Training them young: Weaner education pays off

When it comes to managing weaners, North Queensland producer Simon Terry says early education in yards and on trucks pays off.

Simon and his wife Gaye own and manage ‘Howlong Station’, 450km west of Townsville in the Gulf Savannah, where they run 4,500 head of Brahman-cross cattle over two properties.

“We have four sets of cattle yards on this property, so we bring weaners back to the main set of yards with the homestead and they’re weaner trained,” Simon said.

Simon explained every animal experiences a journey from a young age to prepare them for future trips – as part of property transfers, to saleyards or for live export.

“We like to feed them in the yard for a couple of days, just to settle them down before we put them on a truck.”

Weaners are fed good quality hay in the yards and have access to clean water while they undergo their training, he said.

“We don’t short cut hay in our system. We’ve got a massive feeding system and make sure they’re nice and full.

“They seem to forget about mum pretty quick.”

Training involves working weaners through the yards to get them used to people, having pressure applied and released, being penned up and going through gates.

“They’re in the yards for a minimum of two days. By then, they’re pretty much good to do that short trip home −it’s only an hour and a half trip.

“We find it’s really good education for them to get on a truck, load up, be penned up and do the short trip.”

Simon believes backgrounding weaners is money and time well spent.

“Almost 30 percent of these animals will spend all their lives on the property, so it’s a no brainer that they need to be set up for life.

“It’s very rewarding to walk into a yard full of quiet cattle, knowing you could send them to any market with confidence.”