The Boundary Rider’s Report January 2025

Happy New Year!  We hope you have enjoyed a lovely Christmas and New Years with family and friends and are ready to take on 2025!  Before Xmas, we flew over the ditch for 2 weeks on the North island of New Zealand.  Sam went parasailing, jet boating and snorkelling with Abbott and Arthur, and the boys added some mountain biking and hydrofoiling.  We also drove to the tip of NZ and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Christmas was at home, with an afternoon of bush tennis on the old court at the homestead! 

We are now back into the swing of farm activities, with all the team back on deck. We have set aside a couple of days to do some planning for the year ahead and always look forward to the opportunity to reflect on what we achieved in 2024 and what we can do in 2025 to continue to reflect our vision of a happy and health family business, realising the full potential of our people, land, livestock and opportunities for legacy.

Season

The pastures have certainly dried off, with all grasses gone to seed. On New Year's eve a number of storms rolled through with huge variation in falls between blocks.  42mm at Gatwood compared to 6mm at our house Skye.  We are looking forward to the next rain event.  Only this morning the BOM has now predicted more likely La Nina;  so do not count on me to predict the weather.   

We still have some rainfall charts if you need one.  Please email kirstywhite@baldblair.com.au with your postal address so we can send one to you.

Soil Moisture levels are holding at depth, 50cm on the basalt, but soil at 20cm is diminishing due to heat and high evaporation.  Soil Moisture on our Granites soils is not retaining moisture at depth, but with good falls in recent days, moisture near the surface is good, but evaporates quickly in the heat.  It is a great season for cattle at the moment, even if it has dried off on top.

Market 

First indicators of the year with respect to markets, show weaner prices for steers and heifers at Wodonga weaner sales yesterday and today are higher than expected.   Check out https://www.mla.com.au/prices-markets/cattle/nyci/ for the most up to date numbers;  looks like a healthy jump on the EYCI, upto $7.25 on the 6/1/25 from $6.10 just prior to Christmas.  This is massive news, and I hope it hangs around for all to benefit.   It will be interesting to see.

Cattlework

We finished collecting DNA samples from the stud calves at calf marking and they have now been submitted to the Angus Society to ensure our herd is fully parent verified and we have genetically enhanced EBVs.

Pregnancy testing of spring heifers starts next week.  We are looking forward to seeing how our Artificial Insemination program went, in addition to the cover sires.   All stock continues to be under weekly rotation and we have been able to keep enough pasture ahead of them even though it has dried off. 

The Autumn Stud heifers and cows have started calving, we welcomed a Baldridge Heat Seeker son to Bald Blair today, out of an NORL519 dam NBBP40 (Dnr Dam).    Not surprisingly it is so much more enjoyable tagging stud calves on a bright sunny summer morning than a -5 frozen winter morning.  We have a new toolbox on the back of the buggy for the TWR5, ear tag pliers and this has been a very welcome addition to the tagging routine after the last toolbox completely fell to pieces after only 10 years.

2025 Bull Sale Team

Save the date: 1pm, Tuesday, 5th August 2025 

Calendar link: https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/event/bald-blair-angus-bull-sale-5

The bulls in line for sale this year will once again include our Spring bred rising 2 year old “U” bulls, Autumn bred rising 18mth “V” bulls and once again a small selection of elite spring bred “V” yearling bulls.  Some sires represented in this year's draft include Sterling Confidence Plus 804, SS Brickyard, Myers Fair n Square, Sitz Resilient and Bald Blair Sterling S86.  Keep an eye out on our website for more information on Bulls in the 2025 Sale team.

The largest group is the spring “U” bulls and they have been split into 2 mobs and kept under rotation on high performance pastures.  We will bring them in shortly to give them their Pesti, Lepto and Vibrio shots and strictly assess their growth, structure and potential.

If you would like to be added to our bull sale catalogue mailing list please forward your postal address to Kirstywhite@baldblair.com.au. 

Operation Thistle Blitz

We dreamed Operation Thistle Blitz would be over by Christmas and we could enjoy a reprieve from the ongoing onslaught of nodding thistles.  However, we could not have been more wrong!  They have been relentless this season.  While the drier conditions have made them a little thinner and slowed their growth, we have once again had to call in additional resources with drones, boom sprays, quick spray, smaller spray units on buggies and of course the trusty mattock!  There is no doubt this has been our worst season for nodding thistles, with the use of a staggering amount of chemical, diesel and people power.  Some paddocks we have revisited three times. 

