The breeding program at Futurity is focused on breeding cattle for the high quality end of the Australian Beef Meat Industry. They are performance recorded and have the data to back up their physical appearance. They also have the durability to perform in the western conditions in which they are raised. Genetically the cattle have much to offer as they combine light birth weights, rapid growth, and superior carcase quality.
The Futurity Difference
The shorthorn cattle carry an extra degree of muscle over most shorthorn herds and the charolais have good fat cover and intra muscular fat. The type of cattle bred at Futurity are suitable for a wider group of markets and more attractive for those selling their progeny as weaners or feeders. Also by having more flesh and fat cover on the females allows them to stay more productive in hard times.
Coupled with meeting all the basic requirements of sound structure and fertility, an emphasis has been placed on hair type with the main focus of breeding slick coated animals.
There is a strong alliance at Futurity with performance recording and having the data to back up the animals physical appearance. All traits are measured for every animal from Birth weight, weaning and yearling weight. Ultasound scanning of bulls and heifers as yearlings for Eye Muscle Area, Fat and Intramuscular Fat is performed to identify cattle that marble at an early age. The cows are weighed at time of weaning their calf to assess the cows efficiency when compareing cow weight to the % of her weight compared to calf.
Our goal is to breed cattle that are profitable across a range of markets. With seasonal conditions being so varied we feel it is important to be able to breed cattle that are able to be marketed at any age if the season turns bad.
Our aim of focusing on moderating Birth weight, increasing Fertility, Finishing Ability and Intramuscular Fat (IMF) addresses some of the needs of Beef Producers for short and long term benefits.
- Birth Weight and Fertility = More calves at weaning/cows run. A key driver for herd profitability. The females are put under pressure to perform. They must calve every year within a 9 week period or they leave the herd. The heifers are joined at 12 to 14 months of age once a weight is met to then calve at 2 yrs old. If they do not meet this weight they leave the herd. This pressure to perform on the females at a young age increases income for the number of females run.
- Finishing Ability = As the days on feed shorten in most feedlots and a shift to a lighter carcase weight there is a real need for moderate maturity and easy finishing cattle.
- Meat Quality = Our goal of producing a quality product along the supply chain from the producer to consumer has been partly recognised by being awarded an Excellence in Eating Quality Top 100 Producer Award. The MSA Excellence in Eating Quality Awards aim to raise awareness of MSA best practice by recognising those producers in each state who consistently deliver superior eating quality beef for the benefit of consumers and the profitability of the industry.
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