Stock and Property | Yarding numbers increase at D...
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Dubbo agents for their cattle sale on Thursday, March 4, drew for 2600 head - almost 1000 head more than the previous week's yarding. Dubbo was one of the few reported centres to increase its numbers during the past week. Speaking of things Dubbo, one local agent mentioned he had a big weekend loading hay on road trains destined for Boulia in Queensland. From Julia Creek, through a local client, he had a request for agistment for 400 weaners. Through the big drought, this northern grazier either sold his cattle for not much money or saw them die. When a break in weather arrived, he restocked only to see most of his cattle washed away in the big floods. Since then, he restocked again, only to see the arrival of another prolonged dry spell. So, in an effort to save his cows, he must find a much safer home for the older of their progeny. Talk about people with big hearts. Looking overseas, we note that China analysts, who try and ascertain what is happening in that country, suggest that some seven to eight million breeding sows have possibly been lost due to a new variant of African Swine Fever. If true, this is another blow in their efforts to rebuild their pig numbers, which is a major source of protein for that nation. On the local scene, Meat and Livestock Australia now considers our country to be in a herd rebuilding phase after two to three years of shrinkage due to the prolonged drought. Cattle numbers were estimated to be at 24.6 million head in 2020 - the lowest figure since the early 1990s. A good season in much of eastern Australia, handy rainfall totals across much of the top end (obviously not at Julia Creek) over the monsoon season and the recent good falls in parts of Western Australia have led to Meat and Livestock Australia increasing confidence in the continuing growth of the nation's beef herd. Producers are now retaining more females, with slaughter figures for breeders suggested to fall below 47 per cent - the benchmark for a herd rebuild. Fortunately, carcase weights have increased for the past two decades and with the prominence of the feedlot sectors, with well over one million head on feed at any given time, the experts advise that tonnage should not decline by any noticeable level. Another trend that has become apparent is the retention of vealers on farm to grow them to heavier weights. Livestock reporting for the week just ending for both sheep and cattle have noted a softening trend for many categories.
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Stock and Property | Yarding numbers increase at DubboSTOCK AND PROPERTY: Bill Tatt talks stock, property and all things rural in his weekly column. Photo: FILE
Dubbo agents for their cattle sale on Thursday, March 4, drew for 2600 head - almost 1000 head more than the previous week's yarding.
Dubbo was one of the few reported centres to increase its numbers during the past week.
Speaking of things Dubbo, one local agent mentioned he had a big weekend loading hay on road trains destined for Boulia in Queensland.
From Julia Creek, through a local client, he had a request for agistment for 400 weaners.
Through the big drought, this northern grazier either sold his cattle for not much money or saw them die.
When a break in weather arrived, he restocked only to see most of his cattle washed away in the big floods.
Since then, he restocked again, only to see the arrival of another prolonged dry spell.
So, in an effort to save his cows, he must find a much safer home for the older of their progeny.
Talk about people with big hearts.
Looking overseas, we note that China analysts, who try and ascertain what is happening in that country, suggest that some seven to eight million breeding sows have possibly been lost due to a new variant of African Swine Fever.
If true, this is another blow in their efforts to rebuild their pig numbers, which is a major source of protein for that nation.
On the local scene, Meat and Livestock Australia now considers our country to be in a herd rebuilding phase after two to three years of shrinkage due to the prolonged drought.
Cattle numbers were estimated to be at 24.6 million head in 2020 - the lowest figure since the early 1990s.
A good season in much of eastern Australia, handy rainfall totals across much of the top end (obviously not at Julia Creek) over the monsoon season and the recent good falls in parts of Western Australia have led to Meat and Livestock Australia increasing confidence in the continuing growth of the nation's beef herd.
Producers are now retaining more females, with slaughter figures for breeders suggested to fall below 47 per cent - the benchmark for a herd rebuild.
Fortunately, carcase weights have increased for the past two decades and with the prominence of the feedlot sectors, with well over one million head on feed at any given time, the experts advise that tonnage should not decline by any noticeable level.
Another trend that has become apparent is the retention of vealers on farm to grow them to heavier weights.
Livestock reporting for the week just ending for both sheep and cattle have noted a softening trend for many categories.