Speed Band Matings at CBV

After 15 years of research, analysis and development at CBV, the next significant strategy was to magnify the management pressure and transparency.

Chart 2: Speed Band
Matings at CBV

% OF TOTAL BRAHMAN HERD
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5
1996 7.0 14.6 28.7 22.9 26.8
1997 8.3 18.7 17.3 36.7 19.1
1998 14.3 20.8 28.6 24.1 12.3
1999 14.6 18.8 32.7 18.5 15.5
2000 24.6 21.4 21.4 17.0 15.6
2001 26.8 23.1 16.8 20.6 12.7
2002 18.0 23.8 30.3 18.7 9.2
2003 16.3 25.3 29.5 20.4 8.4
2004 19.3 20.2 18.8 32.0 9.7
2005 20.9 19.8 22.6 28.9 7.8
2006 19.6 29.2 26.8 14.7 9.7
2007 23.0 27.8 19 18.4 11.7
2008 21.0 34.0 19.8 16.1 9.1
2009 35.4 22.7 17.2 19.9 4.7
2010 32.3 24.0 25.7 16.1 1.9





In 1996 the cow herds at ‘Belah Valley’ were divided into specific groups based on their ability to conceive early in the season, usually with no rain, regardless of the nutrition.

These cows are all lactating when mated on 1st October, every year. The 5 groups are identified C1 to C5. We had observed for more than 10 years that a percentage of our cattle had this superb trait, of rapid rebreed combined with perfect uterine survival (a highly heritable genetic trait) and we were keen to mate them exclusively to bulls descended from families with similar traits. Our daughter Lara was our cattle manager at a very young age and was keen to make her mark. Lara drafted the herd monthly at calf tagging date into mating groups. By the summer of 1996, we had progressed to having all cows in C1 to C5 speed mating bands.

The mating groups corresponded with our 21 day mating sequence of the previous summer, and resulting progeny groups. By using our demanding policy of mating large groups of females with single sires for only 21 days, we intended to highlight both sires and dams with the greatest desire and ability to mate successfully. Libido, athleticism, vigour, constitution, embryo survival; all are encompassed within this management template, and all contribute to genetic progress for the cattle best suited to our cost structure and economic targets.

Quality equals Fitness for Function

Reproduction Speed and Adaptation are the major profit drivers in a beef herd. CBV cattle have inbuilt qualities of fast fleshing, rapid growth, and naturally gentle disposition. No drenches, no tickicides, and no fly sprays are used at CBV. Adaptation and resistance to a range of stressors is heritable and attractive to our strategies. Our cost of production is low, and kilograms per hectare per 100 mm of rain are optimised. We are searching for truly adapted genetics, and are finding them. We are using the best tools that modern science can deliver and applying the best of Darwinian principals, of survival of the fittest…. CBV is delivering “World’s First” Genetics.