Wattle Grove Accreditation Guidebook Volume 2

VOLUME 2

Olivia Delaforce

Dale and Bin Humphries

INTRODUCTION

The Wattle Grove Speckle Park Accredited program is a proprietary grading system that focuses on phenotype, temperament, and saleability.

Developed over the many years of breeding and selling Speckle Park and underpinned by industry accepted standards, Wattle Grove Accredited gives buyers the peace of mind that all animals, genetics and meat with the Wattle Grove Accredited tick have been assessed and meet the highest industry standards. This comprehensive guidebook outlines the key areas of assessment with clear, easy to understand descriptions and visual aids. It provides detailed, objective information that allows all breeders to benchmark their own herd and make educated, objective decisions for purchasing or breeding. With a focus on excellence and commitment to the highest standards of quality and integrity, the Wattle Grove Speckle Park Accredited program and guidebook are an essential tool for anyone involved in the buying, breeding, management, or sale of Speckle Park cattle.

Cattle are assessed on 16 physical attributes including structure, condition, muscle scoring, reproductive development, outlook and saleability to achieve an overall average score from 1 to 6-1 being excellent and 6 being very bad.

Temperament is assessed and is provided as a stand-alone score. This allows for complete transparency on an individual animal’s temperament.

The assessment process and scoring allow cattle to be assessed objectively to assist with breeding, culling, and purchasing decisions. It highlights strengths and weaknesses in pedigrees and separates the emotions when looking at your herd. It also allows for benchmarking and provides a quantifiable tool to assist with and highlight herd improvement.

How Wattle Grove Accredited supports our herd:

• Benchmarking

• Quantifiable improvement

• Objectivity

• Longevity in all our cattle

• Calving ease

• Durability

• Performance recording

• Environmental adaptability

• Economic sustainability

• Feed

• Calving yearly

• Animal husbandry

• Veterinary Assistance

How we assess and when:

• Individual assessment on each animal, including donors and ai sires.

• Animals are physically assessed as close to 200, 400, 600 and 800 days.

• Weights are taken on each assessment date.

• Bulls are semen tested and measured for scrotal circumference and capacity from 14 months of age.

• Internal reproductive tests are completed on females from 14 months of age.

• IMF, EMA, and fat depth scanning is completed and used in conjunction with the assessment.

• Abnormalities, treatments and calving are recorded as needed.

Temperament and structural soundness are two of the foundation phenotypes that underpin the Wattle Grove herd. Temperament can affect fertility, weight gains, and adaptability to new environments. Quiet cattle reduce the risk of injury to both cattle and handlers. There is less stress on animals and infrastructure and meat quality increases significantly with docile cattle.

Temperament is so important that it has been kept as an individual score in the Wattle Grove Accredited program to provide complete transparency.

We assess temperament at weaning, 14 months and during sale preparation.

The temperament assessment involves cattle being separated from their mob, appropriate pressure is placed on them to see how they react, and they are scored according to the table below.

The strong herd instinct in Speckle Park cattle can affect their overall temperament score when they are isolated. When they are returned or added to a mob you may find their temperament score reduces.

Score Description

1 VERY QUIET

2 QUIET

3 QUIET/ POSSIBLY SHY

4 SHY

5 VERY SHY/ POSSIBLY AGGRESSIVE

6 AGGRESSIVE / DANGEROUS

Explanation

Broken in, pat in the paddock-These will be show stock or animals that have been handled their whole life. A temp score of 1 is hard to achieve.

Possibly pat in the paddock, broken in to lead-Can suit smaller operations, regular handling and can adapt to smaller herds.

Comes up for food can tolerate presence at a close distance-Can suit small and large operations, easy to handle if other cows are present and can have little to no handling issues.

Prefers some distance between them, does not show aggression-We prefer these animals to be sold with a friend and have less handling when at their new home.

Prefers a large distance can become aggressive if alone or forced-Only sold with a group of mates and to bigger operations. Once in a mob or working with plenty of cows the temperament score may reduce.

Charge when close, prefers to be as far away as possibleThese animals are never sold and will be culled.

