About Square Meaters

Square Meaters were chosen as the breed of choice with the following points in mind:

• their quiet temperament means these animals can be handled safely by the whole family

• they have moderate birth weights with excellent mothering qualities

• our off farm commitments means the low maintenance nature of these cattle is ideal

• early weight gain means more meat (and $$$) sooner

• the ease of which we have been able to break in the animals is a testament to the ‘usability’ of the breed.
  
  Read more here about how and why we chose Square Meaters

Medium Framed Cattle are a Growing Option

We are living in the days of farming history in Australia when much of the former conventional wisdom is being questioned. Many of the old ways of doing things are being unravelled and replaced with new ideas and approaches.

Rainbow Ulysses, senior bull currently standing at Silver Gully

One example of this process is in beef production where many small farmers have seen the sense of switching away from breeds with a large body mass and opting for breeds with lower body mass per animal. There are still many broad acre situations in Australia where large cattle may be the best option for large scale operations, but advantages are emerging for the use of medium framed breeds - particularly on smaller holdings. Herd numbers in all medium framed breeds are increasing as the benefits of grazing these cattle become accepted. The majority of the herds in Australia are less than a 100 head.

Some of the general reasons why the medium framed breeds are becoming popular include:

• The ability to closely match stocking rates with the size of the property. A large beast requires a greater area of grass than a smaller animal in order to thrive. Therefore, the stocking rate is lower compared with the stocking rate possible with a smaller breed. The small farmer running large cattle can only vary the stocking rate by large increments, ie, to raise or lower the herd by one large animal at a time. A farmer with medium framed cattle can vary the herd size by small increments and therefore closely match the stock numbers with the size of the farm. This becomes important during drought when the grazier with medium framed animals can reduce numbers a little at a time.

• Ground pressure. An adverse environmental factor with large cattle is the effect of ground pressure on farm health and sustainability. Ground compaction limits water absorption, root development, oxygenation of the soil and has other harmful effects, including damage to the soil structure by heavier hooves. Medium framed cattle breeds exert lower ground pressure and are preferable over large breeds to reduce environmental damage.

• Lower infrastructure demands. Large cattle require sturdy farm infrastructure including the size and structure of fences, yards and crushes and the size and strength of trucks and loading races. Smaller cattle can be handled with lower expenditure compared to the heavy infrastructure required to hold large and flighty beasts. In this way the capital expenditure to run medium framed breeds is lower when compared with large breeds.

• Safety and temperament. Medium framed breeds have often coexisted with humans for centuries and have acquired calm and docile natures. They are suitable for people with lower livestock experience levels. Many Square Meaters breeders will often comment that the original characteristics that attracted them to the breed, such as temperament and ease of handling, are the characteristics that continue to endear them to the serious breeder.

• Portion control. Many potential beef customers, such as the domestic restaurant trade, supermarkets, airlines and many Asian consumers, do not value a steak that hangs over the edge of a plate. Smaller breeds enable better portion control and presentation to these customers.

• slower means juicier. Researchers from Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit at the University of New England, and the beef quality Co-operative Research Centre have found a significant genetic relationship between temperament and meat quality. Using records of “flight time” – the time taken for an animal to move a set distance after leaving the crush or race - animals with higher flight time ie, a slower exit and therefore quieter temperament, have a genetic tendency towards more tender meat.