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Staggering Carcass Results at Woodleigh
Woodleigh Kiwi Blue genetics are again producing extraordinary growth and carcass weight results in 2021.
Pictured is the bull calf Woodleigh 1025 with his dam prior to weaning. He was born unaided on 19 June, 2019, weighing 45kg. He weighed 404kg at weaning when just under 8 months old.
He was available for sale as a breeding bull, but didn't sell, and went to the works on 20 July, 2021 at 25 months age.
His carcass weighed a staggering 546kg on the hooks, 64.6% of his live weight.
The bull had received no supplements or special treatment. His group averaged 465.6Kg carcass weight at exactly 24 months average age, most grading M1.
These weights are obviously too heavy, and the bulls ideally would have been processed at a much younger age, but for the need to keep R2 sale bulls available until July each year.
Meanwhile, a cull 2 year old heifer has weighed 418.5kg on the hooks. She was born unaided on 22 June, 2019, weighing 47kg. When processed on 4 October she was just over 27 months old. Graded P1 her carcass was 64.9% of her live weight.
While these carcass weights are heavier than ideal, they demonstrate the potential of Woodleigh Belgian Blue genetics after more than 30 years of careful selection for early growth.
What's more, the methane emissions of these cattle per Kg of meat produced would be significantly less than a traditional beef animal where the bull, Woodleigh 1025, had an 81% heavier carcass than the average bull processed about that age, and the heifer, Woodleigh 956, a 51% heavier carcass than the average steer or heifer.
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