RaynerAg

04/06/2026

My June e-newlsetter is hititng inboxes this morning. In case you haven’t seen your copy, this link should give you a chance to see what you missed

This week has seen the first of the big winter cold fronts pass across eastern Australia. This week I was in South Australia's Flinders Ranges as the front came through. The cold temperatures and showery conditions are a little foretaste of the season to come. Despite this, the generally good rain a...

03/06/2026

I’ve had a whirlwind trip to South Australia this week. I was invited by the SA Wild dog project to meet with farmer groups in the Flinders Ranges and Southern Mallee to share some ideas on Cost of Production. It was great to dive in and share some thoughts on the key profit drivers and what can be achieved on farm.

31/05/2026

This weeks RaynerAg Bull of the week comes from Talbalba Herefords in Qld. This is R5XV178 (PP) and offers some very impressive genetics across his growth traits, calving ease and EMA. I really admire this bulls phenotype and think he will appeal to more than a few people. He will be one to look out for as sale day draws closer!

29/05/2026

This week saw a great development as the first Vytelle Australasia Tasmanian satellite commenced servicing producers. A big shout out to Dr Matt Izzo at Apiam Genetic Services and Cluden Newry for supporting this service in Tasmania.

Tasmanian cattle producers now have access to a beef and dairy cattle IVF service for the first time..Read More

26/05/2026

This week I was really pleased to deliver a BrewdWell FedWell workshop at Hazeldean in Cooma. A big thanks to Ed & Bea Litchfield for hosting the event. The feedback was terrific and I'm looking forward to our next Meat & Livestock Australia BredWell FedWell at HY Angus in Dunedoo. If you'd like to come you can still register at mla.com.au/bwfw

Hazeldean Meat & Livestock Australia HY Angus Phillips Livestock Solutions ABRI Extension Services

25/05/2026

24/05/2026

This weeks RaynerAg Bull of the week is an impressive sire from Alumy Creek Angus at Tenterfield in Northern NSW. This is ALUMY CREEK STATESMAN V096

Statesman is one of the newer sires from the US, and has already started to make an impact on several US sales and events. He is a long bodied, well muscled bull with genetics in the top 1-2% across all growth & carcase wt ebvs.

This is a bull to take a good look at. He will be Lot 2 in this weeks Alumy Creek Angus sale, Friday 29 May (interfaced with AuctionsPlus)

22/05/2026

One of the better pieces I’ve read recently around measuring herd reproductive performance came from Bush Agribusiness

The article tackles a simple but important point:

A lot of producers talk about reproductive rate, but not everyone is measuring the same thing!

After reading it, I put together this visual summary to help walk through the logic step-by-step and make the concept easier to apply back in commercial herds.

Full credit to Bush Agribusiness for the original article https://bushagri.com.au/resources/article/does-your-reproductive-rate-pass-the-pub-test and framing behind the concept.

20/05/2026

Looking at the data presented by Angus Gidley-Baird in the Queensland Country Life this week, it struck me that 1996 to 2025 is the span of my professional career (so far) in the Australian beef industry.

The herd is about the same size. Almost everything else has changed. Carcase weights up from 246kg to 309kg. Feedlot finishing from around 14% of slaughter to nearly 40%. Export share from 60% to 79%. MSA, NLIS, LPA. None of these existed in the form we know now when I started.

The industry has done more with the same number of cattle than I or really anyone I worked with would have thought possible 30 years ago. I think there is plenty to think about and to be excited about for the next few years in our industy.

20/05/2026

With a lot of people feeding cottonseed at the moment, there are a few points worth highlighting on this option. White cottonseed handles well, cattle take to it readily, and it can be fed out every second day.

A few things worth keeping in mind:

* Keep it under 30% of the total diet
* Not suitable for calves under roughly 150 kg
* Works best alongside a clear picture of available feed and cow requirements

It's important to have a feed plan, and not just embark on a program without direction. Heres a link to an article on feeding white cottonseed I wrote a little while ago.

https://www.raynerag.com.au/blog/blog/some-tips-for-feeding-white-cottonseed-to-your-cows