Elite Advantage
Over 45 years of commercial selection
for reliability and accuracy
Performance proven cattle genetics
Over 45 years of directed, genuine commercial selection. Gives reliability and accuracy.
High fertility rates on the natural pastures available indicate selection pressure for milk, growth and carcase attributes in balance.
Longevity from soundness and balanced selection
“Easy-care” cattle generated from selection for calving ease with soundness, adequate growth and good temperament.
Good temperament. It is a large contributor to better all-round performance, meat quality, ease of handling and safety.
Market versatility assured by our bulls.
We test our selection program through feedback from abattoirs for compliance, through carcase competitions and feedlot trials. Success in these areas supports our breeding direction.
Our selection program success is illustrated by the following progress graphs.
Our sale bulls carry these genes for success.
Elite Market Focus
Breeding Philosophy
and Herd Management
Criteria: For over 45 years, Eliter Poll Herefords have been meticulously selected based on objective performance, initially focusing on fertility, structure and weight, with carcase data added more recently.
Commercial focus: Our selection process is rooted in commercial needs, ensuring our breeding aligns with market demands.
Registered Cattle: First introduced in small numbers in the late 1970s, our registered cattle in small numbers in the late 1970s, our registered cattle have always been integrated with the commercial herd and held to the same stringent selection criteria.
Calving Ease and Fertility
Calving Ease: We understand the importance of calving ease for commercial breeders, focusing on producing cattle that calve unassisted. We cull any female that has calving issues and any surviving progeny. All females in our calved unassisted.
Sires with moderate birth weights and positive calving ease traits are selected, particularly those whose daughters calve unassisted. Breeding for calving ease is a tong-term project, but the results are evident, with tools from Group Breedplan assisting.
Fertility and Selection Pressure: Our cattle thrive on native pastures, with significantpressure placed on fertility, growth and soundness. Group Breedplan assessments are vital to measuring these traits under commercial conditions.
Carcase Quality & Muscling
Carcase Muscling: Selective breeding has improved the muscling of our cattle, enabling us to target higher-priced grids, such as MSA and premium EU grids. Quiet temperament and good trucking management preserve meat quality, ensuring premium beef.
Saleyard buyers pay a premium for well-muscled cattle with the correct fat cover. Increased muscling boosts dressing percentage, enhances even fate coverage and increases carcase weights relative to 600-day weights, improving herd efficiency.
Other Carcase Attributes: We prioritise intramuscular fat (IMF), which enhances eating quality and market options. Elite steers and heifers consistently achieve top MSA grading, ensuring a superior eating experience. Selection for weight for age and lower ossification scores further enhances MSA outcomes.
Feed Efficiency and Performance
Feed Efficiency: Efficient cattle gain more weight with less feed, benefiting both pasture-fed and feedlot systems. In feedlots, these animals produce more kilos of gain with fewer inputs, while on pasture, they maintain themselves longer during dry periods and require less supplementation.
Elite has participated in research on feed efficiency, sending progeny for Net Feed Intake (NFI) testing at Trangie Research Station. While this method is accurate, it is costly, and we continue to explore cost effective alternatives.
Performance Assessment: Elite cattle consistently deliver above-average results in feedlot and chiller phases, due to their sound structure, growth potential and ability to meet chiller criteria. We are committed to providing commercially superior animals through a stringent selection program that incorporates A.I. to introduce additional genetics.
Genetic trend graphs
Birth Weight (kg)
Contrary to the breed trend, we are avoiding large increases in Birth Weights as we increase other growth traits. We see this as a vital contribution to increasing calving ease.
Calving Ease Dir (%)
We consider it vital that heifers calve unassisted without resorting to another breed. Our selection pressure on this trait shows rapid progress can be made without sacrificing growth or muscle. Our positive progress is in great contrast to the breed’s trend.
Calving Ease Dtrs (%)
We place much emphasis on the ability of a sire’s daughters to calve unassisted. As can be seen, real progress can be made. These CE traits are genetic, ie permanent and cumulative in the breeding herd.
200 Day Growth (kg)
Our rate of progress is similar but ahead of the breed, however from a much lower birth weight
400 Day Weight (kg)
Our rate of progress is similar to the breed’s but we are 3 years ahead in actual EBV value.
600 Day Weight (kg)
We are trying to avoid large increases in 600 day weight so the maintenance cost of breeders doesn’t become excessive
200 Day Milk (kg)
We try to have adequate milk for our environment.
Carcase Weight (kg)
A vitally important carcase trait. It is interesting to note that the Elite herd is about 12 kg ahead of the breed in this trait while having similar 600 day wt. This shows that while keeping 600 day wt more moderate we are still able to increase carcase wt by our selection for muscle.
Carcase EMA (sq.cm)
Our rate of progress in this vital component of yield is twice that of the breed and the present breed average EBV is where we were 7 years ago.
Carcase IMF (%)
We are putting selection pressure on IMF to increase the eating quality of our end product
All our $Index graphs demonstrate the superior earning ability of the Elite herd.
Southern Self Replacing ($)
Northern Self-Replacing ($)
Southern Baldy Maternal ($)
Northern Baldy Terminal ($)