In breeding animals, structure and conformation are very important. They are highly heritable characteristics but also affect the longevity and production potential of an individual animal. An animal with good structure will live longer, produce more offspring, freely travel greater distances around a paddock and essentially graze more, thus making them potentially more productive. Structural defects can lead to impaired mobility, pain, reduced libido in sires and eventually structural breakdown..

• Stands evenly.

• Walks perfectly, placing back feet where the front feet have left.

• Carries weight and continues to gain

• Body flows from front to back

• Good angles throughout heels, legs, hips and shoulders

Muscle Coverage

Wellangled shoulders

Wattle Grove Accredited animals need to conform to certain structural requirements to ensure high levels of mobility, production, and adaptability to their environments. As a result, they have the potential to be more efficient and profitable as a production animal and they should thrive in a reproduction setting with increased longevity and profitability.

Strength of spine

Depth of body

Healthy strong feet are vital for mobility. Good foot health promotes good overall health. Maintaining genetically and environmentally healthy feet will allow for overall health, productivity, and longevity of the cattle.

Ideally, the foot’s conformation should exhibit a short, steep angle, elevated heel, and even claws. The majority of the weight should be distributed along the hoof wall.

Why good feet are important:

• Walking to/from water and feed.

• Cows must stand for long periods of the day to allow them the to cool off and transfer their body heat out.

• Cows can only eat while standing. If they are sore footed, they’re less likely to eat and put on weight.

• Bulls require good feet to ensure the ability to serve cows.

• Decrease the occurrence of lameness.

• Longevity and structural soundness.

Factors that can impact the health of feet:

• Environmental adaptability, rocky terrain to wet and dry conditions.

• Genetic traits.

• Extended periods of dry and wet.

• Injury or illness.

• Different feed regimes.

• Nutritional deficiency or overfeeding.

• Conventional flushing can vary the hormone level in donors and affect their feet.

• Feet scores can change overtime.

The heel of cattle refers to the back portion of the foot that rests on the ground. It is composed of several structures that work together to provide support and cushioning to the animal’s foot.

Having strength or depth of heel is important as it shapes how the animal’s feet develop. Heel depth is closely tied to foot angle and pastern strength. Deeper heels with sufficient angle reduce the incidence of lameness in cattle.

The hoof should be dense and able to support the weight of the animal.

If there is not enough depth in the heel and strength in the pastern the foot will start to grow out abnormally.

Having a good angled and depth of heel allows for longevity of the hoof as it wears down over time ensuring structural soundness and longevity.

Heel height can also help develop the strength of legs and pasterns.

It is critical to closely evaluate feet and heel structure of all cattle in the herd. These are the foundations of every animal.

Poor structure will quickly force an otherwise genetically superior animal out of the herd.

Front leg structure and angle can influence the shape and strength of the shoulders and capacity of the animal. It can also affect how younger animals’ feet develop over time. Animals with poor front leg structure tend to break down quicker.

When assessing front legs, we look for:

• Correct-Knees are even and balanced, toes facing forward. Scores range from 1-3

• Bowlegged-The knees are set too far out. Scores range from 4-6 depending on severity.

• Knock kneed-The knees are set too close together. Scores range from 4-6 depending on severity.

• Splay footed-The toes are turned out. Scores range from 4-6 depending on severity.

• Pigeon toed-The toes are turned in. Scores range from 4-6 depending on severity.

• Each extreme case of these would be classified as a 6

3.

4.

5.

Shoulders, knees and feet are not parallel and feet sit closer together at the base then the shoulders do

an example for “knocked knees” wide at the shoulder, narrow gap between the knees and wide at the foot base

1. Shoulders, Knees and feet run parallel down the front end of his body

Slight difference between shoulder and knee placement, feet still sit parallel

Correct back leg structure in cattle helps ensure that the animal can move easily and comfortably, can support its weight throughout its life and maintain optimum production. From the rear the legs of cattle should be equally as wide at the hocks and the pasterns. The back legs should track well with legs staying parallel and back feet landing where the front foot has left.

