Sustainable Profitability…
Kakahu is committed as a team to growing our client’s profitability whilst growing their herds to be environmentally sustainable.
To this end we are pleased to announce that we have joined Rissington in becoming a part of the Leachman $Profit™ programme. This compares 1.3 million animals, both purebred and crossbred, internationally. Such large population gives a high degree of accuracy and the programme is continually developing, making it exciting to belong to.
We tested our first calving stud heifers and found they average in the top 9% of this 1.3 million.
This is science, and we are delighted, yet not surprised that many of our clients are reporting to us that they are already benefiting, such as receiving premiums at slaughter. For example, a recent shipment to slaughter of Kakahu steers received a premium of $240 per head through meeting the requirements – fact, not fiction.
Through INHERIT Select®, $Profit can take commercial clients to a new level of breeding by selecting the best heifers for their herds with accuracy. This can be done before mating, with measurements of 16 different traits. You can also establish which bulls are working the best and having best results.
One important trait, not available in Australasian EBVs, is Net Food Efficiency. For example, two animals have grown at the same rate, but one has eaten possibly 50% less feed to get to that weight. This trait had great potential!
Since the early 2000’s we have selected sires globally, targeting structure, calving ease, temperament, moderate growth and last but not by any means least, carcass.
Carcass Traits:
We want medium sized cows that weigh like a brick of gold.
We DO NOT single trait select. We aim for EBVs that show calving ease, good growth, and a mature cow weight close to the 400 Day Weight. Paramount is the carcass weight (CW). Ideally, we want it to equal the Mature Cow Weight. You are paid on carcase weight!
We scan all our young animals to establish data for EBVs, not just sale bulls. We cull poor shaped or small EMA’s.
We aim for average fat EBVs. It takes twice as much energy to put on fat as muscle. The cows should have enough cover to get through winter and back into calf, but not so much that lots needs cutting off their offspring at slaughter.
IMF (marbling) gives meat its flavour and tenderness. We constantly search for sires that produce superior marbling together with other traits.
Commercial animals should be ready for slaughter by 18 months to 2 years. We want our animals to grow fast and reach early maturity.
Raw Data:
Kakahu does not use raw data in any of its advertising. It is misleading and mischievous.
It has no way of accounting for difference in age of animals, difference in management, environment, linkages between parents and other animals. Even within herd comparisons are foolish. Remember EBV’s work!
Indexes:
NZ’s indexes have changed this year. The average is now around $106 for the AngusPure Index. It is still worth selecting higher indexed bulls as a start for sorting but be aware that higher indexed animals may not necessarily relate positively with all Australian EBVs.
Indexes are only a sorting tool. For instance, you might select forty bulls above +$150. Then the EBVs come into play. Tick the traits you are happy with in a bull and cross out all the bulls with traits that you feel will affect your herd adversely. To make it easy, at the bottom of each page of our catalogue is the average of each trait.
Gerald likens our catalogue to a road map. Decide where you want to go, and then plot the track you want to take. Don’t waver. It takes three generations to build traits that you want into your herd. It doesn’t take much to lose them.
