Development and Pilot Delivery of Bred Well Fed Well for the Southern Australian Beef Industry

Summary

Bredwell Fedwell Beef (BWFW) is a practical, one-day workshop which highlights the key production benefits of genetics and nutrition as key drivers of productivity and profitability of a breeding herd.

It focuses on the importance of managing the beef business with effective strategies for both areas to enable optimal improvement in herd performance and therefore farm profit. For example, neither managing high performing genetics with sub-optimal nutrition, nor optimising nutrition on low performing genotypes are likely to maximise farm profits.

Beef produced per hectare is widely recognised as a key profit driver in beef enterprises in southern states, which is primarily driven by stocking rate, weaning rate and calf growth rate. To optimise this key performance indicator in a highly variable environment requires a productive feedbase, proactive and targeted nutritional herd management, and balanced high performing genetics.

Four pilot workshops were conducted in 2016, three in NSW and 1 in Western Australia with a total of 98 participants attending the workshops. Each workshop built on the development of the presentation and handout to producers.

When asked if participants understanding of how to use EBVs for bull selection had improved 74% had said yes, and of those participants that weren't using EBVs prior to the workshop (37% of attendees) 75% said they would start using EBVs to assist with bull selection. At the end of the breeding objective practical 93% of the participants had a breeding objective compared to 31% at the start of the exercise.

When asked if participants understanding of the importance of managing female nutrition had improved 95% said yes.

One hundred percent of attendees would recommend this workshop to other producers and more than 40% of participants attending the workshop rated it a 9 out of 10 or higher for overall satisfaction with an average score of 7.6 out of 10.