Senepol Characteristics
- solid red colour, ranging from dark red to a lighter ginger
colour.
· in general have a very short hair coat type.
· are naturally polled.
· have good eye and skin pigmentation.
· a docile temperament being easily managed.
· reach puberty earlier than Bos indicus breeds.
· females are renowned for their ease of calving and calves for
their fast get up and go vigour.
· heifers will calve as two year olds under normal management
conditions.
· average birthweight of calves is 34kg.
· average mature weight of cows is 550 650kg.
· bulls, 930kg at pasture.
· bulls have a high libido, are fertile and virile breeders from an
early age.
· it is typical to see Senepol grazing in the heat of the day, long
after other breeds have sought the shelter of shade.
Udder Quality
You can expect the Senepol genetic influence to improve udder quality in
females.
Breeder longevity is well documented, with Senepol cows often still
efficiently producing calves well into their teens.
So what are the carcass attributes of the Senepol?
The Senepol is a real option to improve fertility and meat quality In
northern herds. Senepol have a significant ability to marble from a young
age. In an overwhelming endorsement for the breed, Senepol and Senepol cross
cattle bred by the Maynard Family, have dominated the results at the annual
Callide-Dawson Carcass Competition, the nations largest carcass competition
in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
In 2009 the competition drew 372 entries. Senepol and Senepol cross cattle
took out a large percentage of the major and minor ribbons on offer, both
grain and grass-fed, including winning Champion Grassfed Heifer with a
purebred Senepol milk tooth trade heifer, dressing 275kg, a fat depth 9mm
(rump) and an EMA of 84 cm. The heifer also scored maximum points for meat
colour and texture. In the 100 Day Feedlot Trial, a ¾ Senepol / ¼ Belmont
bullock entry won the Weight Gain section, with a daily gain of 2.94 kg. 1st
Grain assisted Bullock, 1st Pen of Three Heifers (70 day grain fed trial),
2nd Single grain fed Heifer (70 day trial), 2nd Grassfed single
heifer/steer, 2nd Weight gain pen of 3 heifers (70 day Feedlot trial), 3rd
Grain assisted Bullock, 3rd Pen of 3 Bullocks (100 day Feedlot trial) and
1st in Live assessment. Champion Grassfed Heifer
In 2010, with over 300 entries the Maynard Familys draft performed very
well, reinforcing the 2009 results winning most successful exhibitor again.
Champion grainfed heifer carcasss. 1st, 2nd, 3rd in single grainfed heifer
(clean sweep). 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th & 8th in weight gain (2.95KG a
day, clean sweep); 1st & 3rd in pen of 3 heifers, 2nd in export grassfed
heifer and 3rd in weight gain 100 day bullocks.
In the 2011 Callide-Dawson Carcase competition, with over 400 entries, the
Maynard Family again won the most awards with Senepol and Senepol-cross
cattle. 1st pen of 3 grainfed steers, 2nd pen of 3 grainfed heifers, 3rd
single grainfed heifer, 1st and 3rd growth rate in grainfed bullocks out of
116 head, 1st , 2nd and 3rd in growth rate in grainfed heifers out of 72
head; and highest points overall steer for a 3rd year in a row. This is an
overwhelming endorsement for the Senepol breed.
Pinnacle Pocket currently uses the Maynard family, 5 Star-bred Senepol bulls
as their sires.
What about Meat Quality of Senepol and senepol-cross cattle?
In what is thought to be the first objective research into tenderness of the
Senepol breed in Australia, 79 Senepol and Senepol cross steers from Mt
Eugene had their meat assessed for tenderness using the Warner Bratzler
Shear
Force test. The mob of steers had a range of Senepol crosses including
Senepol x Belmont Red, Senepol x Bonsmara, Senepol x Charolais, Senepol x
Charbray and some straight Senepols. Mt Eugene principals Geoff and Alison
Maynard were delighted to find that the Senepol-sired steers had produced
meat of very acceptable tenderness according to international standards for
Warner Bratzler Shear Force based on feedlot-finished cattle in USA where
the cuts-offs are as follows:
Tender Beef < 3.9 kg
Intermediate Beef 3.9 4.6
Tough Beef > 4.6 kg
Overall the 79 Senepol or Senepol-sired steers averaged a shear force of
3.95 kgs. Twenty eight (28) Senepol x Belmont Red steers averaged 3.93 kgs,
while 33 ¾ Senepol ¼ Belmont Red steers averaged 3.82 kgs and nine (9)
straightbred Senepol steers averaged 3.91 kgs. Geoff Maynard said, The
result is even more pleasing because all the steers had been treated with
Revalor in the feedlot phase, which can have an adverse effect on beef
tenderness. Other factors that could have mitigated against tender meat was
the fact that the animals had been part of a trial where they were given no
treatment for external parasites during their life, under a moderate tick
burden and failed summer rains (20mm in Feb./March) meant weight gains
suffered a real set-back. That they had been entire until final selection at
18 months of age was the final factor that could have impacted negatively.
The steers were run together since weaning and after the very dry summer
were finished in a feedlot for 102 days before being slaughtered at Kilcoy.
Samples of the loin were collected at slaughter before transporting to the
Meat Science Laboratory at UNE Armidale for the Warner Bratzler Shear Force
tests. What magnifies the results is the fact that the steers were cut late
in life which adversely effects tenderness. From weaning to yearling stage
these cattle lost weight dramatically as Mt Eugene received 20mm of
rainfall from February to Christmas 2009. No chemical treatments, whatsoever
were used in a moderate tick environment until these steers were 20 months
old. Geoff Maynard concluded If you wanted to go about wrecking the meat
quality of a crop of calves you couldnt have done anymore, yet these
animals performed highly in the shear force tenderness analysis.
As a breed, Senepol and Senepol composite cattle grade exceptionally well
through the MSA grading program.