We are keen to investigate biological controls for nodding thistle and according to google several weevils have been introduced to Australia to control nodding thistle, including the rosette weevil, the seed weevil, and the thistle-head weevil.  If you have any advice in this regard, please let us know.  We are yet to find a source for the weevils.  We are following up with local agronomists as well.

Chilean Needle Grass

Grazag (Armidale Rural Merchant) published a very good article on facebook about this dreaded weed: https://www.facebook.com/grazag2350/posts/pfbid0Zs6dcp9qkxaziyktVmLjCq7zYGQGA6b2gNU5cJtnWmYrwGJ4fk7QmMeGyafi5q4bl

Pastures

As mentioned above our pastures at Bald Blair are feeling the pressure from the drier season.  However the pastures at Kolora, Gatwood and Aberfoyle have received enough storm rain to keep ahead of the stock.  We are planning to cut hay at Kolora for winter feed reserves and set up paddocks for finishing our freshly weaned lambs.   As mentioned in previous blogs we have sprayed out a couple of paddocks at Bald Blair to let them fallow prior to sowing permanent pastures in February. 

Sheep

We have commenced weaning lambs at Bald Blair and will move them over to Kolora, our finishing block, where we will start them on feed in an effort to finish them as efficiently as possible.  The ewes and lambs are in good condition and thriving in the drier conditions with flies being held at bay with jetting before christmas.  The new sheep handler has come in very handy with improving our efficiency of weighing and drafting lambs, as well as drenching sheep.  It is also a lot of fun to use and makes sheep work so much more enjoyable..

Fencing

Taylor and Lindsay McDonald’s golden pliers finished up their 2024 projects with a new section of fence along the claret ash lined driveway at Kolora,  and an internal fence out the back of Bald Blair to enable us to run sheep and not kangaroos in our paddocks.   We will have a short break from fencing projects to continue our focus on Operation Thistle Blitz and sowing new pastures. 

Trees

The new seedlings are going really well and are ready for another weed prevention spray.  They seemed to have missed the onslaught of Christmas beetles that have attacked and striped nearly every other eucalyptus in the area.  It is devastating to see how destructive the beetles can be, especially on the ribbon gums at Bald Blair.  Obviously we need to continue to plant as many native trees and shrubs as we can each year. 

We still have some seedlings on hand to plant in old tree guards to fill in gaps where the plants did not survive.  This is a much slower process which requires the whipper snipper, mattock, milk carton, bamboo steaks, water containers, backpack spray kits, gloves, hamer, trees and enthusiastic people!  It is not like the efficient precision planting of Steph Sweeney along a well prepared ripped line. 

Renewable Energy

We have only received one phone call from a renewable energy provider, however we understand that many family farms have already established renewable energy on their farm, may have been approached and knocked back projects or maybe in the process of negotiating projects. 

Whatever stage you are at this will be of interest to you.  It was published by Rural Press on 30 December 2024.  Here is the link: Farmers' guide to negotiating renewable energy deals on-farm | The Land | NSW

If you are not subscribed to Rural Press, this link directs you to a guide by Queensland Farmers Federation https://www.qff.org.au/projects/renewable-energy-landholder-toolkit/

According to the article, NSW Farmers will have a guide out soon.

Research

Aiden Clifton, an honours student at UNE has undertaken a project called “using EDNA surveys to determine vertebrate communities in waterbodies of the New England Tablelands. The results for eDNA surveys conducted for Kolora Lagoon, detected:

• Whistling tree frog

• Australian wood duck

• Australian shoveler

• Eurasian coot

• Pig

• House mouse

And for Bald Blair Lagoon, detected:

• Eastern mosquitofish

• Australian wood duck

• Blue-billed duck

• Eurasian coot

• Little pied cormorant

• Domestic dog

• Red fox

EVENTS

Feeder Steer School 2.0

Get your tickets now! 

We are sponsoring the feeder Steer School as it is a very good initiative, that we benefited from many years ago and encourage many others to do as well.

The Feeder Steer School will be an immersive three-day conference.

Date: Mon Feb 10, 2025 5:30 pm - Feb 13, 2025 5:30 pm

Location: University of New England

Contact: Peter McGilchrist  pmcgilc2@une.edu.au 6773 1845

Key Event Features:

- Presentations by top experts in genetic selection, pasture improvement, animal health, and risk management.

