockyards then on oaten hay in ring feeders in a small paddock.

For the past few years Mr Rees has sold cattle into the store market in April-May and even as late as June.

"June is a long time on hay, so it comes down to the price," he said.

"The first calving heifers we run as a separate mob at calving that is mainly because if they are going to have problems then that is when.

"It is a system that works for us."

Mr Rees runs a breeder to the hectare, year-in and year-out.

If he has an early start he will carry more followers depending on the break of the season.

Empty cows are culled at preg-testing and at the time of weaning, if any cow fails to raise a calf or needs to be assisted, they will be sent out of the gate.

"I have found that preg testing is good and gets rid of a percentage of them," Mr Rees said.

"If you take them through - and they don't wean a calf at weaning - your survival rate and fertility will lift."

While Mr Rees named many benefits of later calving he said there were also disadvantages.

"Some years you do have problems with calf scours," he said.

"I believe there is an inoculation for calf scours now, well at least I have only just discovered it and am going to try it this year."

He said his farming operation and the system he runs wouldn't work if "the whole family didn't work together".

Other keynote speakers at the Western Beef Field Day included Ms Accioly and Alan Peggs, who discussed Time of Calving - The Pasture and the Profits, Nutrien animal health specialist Bronwen Fowler, Nutrien animal production technical services adviser Bridie Luers and Nutrien South West WA livestock manager Peter Storch.

Further discussion was had about vaccine and drench information, marketing weaners and a discussion panel provided insights on different practices, as well as market and consumer expectations.

Leading the panel were both producers and advisers including Capel farmer Luke Norton, who adopted split calving, Paradise Enterprises owner and operator Gary Dimasi, RAW animal health veterinarian Adrian Baker, Mr Rees and Mr Peggs.

The Western Beef Association has been active since 2017 aiming to fill the gap left by cuts on beef research and extension activities in WA.

The volunteer committee ensures activities are high quality, independent and backed by good science.

The association is apolitical and aims at increasing industry knowledge, upskilling and promoting network and best-practice implementation.

Its distribution list has more than 450 subscribers and is free with a newsletter emailed about four times a year.

The association runs at least two to three events a year and has a supportive role in research projects.