Pregnancy Scanning 2009

On the 5^th of February Farrer Pregnancy Tested the HBR herd using ultra modern scanning techniques provided by ASS. Using a rectal probe to obtain an image of  the Foetus that can than be accurately aged in days. This technique can be used to determine if the calf is by an AI or cover sire, this also allows us to divide the herd into different calving groups. The other benefit of scanning is you can find out after only 35 days whether or not the cow is pregnant. Commercial breeders can also use this technique to determine the time its taken heifers to become pregnant and allows them to determine which females will calve outside planned calving dates. It can also be used to help determine the generation interval in females. So the program has huge potential and  was useful for  year 12 to see how to improve the efficiency of joining programs. Farrer will continue to make greater use of this technology now that we realise its potential.

Luther Williams Year 12

Tattooing Weaners 2009

Year 11 Beef weaned 100 calves early in March. As with every year weaners are brought back to Farrer to be yard weaned and processed. This includes booster vaccination, collection of 200 day weights for Breeplan and tattooing in both ears as a form of permanent ID. Once settled weaners will be returned to ‘Hillstone’ to further grow out on lucerne.

Bryce Gill vaccinating weaners

Ian Archer tattoos one of his weaners

Doug Kelly carefully tattooing his calves

STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT BULLS

Friday 13^th March, Year 12 Beef who are hosting this year’s bull sale had all their bulls independently structurally assessed by Jim Green. This information will be made available through the sale catalogue and ensures buyer confidence. It also provides useful feedback for our breeding program. This year the boys are able to catalogue all bulls assessed and Jim was impressed with the overall quality.

Jim Green discussing structural assessment with students

Jim Green impressed by the Farrer draft of bulls

ANGUS PASTORAL CO

WORK PLACEMENT @ CARPENTARIA DOWNS

During the first week of the holidays the three recipients of the Angus Pastoral Co scholarship for 2008 (Allister Hamilton, Scott Henry and Luke Evans) went to one of the four properties owned by Angus Pastoral Co, we were placed at Carpentaria Downs approximately 300km west of Townsville on the Einsly River . We were at Carpentaria about three weeks into the first round of branding. We arrived on Friday the 11^th Of April and on the Saturday we began to muster, approx 1660 cows with calves. We spent the next two days branding and weaning calves. We then had a few days that were not so hectic. We worked on the weaners and sorted out dry cows to be trucked to the abattoirs. We also did routine jobs like checking bores and troughs, fixing fences and feeding weaners and vaccinating them. We then began another muster this time a smaller mob to be branded and drafted again. We had a very enjoyable experience with each of us gaining much knowledge. We came away with many stories, in particular being bushed and having to be found by the helicopter, being chased and deceived by old horney cows, in particular being barged form behind. The cook at Carpentaria was a funny character he had many stories and of course joke after joke, he was always there to make you laugh no matter what day you had , he even put light on being lost by being called 'little bo peep' the lost sheep. We weren’t the first Farrer boys to end up at Carpentaria Downs, we found Farrer old boy Steve Bails working there breaking in horses and doing general station work.

We had a very enjoyable time and cannot wait until our next stint up in Queensland. It shows how much this scholarship is worth both in education and experience. Allister, Scott and Luke.