- Hands-on learning activities including phenotypic cattle selection, data-driven decision-making and carcass value insights.

- Opportunities for networking through sponsor dinners, workshops, and panel discussions.

- Dedicated space for sponsor engagement with participants and industry leaders.

- A full agenda designed to provide value across the supply chain, from on-farm practices to feedlot management and market optimisation.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/feeder-steer-school-20-tickets-1029587673447?aff=ehometext

World Angus Forum 

Save the Date: 7-8 May 2025

Bonus 8 Day pre-tour starting 29 April 

(including a visit to Bald Blair on Monday 5th May !)

Extra Bonus  7 Day post-tour until 15 May

Calling all cattle enthusiasts and breeders to the 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum! This event unites the global Angus community to share knowledge, promote the breed, and advance cattle breeding and management, plus also to have a good time. Hosted by Angus Australia, it’s an unmissable opportunity to celebrate, learn and catch up with international friends breeding Angus Cattle.

More information: CLICK HERE

Here is a video of Sam talking about the WAF: https://fb.watch/wd8R3Ie1ey/

LISTENING

Headway app: this app provides a 15 minute summary of a huge array of nonfiction books and is an ideal way to get the big lessons from leading authors without hours of reading time.  Currently listening to https://www.scruminc.com/new-scrum-the-book/!  One for the rugby fanatics - Sam!

WATCHING

The latest MLA lamb campaign 

https://youtu.be/75BAUXZyWw0?si=QkZD1leVWTvAn-Xn

EAT. RACE. WIN. is a behind-the-scenes adventure into the biggest annual sporting event on the planet: The Tour de France. The Queen of Performance Cooking, Chef Hannah Grant, takes you on her race within the race as she sources performance food for Australia’s pro cycling team, Orica-Scott.  A combination of travel, cooking and sport! https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Race-Win-Season-1/dp/B086HVQ5RB

I Am Woman is a 2019 Australian biographical film about singer Helen Reddy, directed and produced by Unjoo Moon, from a screenplay by Emma Jensen. Tilda Cobham-Hervey stars as Reddy alongside Evan Peters, as her manager husband Jeff Wald, and Danielle Macdonald as rock writer Lilian Roxon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Woman_(film)

READING

Sam has been on a roll with his Christmas Holiday reading (you may notice a theme here?):

SAS Daggers Drawn by Demaien Lewis

https://damienlewis.com/

The Legend of Albert Jacka by Peter Fitzsimons

https://search.worldcat.org/title/1442692513

FitzSimons, Peter (2020). Breaker Morant : the epic story of the Boer War and Harry 'Breaker' Morant : drover, horseman, bush poet, murderer or hero?

https://search.worldcat.org/title/1159022386

Dive! Mike Carlon

Australian submariners at war. Submariners are a special breed. Not for them a life on the ocean wave, the fresh air and sunshine of other naval sailors.

https://search.worldcat.org/title/1452265760

SOCIAL MEDIA

We have enjoyed a break from social media over the festive season.  I (Kirsty) find Instagram particularly addictive and have to constantly delete it off my phone as I fall down many rabbit holes way too often.  We will be back on again soon with more regular posts on Facebook and Instagram (does anyone use X?) Please let us know if there is anything in particular you want to see from Sam.

In the meantime - this one is for the coffee snobs - does anyone still drink international roast? https://www.facebook.com/reel/1645880189297496/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

We are thinking of making it into a monthly podcast - would you listen to Sam on The Data Breeder Podcast give his Boundary Rider’s Report?

Please subscribe here if you have not already done so: https://www.baldblairangus.com.au/podcast

Thank you for reading or skimming to the end of the January Boundary Rider’s Report.  We really appreciate the feedback we have received for this monthly blog.  We are keen to provide you with interesting information and resources about farming.  If you have any topics you would like us to discuss or have any questions please let us know. 

Best wishes for the month ahead and please keep in touch with what you are doing on your family farm, in the office or wherever you read The Boundary Rider’s Report.  We remain grateful to our many clients who supported us through 2024, and look forward to assisting with bull production needs in the forthcoming 2025 year. 

Sam & Kirsty

samwhite@baldblair.com.au 0438 792 140

Kirstywhite@baldblair.com.au 0427 722 908