What do Blue-E cattle look like?
We think the best-looking bull is the bull that has the best performance figures relating to the best breeding objectives for the commercial producers, that then passes an independent structural assessment and is raised under commercial conditions.
We have bred the Blue-E cattle under a strict commercial conditions, with a planned and disciplined approach. We defined our goals and breeding objectives according to the profitability of commercial producers. Those factors that strongly influence commercial profitability are:
Fertility
Growth
Feed Efficiency
Marbling
Muscularity
Mature Cow Weight
We manage our cattle under a time controlled grazing system , in big numbers, to maximise our ground cover, retention of our rainfall and carbon capture (sequestration).
We present grassfed bulls at our sale, with no washing clipping or hoof trimming.
Our goal is to sell a bull that gets the maximum number of calves each year, for the maximum number of years.
We join for 3 cycles (9 weeks) with no special favour for heifers which calve at 2 year old.
We practice early weaning our calves at about 5 months so as we can manage the intake of our dry pregnant cows, and concentrate the best feed on our production stock.
We join all heifers born, letting the first cull be pregnancy, as fertility is the biggest profit driver, the second calving and the third structural assessment.
We scan and foetal age at pregnancy testing and all empties are sold no matter what.
All bulls are independently structurally assessed by Dick Whale prior to joining as yearlings, then again prior to sale. All heifers after having their first calf are structurally assessed by Dick Whale, all that fail are removed from the Blue-E breeding program.
We manage our cows to reduce daily intakes so we can reduce input costs. 70% of feed in a self-replacing herd is consumed by the cows.