Technical Articles

Upon arrival

When your new bull/s is delivered ensure he socializes with a small group of animals (not other bulls) in the yards.

Have hay and water available and leave him overnight to settle in.

Do not unload him directly into a paddock, this is when injuries may occur.

The bull/s can now be run with a small group of empty females. Ideally give the cows prostaglandin every two weeks to allow continuous cycling.

We recommend only two new bulls at a time with the empty females for a period of two to four weeks.

Pre-joining

Ideally a breeding soundness examination, which includes structural assessment and a service ability test, are recommended particularly for second joining and on older bulls each year.

This allows for the removal of any non-working bulls thus increasing fertility performance within the herd.

The Pfizer STAR program is followed for vaccination covering Vibriovax, Pestiguard and 7 in 1.

Booster vaccinations are recommended in 12 month’s time plus an annual drench four to six weeks before joining.

Joining

Do not mix young bulls with older animals at mating. Preferably, your new bull should be mated with a herd (maximum of 40 females) as a single sire or with bulls of similar age.

Allowing your bull to run with younger bulls a few weeks before mating will let them sort out their pecking order.

Keep a close watch on your bulls during mating as the majority of bull fertility issues develop during the joining period.

Also keep a watch for lameness or injuries around the sheath. Early detection and examination by a qualified veterinarian gives a bull a better chance of full recovery.

Replace any suspect bull within the herd as soon as possible to avoid a low conception rate.

Post joining

Bulls need to be moved to a paddock preferably separating the young bulls from the older ones will minimize injury between joining.

The younger bulls will continue to develop with access to high quality nutrition.

The coat colour of animals is playing a role in marketing in the Australian beef industry.

Colour is not associated with meat eating quality but Webb Black Simmentals are well aware of industry drivers, and ask clients to consider the following options when selecting a bull.

• Homozygous black bulls with a black coat

These bulls have two black genes, in general and discounting other genetic complications such as the diluter gene, all the calves of a homozygous black bull will be predominantly black, regardless of the colour of your cows.

This is because the black gene is dominant. If you insist on black calves with no exceptions, a homozygous black bull would be your choice.

• Heterozygous black bulls with a black coat

These bulls have one black gene and one red gene. A large proportion of their calves will be black. As the red gene is recessive, his calves cannot be red unless the mother also carries a red gene.

Generally, if a heterozygous black bull is crossed with:

• Homozygous black cows then 100 per cent of calves will be black.

• Heterozygous black cows on average 75 per cent will be black.

• Homozygous red cows – on average 50 per cent of these calves will be black and 50 per cent will be red.

• Black cows that are a mixture of homozygous and heterozygous – the calves will average between 75 and 100 per cent black.

Webb Black Simmental sale bulls are presented with American EPDs (expected progeny differences).

With close to 12 million head recorded, plus over 11 million American Angus EPDs incorporated into the American Simmental Association database, makes this the largest multi-breed database in the world.

This gives the producer confidence in selecting the right sire for their breeding program.

More than 16 years of data collection includes:

• Over 35,000 matings

• More than 5000 carcasses

• 60-70 sires tested annually totalling 500 plus sires tested

Webb Black Simmental Sim Angus is well placed in comparing the EPDs of purebred Simmental to hybrids of all percentages.

Our figures now directly compare to pure Angus.

Breeds on the American database are American Simmental, American Red, Angus, American Maine-Anjou, American Chianina, American and Canadian Gelbvieh, Canadian Angus and Red Angus, and Canadian Simmental.

Numbers have continued to increase since 2012 when 2700 genotypes were tested. Millions of phenotypes have been tested.

Black Simmentals provide feed efficiency and carcass quality

Black Simmental and Sim Angus are the ideal choice for feedlots and grass finishing systems, providing weight gain and carcass yield.

Crossbreeding with Black Simmental results in feedlot feed efficiency and carcass quality.

This has been supported by a dominance of major carcass competitions nationwide in recent years.

Since the Cooke family, Moura, Queensland, won the grand champion pen with their Simbrah steers at the Beef 2009 Commercial Cattle Championship, Simmentals have featured in winning the prestigious Borthwick Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Show in 2011.

They have achieved key results at the Sydney Royal Show and won champion steer at the South Australian Junior Heifer Show.

Members and commercial breeders of Simmental and Simmental infused cattle are demonstrating to the industry that the breed has what it takes to meet the specifications for eating quality and producer returns.

Not only do Simmental cattle fit into the specs for carcass competitions, but they have proven their worth in commercial herds and feedlots.

A consignment of Webb Black Simmental weaner steers and heifers to the Charlton feedlot in 2013 resulted in an average daily gain of 2.22kg.

The 112 weaners averaged 312kg and were fed for 80 days for an average total weight gain of 178kg.

They were sold at Pakenham in April-May 2013, weighing about 490kg and sold for an average of $897.

Simmental Honour Roll

• Champion carcass – Woolworths Value Based Marketing Carcass Competition – EKKA 2011 from 147 head

• Champion steer – South Australian Junior Heifer Expo

• Silver medalist Middleweight Carcass, Sydney Royal 2011

• 5th Stan Hill Trophy Hoof and Hook Competition (three purebred steers) – Melbourne Royal 2010

• Champion Pen of Steers – Beef 2009

Males and females may be admitted to the grading-up section and may be subject to inspection and/or parentage verification for conformation to breed standards.

Animals registered in this section shall be given a grade code.

Applications for registration made after 180 days from the date of birth are subject to approval by the Society and require DNA parentage verification for both parents.

Animals shall be entered in the Grading-up section according to the following grades with Grade P animals entered in the Purebred section.

0  = Base animal (any breed or cross of any breeds)

1  = Half-bred (approximately 50 per cent Simmental)

2  = Three-quarterbred (approximately 75 per cent Simemntal)

3  = Seven-eighthsbred (approximately 87.5 per cent Simmental)

P  = Fifteen-sixteenths bred (approximately 93.75 per cent or more Simmental being regarded as Purebred in the Simmental register)