Texas Holding Now Profitable - Texas QLD

Bill and Raylene Abraham faced a dilemma common to many rural producers. How best to improve the viability of their small beef enterprise Mettingham, near Texas? With cash flow restricted by tough seasonal conditions, the prospect of increasing their 300ha land holding was a big call.
The couple have been delighted with their decision to instead invest in a system which gives them a guaranteed year-round supply of fresh green feed. Now their cattle are thriving with the addition of a daily ration of grain sprouts to their diet. Taking the vagaries of the weather out of the equation has also brought them peace of mind. “It’s a great feeling knowing you have about 640 kilos of fresh feed ready for your stock each morning,” Mr Abraham said.
“We needed to do something to make our small block more profitable and this has proved very cost effective. You wouldn’t buy much land for the money we spent on our sprouting system and we are certainly ahead of the expense of setting up for irrigation.” They purchased a grain sprouting system from Toowoomba company Fodder Solutions in April this year and quickly took advantage of an opportunity to install a bigger unit, effectively doubling their feed capacity.
The fodder system immediately proved its worth as crops have really struggled this year. One block was planted twice and still produced a disappointing result. Mr Abraham said they aimed to grow about 40hectares of crop each year to supplement available pasture. They normally plant oats or barley or, if seasonal conditions permit, forage sorghum. The property carries about 180 cattle and they have 20 horses which are also fed sprouts.
They had been breeding their own cattle, but have now switched their enterprise focus to finishing bought in steers. “We select British breeds which we work with our horses in a stress free environment. The end result very much depends on what you buy and how you handle your stock,” said Mr Abraham. The cattle get a daily ration of sprouts plus access to a grain mix and available pasture. They typically sell at 16 to 18 months of age, dressing out at 190 to 200 kilos with an 8mm fat cover.
“Most people in the area have had to sell weaners off early this season, but with our sprouts we’ve been able to keep turning off a regular supply of finished cattle for the local market. Buying the spouting unit was the best decision we ever made,” Mr
Abraham said