Thursday 7th & Friday 8th February 2008

Hamilton Beef Expo Results

The Stock & Land Hamilton Beef Expo has become an important agricultural field day for the commercial and stud beef producer, the district fodder and grain producers, as well as the prime lamb industry.

Beef Expo 2008 incorporates all three industries, including state of the art technology and innovation.

Held at the Hamilton Showground, Hamilton Beef Expo includes seminars, trade displays, commercially based cattle competitions as well as show cattle, prime lambs, fodder and grain.

TOOLS TO MANAGE RISK FORUM

The president of Hamilton Beef Expo, Mr. Richard Kelsall is delighted to announce the MLA “More Beef from Pastures” forum to be held in conjunction with Hamilton Beef Expo.

This forum dealing with the problems of climate change, as well as MSA, marketing and genetics will combine presentations by researchers and producers – all looking at tools the beef producer can use now and in the future.

This forum is to be held on Thursday 7th February from 9am to 1pm and forms part of the Hamilton Beef Expo events program.

For information and registration call the MLA on 1800 675 717 to register. Spaces limited.

TRADE

There will be extensive trade displays of cattle equipment, allied services to the industries and presentation displays of cattle.

For the cattle producer wishing to update cattle handling facilities and equipment, the Stock & Land Hamilton Beef Expo has become the Field Days to attend.

CATTLE DOG COMPETITION

This competition will continue throughout Hamilton Beef Expo with a Brace competition to be held on Thursday evening.

BEEF

Highlights of the Stock & Land Hamilton Beef Expo are the competitions geared to both stud and commercial producers.

The Interbreed Show Cattle judging is held on Thursday 7th February from 1pm following on from the MLA forum “Tools for Managing Risks”. The visual assessment component of the Domestic Carcase competition commences at 4.30pm followed by the Steer Assessment competition open to all.

The Pen of 3 Bulls (unled) competition, held on Friday 8th is based on commercially-driven breed objects. The Pen of 3 Bulls is assessed both visually and objectively. The visual assessment is based on structure, market suitability and evenness.

This competition is unique to Hamilton Beef Expo, and allows the spectator to compare and contrast the bulls, as well as listening to the visual judge's commentary.

The displays of beef cattle of all breeds make for a highly competitive and visually exciting competition.

As part of the trade displays, individual studs as well as breed societies are more than happy to discuss their particular breed, and many producers have on display bulls that will feature in their forthcoming sales.

PRIME LAMB

Due to the high cost of processed feed in the 2007/2008 season, the prime lamb Pen of 3 Lambs has been reviewed for Hamilton Beef Expo 2008.



A prime lamb demonstration area is to be established in the Sheep Pavilion, with progeny displays, scanning demonstrations and the development stages of a feed efficiency trial to be run in conjunction with Hamilton Beef Expo 2009.

FODDER

The highly successful FeedTest Fodder and Grain Competition will again run under the auspices of DPI's FeedTest.

The aim of the competition is to demonstrate the importance of objective assessment of fodder and grain quality, and how it relates to animal production.

Entries are invited in the categories of lucerne, clover, mixed pasture and cereal hay, as well as silage and four types of cereal grain (oats, wheat, barley and triticale).

With the large fluctuations in seasonal factors during 2008 some interesting results should be evident.

YOUNG AUCTIONEERS

This competition adds to the Thursday evening events with the Young auctioneers “selling” pens of cattle.

Thursday evening the Hamilton Beef Expo Food Hall allows all to wind down with a meal, a drink, music and friends.

EVENT ORGANISERS

The Stock & Land Hamilton Beef Expo is an event run by the Hamilton Pastoral & Agricultural Society Inc., along with Hamilton Sheepvention (www.sheepvention.com) held on Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th August 2008.