Having the correct angles through the hind quarter enables longevity and creates economic sustainability as cows can grow, breed, and live longer.

Navel and sheath attachment is a highly heritable trait. Even though the belly button on a female does not affect their own production capacity, breeding with females who have a detached navel can lead to larger/longer sheaths in bull calves.

The size and shape of the sheath can vary depending on the breed and age of a bull. In Speckle Park the sheath should be at an angle that hangs above the hocks, connects well to the belly and is free of any abnormalities. Poor sheath structure can increase the incidence of penile injuries during mating. A broken-down bull in the middle of a joining season reduces the numbers of calves, increases the calving period, and reduces production efficiency.

Longevity of the udder and teat placement is important for calves getting the best start to life.

Each of the four teats should be placed squarely under each quarter of the udder and be of a desirable size and shape for a newborn calf to easily find and drink from. Many of the problems experienced with poor udders and early breakdown of udder ligaments are a direct result of young heifers being over conditioned in body and udder fat developing prior to being joined.

When looking at udder development in heifers, plenty of skin folds should be visible. All four teats should run even and be parallel with each other.

● Teats are even size.

1 - EXCELLENT

● Udder is evenly hung.

● All quarters are parallel

2 - VERY GOOD

● Teats and udder are relatively even and well suspended

● Quarters aren’t perfectly parallel

3 - GOOD

● Some slight visual difference in either quarters or differences in teat sizes

● Teats might be quite large

4 - NOT GOOD

5 - BAD

6 - VERY BAD

● udder could be hanging really low or be quite tight and small.

● Uneven quarters

● Teats are large and not parallel.

● Udder may not be suspended well

● Definite differences in teats and udder suspension.

● Teats too large for calf to suck

● Udder has no ligaments left and is quite splayed

Testicle shape can differ from animal to animal. We have found that Speckle Park bulls tend to have a longer but slightly narrower testicle shape. By measuring both length and circumference of a bull’s testicles we can get an accurate measurement of capacity or volume of the testicles. The graphic below shows how the length of a testicle is equally as important as the circumference. We can see that the more oval testicle shape has the smallest circumference but the largest capacity. Bull are also scored through visual assessment and physically palpated to ensure firm even testicles.

CALCULATING CAPACITY

VISUAL ASSESMENT Score 1 – Testicles are evenly hung and have good capacity in relation to circumference

Is the shape and strength of flow between hips and shoulders. With animals needing to conform to certain structural requirements the animal’s strength of topline helps to ensure high levels of mobility, production, and adaptability to the environment.

1 EXCELLENT

Shoulders, hips and spine relatively level

3 GOOD

Shoulder’s sit slightly lower then topline

5 BAD

Topline

2 VERY GOOD

4 NOT GOOD

6 VERY BAD

“Roachy

Hips sit higher then topline and shoulders

Hips and shoulders are at the same level, somewhere the topline is out of alignment

sits lower in the middle compared to where the shoulders and hips sit

back” where the topline is arched and the shoulders and hips sit much lower

It is important to have accurate shoulder placement in cattle as it is a considerable role in the structural correctness and mobility of a beef animal, it allows for calving ease and promotes longevity in mating and breeding.

1 EXCELLENT

Well rounded. angle not too sharp or too straight

4 NOT GOOD

Larger angle, prominent shoulders front on, sometimes cause front leg to turn inwards when tracking

2 VERY GOOD

Slightly straighter angle doesn’t affect the leg placement

5 BAD

Very straight through the shoulder, these animals usually won’t carry much weight through the front end

3 GOOD

More rounded may have straighter front legs as a result but doesn’t affect their tracking, usually more visible front on.

6 VERY BAD

Very large angle. These animals usually produce calves that tend to have birthing issues due to prominent shoulders and do not track smoothly through the front legs

Good angled shoulders help create strong toplines which can assist with balanced hips.

