This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Harvey Beef Gate 2 Plate Challenge and its field day last week at the Lyon family's Willyung Farms' feedlot at Albany was a chance to view the cattle in the challenge and hear from a range of speakers who addressed the 'Pastures for Profit' topic.
This year's challenge, which kicked off in January, has attracted 53 teams from 41 different enterprises, not only from the local area but also from across the South West and out into the Wheatbelt.
Unlike past years where teams comprised one heifer and two steers, this year the teams are made up of only steers and entrants had the opportunity to enter either three or four steers in their teams with only the top three scoring steers in each team to count at the end.
During the field day attendees were able to inspect the cattle in the feedlot and were provided with an update on how the teams were performing.
Willyung Farms' Sandy Lyon said he was happy with how the steers had been doing in the feedlot.
"They seem to be performing well this year with an average weight gain of more than 1.8 kilograms per day," Mr Lyon said.
"The cattle that have been entered this year were well-prepared in type and condition to do well on feed and they have just gone on and have performed similar to previous years.
"The weather conditions this year have again been ideal for feeding cattle, which has meant there have been no setbacks."
In the feedlot the steers have been on a wheat and silage ration that has a metabolisable energy of 12.7 megajoules.
When the teams entered the feedlot on January 15, the average induction weight of the teams was 335.90 kilograms, with a range between 282-392.25kg.
When weighed last week (March 25), the teams had an average mid-term weight of 463.78kg and the team averages ranged between 387.25-513.25kg.
This equates to an average weight gain of 127.88kg across the teams after 70 days on feed, with the teams ranging between 96.25-163.5kg.
This means the daily gain across all teams in the challenge sits at 1.82kg/day, with teams ranging from 1.38-2.34kg/day.
Recording the top team average weight gain of 163.5kg and the highest average daily gain of 2.34kg/day for a second year running is a team of Limousin-Angus steers entered by Ravenhill Pastoral, Narrikup.
This team had an average induction weight of 308.5kg and an average mid-term weight of 472kg.
The next best result has been recorded by a team of two Simmental-Angus and an Angus from the WA College of Agriculture - Denmark which has gained an average of 159.83kg at a rate of 2.32kg/day.
At induction this team had an average weight of 309.5kg and its average mid-term weight was 469.33kg.
Recording the third best result at the mid-term weigh recording an average gain of 155.25kg at rate of 2.22kg/day was a team from RA & RE Gerovich, Albany, which comprise two Charolais-Black Simmental-Murray Grey cross steers, a Charolais-Murray Grey cross steer and a Black Simmental-Charolais-Murray Grey cross steers and Black Simmental sired steers.
This team had an average induction weight of 356.25kg and a mid-term average weight of 511.50kg, the equal second highest.
Two other teams have gained an average of more than 150kg.
The Dairy Beef Company's team comprising of three Jersey sired steers and one Jersey-Holstein steer which are all out of red Wagyu females has gained an average of 153kg at a rate of 2.19kg/day
This team started with an average induction weight of 298kg and recorded an average mid-term weight of 451kg.
A team from Mountain Valley Livestock, Narrikup, comprising an Angus-Murray Grey, Angus-Murray Grey-Droughtmaster cross, Charolais-Shorthorn-Angus cross and an Ultra Black-Angus cross has gained an average of 151kg at a rate of 2.16kg/day.
It had an average induction weight of 355.25kg and an average mid-term weight of 506.25kg.
The heaviest average team weight at induction was 392.25kg and it was recorded by a team of Charolais-Angus cross entered by JR & WR Miell, Narrikup and after 70 days on feed this team is equal second heaviest averaging 511.50kg.
At the mid-term weigh the highest average team weight was 513.25kg and it was recorded by a team of pure Angus entered by Mountain Valley Livestock.
Feeding of the steers in the challenge is not far off finishing with them due to be delivered to Harvey Beef for processing next Tuesday, April 9.
Harvey Beef Gate 2 Plate Challenge president Wayne Mitchell said it was great to see a good turn out at the field day.
"We view this field day as an important opportunity for producers to learn and network," Mr Mitchell said.
"I think everyone that attended would have walked away having learnt something from the presentations and displays.
"It was also a great chance to see how the steers entered in the challenge were going before they go off to be processed in the coming month.
"It was certainly an interactive day and we thank all our supporters who had displays as they provide another learning opportunity for those present.
"This year we also combined the field day on the same day as the school's challenge and I think that worked well as it gave the students more opportunities to interact with people in the industry."
