Chas and Judy Nobbs, Allen Egerton and Phillip Nobbs with the Nobbs’ winning pen of Charbray heifers at Beef 2018.

THE prominence of Leucaena fed cattle among the champion grassfed pens was a notable trend from the commercial cattle championships held in conjunction with Beef 2018 in Rockhampton earlier this month.

The championships featured a yarding of more than 2000 market-ready cattle drawn from a large footprint of Queensland, with honours quite widely distributed across a variety of breed types, with Droughtmaster, Charbray, Santa Gertudis and Brangus entries in particular faring well.

One of the stronger trends from this year’s results was the success of Leucaena-fed cattle in the crop/pasture fed section.

The champion pens of grass-fed steers and females were both from Leucaena and buffel grass production systems.

The champion male crop/pasture fed pen was awarded to a pen of 10 two and four tooth Santa Gertrudis steers weighing an average of 747.5kg liveweight, bred and exhibited by Adam and Brett Hatton from Santahat Santa Gertrudis Stud at Monto.

The Hattons run a stud and commercial herd of 6000 Santa Gertrudis breeders, and turn most of their commercial production off to Coles supermarkets.

Brett Hatton said the family has been using Leucaena in its production system since buying a scrub block with the forage legume established about 12 years ago.

“It just keeps them going along, it gives them a bit of greenery and a kick along,” Brett said.

“It is the difference between having them fat and not quite fat, it is like giving them a biscuit of hay all the time.”

The champion female crop/pasture fed pen award was taken out by a pen of 10 two tooth Charbray heifers weighing 643kg liveweight on average, bred and exhibited by Chas and Judy Nobbs of the Cordelia Charbray Stud west of Moura.

The Nobbs’ also exhibited the reserve champion pen of grass-fed steers, and won three of the 12 classes.

All of their entries were two tooth Charbray cattle, fattened on Leucaena and buffel grass.

The Nobbs operation is geared towards breeding and fattening cattle for sale by 2.5 years of age, mainly to Teys for the MSA grass-fed market.

They first began using Leucaena 20 years ago and now have about 5000 acres established across four properties, which comprise mainly brigalow softwood country improved to buffel.

“It means we can finish cattle probably three months earlier than before we had Leucaena, and sometimes six months earlier,” Mr Nobbs said.

Commercial Cattle Championship results:

Grand Champion Pen: KD and KL McKenzie Droughtmaster/Simmental Cross, 10 x milk tooth heifers, 561.5kg

Champion Male Grainfed Pen: Banana Station Red Brahman, 10 x 2 tooth, 720kg

Reserve Champion Male Grainfed Pen: KD and KL McKenzie Droughtmaster, 10 x milk tooth, 567kg

Champion Female Grainfed Pen: KD and KL McKenzie Droughtmaster/Simmental Cross, 10 x milk tooth heifers, 561.5kg

Reserve Champion Female Grainfed Pen: Cantaur Park Pty Ltd Droughtmaster/Charolais cross, 12 x milk tooth heifers, 474.2kg

Champion Male Grassfed Pen: Santahat Santa Gertrudis Stud Santa Gertrudis, 5 x 2 tooth steers, 5 x 4 tooth steers; 747.5kg

Reserve Champion Male Grassfed Pen: Chas and Judy Nobbs Charbray, 10 x 2 tooth steers, 704kg

Champion Female Grassfed Pen: Chas and Judy Nobbs Charbray, 1 x milk tooth, 9 x 2 tooth heifers; 643kg

Reserve Champion Female Grassfed Pen: CA Mylrea Droughtmaster, 1 x milk tooth, 11 x 2 tooth heifers, 495kg

Most Successful Exhibitor: KD and KL McKenzie

Best Lot Feeder: Duaringa Station

Class One – Pen of 10 Grainfed Steers 560/650kg, milk-2 tooth, min 100 days grain fed

1st Place               Banana Station, Brahman Limousin cross, 599.5kg

2nd Place              Tony and Sandy Smith, Simmental cross, 603kg

3rd Place              KD and KL McKenzie, Droughtmaster, 617.5kg

4th Place              Duncan and Karen Geddes, Brangus, 597.5kg

5th Place              Boombah Cattle Company, Brangus, 597kg

Class Two – Pen of 10 Grainfed Steers 640/760kg, max 4 teeth, min 100 days grainfed

1st Place               Banana Station,  Red Brahman, 720kg

2nd Place              Atkinson and Co, Droughtmaster, 718.5kg

3rd Place              Brigodoon Cattle Company Pty Ltd, Santa Gertrudis, 743kg

4th Place              Banana Station, Red Brahman, 698kg

5th Place              Codrilla Pastoral Company, Romagnola/Brahman cross, 688kg

Class Three – Pen of 10 Grainfed Steers 520/600kg, max 2 teeth, min 70 days grainfed

