IT is no secret cattle prices have finally hit a price point where producers are getting a reasonable return, and Rapid Bay's John Croser could not be happier with the line of Shorthorn steers he sold at Mount Compass earlier this month.
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His 15 milk and two-tooth steers - sold to Thomas Foods International - averaged 643.5 kilograms and returned an average of $2124 a head, which was the top price for heavy steers at that market.
For Mr Croser and his wife Yvonne, it is a solid endorsement of the breeding program which has been honed over decades and seen their cattle earnestly sought by feedlots and processors alike.
The Croser enterprise extends across 1214 hectares at Rapid Bay and a further 1214ha at Meningie, and targets the Japanese, Korean and European Union markets, and meets Meat Standards Australia standards.
The self-replacing 300-cow herd has been selectively developed and these days - following the dispersal of Broughton Park Shorthorns at Spalding in 2010 - sires are mainly selected from Yamburgan Shorthorns in Narrabri, NSW, and Carlton Shorthorns, Hahndorf.
"Prior to that, about 48 years ago, we were using Weebollabolla bulls; we had the highest percentage of Weebollabolla blood outside of the stud," Mr Croser said.
"Previously, we were using English Milking Shorthorns with Poll Shorthorns to get an increased frame score and milk.
"Their liveweight and average daily gains were higher, and crossed with the Weebollabolla bulls, we found they were the ideal mix.
"We've concentrated on that herd and refined it."
Mr Croser said he aimed for cows with a frame score of seven which were free-walking and structurally correct.
"We used to sell all our steers to interstate feedlots and they have to be structurally correct to carry the weight," he said.
Bulls are joined at a rate of one to 35 cows for an autumn calving.
"We used to mate our heifers by AI to get an early drop," Mr Croser said.
"That was excellent, then we could weigh and wean the calves at all the same age and it made it easier to track their progress against each other."
He said he did not believe calf weight was responsible for calving problems, rather the shape of the calf was more important.
"A long calf might be heavier at birthweight, but it's also heavier right through its life than a shorter bodied calf," Mr Croser said.
Female pelvic size and calf hip size were vital factors in achieving more live calves on the ground, and Mr Croser also kept a close eye on muscle shape and yield in his females.
"If your muscle yields get up that can result in dystocia; we've got higher yielding bulls so it's a balancing act to stay within the parameters (of our target markets) and get live calves," he said.
Calves are bred on the Rapid Bay property, which was hilly country that gave cows "plenty of exercise".
"The feed is on top of the hills and the water is in the valleys," Mr Croser said.