1 EXCELLENT

Well rounded. angle not too sharp or too straight

6 VERY BAD

Very large angle. These animals usually produce calves that tend to have birthing issues due to prominent shoulders and do not track smoothly through the front legs

When assessing both females and males in terms of reproductive soundness; structural aspects to consider include the angle from the hipbone to the pin bone and the width between pin bones. The greater the angle of the line drawn between the hips and the pins of the pelvis and the horizontal, the greater the vertical diameter of the pelvis. This increased angle allows for greater calving ease. Though bulls obviously do not calve down, they pass this feature onto their daughters.

Bulls: Good angle = larger rump muscle

Females: Good angle = calving ease

SCORE

A functional tail set generally sits parallel with, if not lower than the hips and backline. A tail head in this position allows for a wider birth canal through the pins and calving ease.

1 EXCELLENT

Tail head sits slightly lower than the hip and spine line

3 GOOD

Tail head sits slightly higher than spine line

5 BAD

Defining separation between body line and tail setting

2 VERY GOOD

Tail head sits parallel with hip and spin

4

Tail head is raised above hip and spine line indefinitely

6

Tail head sit a lot higher then hips and spine

Size for age in cattle refers to the relationship between the age of an animal and its physical size or body weight. Size for age is influenced by genetics, nutrition, health, and management practices. It is an important consideration in beef production as larger, well-developed cattle tend to produce more meat and are more profitable.

SCORE 1

✔ Heaviest

✔ Tallest

✔ Excellent fat and muscle coverage

✔ Most balanced animals

SCORE 2

✔ Still great animals may only be lacking in one or two of the points above.

✔ Nicely balanced animals

SCORE 3

✔ Average

✔ Healthy

✔ Middle of the run cattle

SCORE 4

✘ May need supplement feeding

✘ Not balanced

✘ Little fat and or muscle coverage

✘ May have been weaned early or having environmental adjustments

SCORE 5

✘ Possibly poddy calves

✘ Poor mature cows

✘ Animals with slight illness

✘ Low condition scores

✘ May recover

SCORE 6

✘ Smallest

✘ Skinniest

✘ Sick looking

✘ May not recover

✘ Low muscle and condition scores

Body condition score describes the relative fatness or conditioning of cattle and can give an indication of the energy reserves of an animal. Cows with scores of 1-3 are more likely to breed back earlier, have more vigorous calves and a good milk supply. Bulls with excellent to good condition will hold condition whilst working and have energy reserves to complete a joining season.

Over conditioning can be as big an issue as under conditioning for fertility and production, therefore a body condition score of 1-3 represents a logical target for most cow herds.

1 EXCELLENT

✔ Hip bones not visible

✔ Ribs well covered

✔ Tail bones area slightly lumpy

✔ Body outline round

2 VERY GOOD

✔ Skeletal structure difficult to identify

✔ Obvious fat deposits around shoulders/ tail

✔ Flat topline

3 GOOD

✔ Hip bones visible faintly

✔ Ribs generally not visible

✔ Body outline almost smooth

4 NOT GOOD

✘ Hips showing fat deposits

✘ Ribs very well covered

✘ Body outline bulging due to fat

✘ Tail head very lumpy

5 BAD

✘ Backbone visible

✘ Hips and shoulders visible

✘ Body outlines bony

6 VERY BAD

✘ Backbone Prominent

✘ Ribs clearly visible

✘ Tailhead area recessed

✘ Skeletal body outline

The higher the degree of muscling affects dressing percentage and meat yield in a positive way, indicating that 1 equals the more heavily muscled animals, and 6 equalling less muscled animals with less meat yield.

Heavier muscled animals are usually earlier maturing, have higher weight gains and are quicker to reach market specifications making them highly desirable in the beef supply chain.

MUSCLE SCORE 1:

MUSCLE SCORE 6:

MASCULINITY & FEMININITY

Not an easy trait to describe; femininity and masculinity are scored from 1 to 6 based on body shape, power, refinement and natural outlook.

These animals are excellent examples of a masculine bull and a feminine cow.

