Harry Lawson on the Head Shepherd Podcast
This week Harry Lawson appeared on the Head Shepherd podcast with neXtgen Agri CEO Mark Ferguson.
Harry goes through the progression of the Lawson Angus business, a pioneering family for performance recording cattle. His parents started performance recording in the late 60s and they recently held their 50th Bull Sale. They currently farm in 4 states of Australia.
When Harry returned to the family farm in 1994, they were running 300 cows. Over the next 10 years, Harry and his family upped that to 2,500. They went from selling 50 bulls a year to 1000.
Mark and Harry compare the change in genetics and traits Lawson Angus have been chasing over their 50 years of recording. They started with recording maternal ability and growth.
It wasn't until mid-80's when the US bulls came into Australia, that they focused on birth weights.
They also started ultra-sounding in the late 80s as they wanted to start selecting on carcass and marbling. They then focused in on mature weight as they got bigger growth.
Harry says that not enough people are paying attention to their mature cow size. He goes on to say very few seedstock herds are weighing their cows even though it drives so many things. Fertility, ability to handle socking rate/seasonal fluctuations and postpartum anoestrus intervals.
"If you're big, lean and high milking in our system, you're gone" Harry says. "Milk is a very misunderstood trait. We're getting more and more milk and we don't need more and more milk. It's a massive energy drag. You're not pumping out four calves, you're pumping out one"
Mark and Harry discuss other traits like marbling, fat and feed conversion and how they effect the maternal cow and essentially the bottom line of the business.
A great podcast between two genetics enthusiasts.