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From the Archives
From the Archives - 1970’s
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HIGH PRAISE FOR CARCASS ENTRIES
June 1973 Magazine
Martin Lenthalls’ grand champion carcass in the Beef Week competition was described by Mr. Bill Waddell, President of the Meat and Allied Trades’ Federation, as the best he had handled for its age. It was a 10-month-old first cross Charolais steer which gained first place on the hooks in milk tooth class.
Mr. Waddell said he could not have hoped to get a better carcass. He paid 40.5 cents a pound for the dressed carcass which weighed 494 lb. It had a big amount of eye muscle, its finish was near perfect with just the right amount of fat covering. The grain was fine and it was particularly “sappy” carcass two most important features, said Mr. Waddell.
Charolais cattle had good competition. They were entered only in the milk tooth sections and took out four of the six awards plus the grand championship. Judges praised the improving standard of the competition. Mr. David Barker, beef liaison officer with the Department of Agriculture, judged the cattle on the hook. He said there had been an outstanding change in the milk tooth classes in the last few years particularly in the high number of entries which gained maximum points for fat cover.
Thirty-three per cent of the milk tooth entries got full points for this but in contrast only four per cent got full marks for body length. Six per cent of the entries got full marks for eye muscle area, Mr. Barker said. Thirty-three per cent. of the entries which gained top points for fat cover was a great deal better than a few years ago and the milk tooth section was generally better than any previous beef week or Royal Show carcass competition, he said.
EDITORIAL
August 1974 Magazine
I have reached the conclusion that we have a lot of pessimists within the Beef Cattle Industry and, for their benefit, I would like to unequivocally state that the world is NOT coming to an end because of the existing credit restrictions.
The breeding of cattle is for ever and particularly with a Charolais up-grading project, the effluxion of time will be one of our most important attributes to quality. Too easily do we forget the crisis in the Wool and Sheep Industry a few years ago and before that the prices we had to accept for cattle.
World economic situations fluctuate therefore cattle prices will vary but there should be no reason for anyone to predict a gloomy future. There are good and not-sogood times within any Industry so it becomes imperitive that Charolais breeders now set the tempo for a more productive and economic structure. We are extremely fortunate that we sponsor a breed that is modern and has the elements of high growth factor, and lean, tender Beef to enable higher returns for our end product.
It is the responsibility of every one of us to eat more beef and to explain and promote agitate and stir if necessary but, more than anything else, to have confidence in Beef and Australia. Promote optimism, practice economy, exhibit Charolais and their crosses wherever and whenever possible. If our carcasses keep taking out the major commercial show awards it will be very difficult for cattlemen to select other than Charolais bulls if their business is Beef production.
Study your markets and rather than saturate a sale with all your bulls, select four different venues if you have, say 20, to dispose of. One of our members donated 12 bulls to three large commercial operators recently and if they prove successful, I know someone, at least, who must sell bulls a bit later on. Exhibit bulls so that cattlemen can see them. A pen at your local show or adjacent to commercial selling centres can evoke interest. There is nothing like success for promoting success so everyone should now set out to be a Super Salesman for Charolais.
Enthusiasm is the most infectious trait you can adopt and if you really believe in Charolais you can have almost one half of Australia’s retail butchers on side. Every purveyor of beef is interested in cutability and the most productive carcass must be the Charolais cross, so it will be in your interests if you encourage your local butcher to try one.
It may be possible for you to guarantee a continuing supply to your mutual benefit. Please do not let us develop Charolais as a word to remember but as a name we will never forget, that is, A HOUSEHOLD WORD. Frank Hodder, Editor
March 1976 Magazine
Charolais are known as the Great White Cattle and almost every breeder I have met has his eyes set on an “all-white” herd even though our colour spectrum extends from white to deep cream. You may remember that beautiful straw coloured heifer at last year’s Sydney Royal Show and, in my opinion, she represented one of the most challenging questions yet possibly the most valuable asset that our breed will seek for the future.
Quite a high percentage of our members will be inclined to breed away from the straw-coloured beast – not because it is inferior as a beef animal – but merely because it is not white. One has only to watch members buying cattle at auction or other sales to notice the preference for white. Other countries are quite a long way ahead of us in evolving the Charolais breed and I was particularly interested in the remark of a visiting Canadian who recently posed the question, “Is there any buyer opposition to your white calves in the commercial outlets as we now find in our country?” It seems that white vealers and steers do not now command the interest that their creamy counterparts did a few years ago!
As a Society involved in evolution, it is perhaps difficult enough to grade up without worrying about colour in what we term a “whole coloured” animal; but I would ask every member to give this matter some thought. I do not want you to feel that I am against “white”, and I am not, but I believe it is only part of the scene for the future. Cream and intermediate shades are also valuable if we can rely on the experiences of overseas breeders.
On our way to purity, the majority of our calves and steers that we turn off will be coloured and the commercial buyer of beef on the hoof will be educated to look for this particular factor. In the main, these animals will have a little more fat selvedge than the higher grades and we will have to watch “finish” until our carcass butchers accept the “low fat profile” of the European breeds.
In Breed Evolution there are a number of guidelines that are common in every Country and, in looking at Canadian trends today, are we looking at Australia in 10 years time? Does this straw-coloured animal represent the means by which we will be able to “finish” our commercial product – BEEF? Think about it!
Frank Hodder, Editor
January 1976 Magazine
DL & ME Enders, Euroa Victoria won the First Prize and Champion two tooth steer on Hoof Section. Their Charolais/ Angus/Shorthorn steer went on to win the First and Champion prize on the Hook as well. Their other entry a Charolais/Shorthorn was Second and Reserve Champion.
NEW ENGLAND STEER/CARCASE SHOW
July 1978 Magazine
A & C Austen, Vale View, Glen Innes reported on their success in the New England Steer and Carcase show at Guyra, May 1978. “We entered two pens of three steers in the competition Class 1: Milk tooth steers under 360kg liveweight and Class 2: Milk tooth steers 360 to 430kgs. The vealers were sired by a first cross Charolais/Angus bull over Friesian cows. The bull was a son of Crogham Centurion.
Our Class 1: vealers were placed first on the hoof in a field of 22 pens. Our Class 2: vealers gained first prize on the hook, Champion pen of three carcases and one steer was awarded Reserve Champion Milk Tooth Carcase.
On reflection the results of the New England Steer and Carcase show, I believe all Charolais breeders should be heartened and encouraged. In a field of 67 pens of three there was only a handful of Charolais cross entries. In spite of this most of the major hoof and hook awards were won by crossbred steers” A Austen.
Pen Class 1: Mik tooth steers under 360kg: First prize on hoof
Average liveweight: 357kgs Average chilled dressed weight: 214kg Average chilled Dressing %: 60.3% Average Age: 279days