• Well-muscled front end

• Hooded eye

• Strong powerful outlook

• Square body frame

• Large muzzle

• Sire appeal

• Refined front end

• Wedge shape

• Feminine/pretty outlook

• Maternal

• Rounded/tapered muzzle

• Breeding appeal

WGS P07 Dust n Smoke

WGS N10

Miss Wow

★ No lumps or bumps

★ Fit to load

★ The quieter the better TEMPERAMENT

★ Structurally sound ABNORMALITIES

★ Purebred

★ Outcross

★ Proven sire/ dam GENETICS

GOOD FOR THE BRAND GOOD FOR THE BREED

SALEABILITY

★ Personal preferences

★ Colours over solids COLOUR

★ LENGTH

★ WIDTH

★ DEPTH SIZE

• The WG Accredited score is made up of the average of individual traits scored.

• Temperament is kept as a separate score.

• Individual assessment on all cattle is undertaken in the cattle yards.

• Animals are physically assessed as close to 200, 400, 600 and 800 days.

• Weights are taken on each assessment date.

The Accreditation template

• Bulls are semen tested and measured for scrotal circumference and capacity from 14 months of age.

• Internal reproductive tests are completed on females from 14 months of age.

• IMF, EMA, and fat depth scanning is completed and used in conjunction with the assessment.

• All relevant raw data is submitted to Breedplan.

• Abnormalities, treatments and calving are recorded as needed.

As long-time producers, importers, and exporters of genetic material we know the importance of ensuring quality and compliance. The Wattle Grove Accredited program enables us to identify the highest quality animals within our herd and establish the most stringent standards for our genetic collection. Whether the genetic material is created in Australia or imported from other countries, the process is the same.

Wattle Grove Accredited Genetics provide buyers and breeders confidence and peace of mind, knowing that their future herd is based on the strongest possible foundation.

All AI sires must have an accredited score of 1-3

• Overall nutrition and health of AI Sires.

• Maintaining collection and accreditation records for the lifetime of the bulls.

• Collecting through highly reputable technicians and centres.

• Freeze only semen that is above industry standard for motility, morphology and concentration.

• Independent post thaw testing prior to the semen going to market.

• Storage of genetic material at high reputable centres

• Retesting of stored semen with two independent companies on an annual basis

• Our processes after collecting result in less handling of the semen and quality assurance after collection.

• Purebred and parent verified donors and sires

• WG Accredited AI sires with scores of 1- 3

• WG Accredited Donors with scores of 1-3

• Above breed standards in Australia and Canada

• Grade and Age of embryos

• Take rate of recipients

• Breed Society compliance to enable registration of embryo calves.

• DNA sharing across the globe (SNP/MIP)

• Utilising genetic testing

• Monitoring and benchmarking fertility and flushability of donors

• Transparency of flush technology

• Utilise IVF and conventional flushing methods

• Donor management through nutrition

ON FARM PRACTISES THAT WILL HELP PROMOTE WATTLE GROVE ACCREDITED MEAT:

• All Wattle Grove animals are HGP free

• Low Stress Handling

• Good Nutrition

• Balanced Feeding

• Good Body Condition Scoring

• Muscle Scoring

• High Size For age

• Overall Condition

• 1-3 on temperament scores

• Using Licenced feedlots and Butchers

• Paddock to plate traceability.

• DNA Sire Verification

WATTLE GROVE ACCREDITED MEAT JUDGED ON:

• Fat Colour – White through to Yellow

• Fat Thickness – minimum 3mm

• Meat Colour- Light pink through to dark brown

• Marbling – intramuscular fat

• pH Testing – Show the stress through the meat and whether they are going to “eat hard” (UNDER 5.7)

• Ossification Score – Meat in relation to bone, this is affected by the healthiest life of the beast

• Carcase weights – In relation to waste percentages

• Cut up – Texture, softness, juiciness of the meat and quality tender meat

PUREBRED BEEF

CROSSBRED BEEF

Marbling - More intramuscular fat equals more flavour

Fat Coverage - The right amount of fat protects the carcase from freezer burns and reduces the waste process

Fat Colour - More desirable to eat

Dale Humphries: 0429 360 419 • Bin Humphries: 0421 524 856

www.wattlegrovespecklepark.com.au