1st Place               KD and KL McKenzie, Droughtmaster, 567kg

2nd Place              KD and KL McKenzie, Droughtmaster, 546kg

3rd Place              Yulgilbar Pastoral Company Pty Ltd, Santa Gertrudis, 556kg

4th Place              Duaringa Station Grazing Company, Droughtmaster, 544kg

5th Place              Coorumburra Rural Enterprises, Brangus, 545kg

Class Four – Pen of 10 Grainfed Steers 430/520kg, max 2 teeth, min 70 days grainfed

1st Place               Duaringa Station, Droughtmaster, 459.5kg

2nd Place              Angus Pastoral Company, Angus/Belmont Red cross, 476kg

3rd Place              Santahat Santa Gertrudis Stud, Santa Gertrudis, 498kg

4th Place              Coorumburra Rural Enterprises, Brangus, 477.5kg

5th Place              Angus Pastoral Company, Angus/Belmont Red cross, 470.5lg

Class Five – Pen of 10 Grainfed Heifers 500/640kg, max 2 teeth, min 70 days grainfed

1st Place               KD and KL McKenzie, Droughtmaster/Simmental Cross, 561.5kg

2nd Place              Cantaur Park Pty Ltd, Droughtmaster/Charolais, 603kg

3rd Place              Alan Atkinson Inv Pty Ltd T/A Mungalla Stud, Droughtmaster, 517kg

4th Place              Duaringa Station Grazing Company, Droughtmaster/Charbray cross, 526kg

5th Place              Banana Station, Brahman/Angus cross, 585kg

Class Six – Pen of 12 Grainfed Heifers 420/520kg, milk tooth, min 70 days grainfed

1st Place               Cantaur Park Pty Ltd, Droughtmaster/Charolais cross, 474.2kg

2nd Place              Randall and Tanya Ziesemer, Charbray, 490.4kg

3rd Place              Alan Atkinson Inv Pty Ltd T/A Mungalla Stud, Droughtmaster, 442.1kg

4th Place              Mark Collins, Charbray, 445.8kg

Class Seven – Pen of 10 Grassfed Steers 560/650kg, max 2 teeth

1st Place               Chas and Judy Nobbs, Charbray, 619kg

2nd Place              Christmas Creek Cattle Company, Droughtmaster, 621kg

3rd Place              Andrew Rea and Sons, Droughtmaster, 593.5kg

4th Place              Duncan and Karen Geddes, Droughtmaster, 607kg

5th Place              Essex Grazing Company, Charbray, 592kg

Class Eight – Pen of 10 Grassfed Steers 640/760kg, max 4 teeth

1st Place               Chas and Judy Nobbs, Charbray, 704kg

2nd Place              CA Mylrea, Droughtmaster, 710.5kg

3rd Place              Yandaburra Cattle Company, Charbray, 711kg

4th Place              CA Mylrea, Drougtmaster, 652kg

5th Place              Yandaburra Cattle Company, Brangus, 753.5kg

Class Nine – Pen of 10 Grassfed Steers 520/760kg, max 4 teeth

1st Place               Santahat Santa Gertrudis Stud, Santa Gertrudis, 747.5kg

2nd Place              Essex Grazing Company, Charbray, 662kg

3rd Place              Chas and Judy Nobbs, Charbray, 668kg

4th Place              Boombah Cattle Company, Brangus, 677kg,

5th Place              KD and KL McKenzie, Droughtmaster, 629kg

Class Ten – Pen of 10 Grassfed Steers 450/560kg, max 2 teeth

1st Place               Duncan and Karen Geddes, Brangus, 548.4kg

2nd Place              Nogoa Pastoral Pty Ltd, Angus/Charbray cross, 549kg

3rd Place              Boogal Cattle Company, Brahman, 554kg

4th Place              Murray Loretta Smith, Santa Gertrudis/Angus cross, 546kg

Class Eleven – Pen of 10 Grassfed Heifers 500/760kg, max 4 teeth

1st Place               Chas and Judy Nobbs, Charbray, 643kg

2nd Place              Chas and Judy Nobbs, Charbray, 575kg

3rd Place              CA Mylrea, Droughtmaster, 560kg

4th Place              Santahat Santa Gertrudis Stud, Santa Gertrudis, 546kg

5th Place              KD and KL McKenzie, Droughtmaster, 556kg

Class Twelve – Pen of 12 Grassfed Heifers 420/520kg, max 2 teeth

1st Place               CA Mylrea, Droughtmaster, 495kg

2nd Place              Coorumburra Pastoral Company, Santa Gertrudis, 479.6kg

3rd Place              Cantaur Park Pty Ltd, Droughtmaster, 505.8kg

4th Place              Presho Cattle Co, Santa Gertrudis/Angus cross, 466.3kg

5th Place              Santahat Santa Gertrudis Stud, Santa Gertrudis, 474.6kg