FutureBeef

28/10/2026

Sometimes you need to look back to work out what comes next.

A photo monitoring site gives you something to look back on – a way to see what's changed, what's worked and what you might do differently next time.

We're doing something similar with FutureBeef.

As we near the end of the third phase of FutureBeef's project funding cycle, we're taking the opportunity to look at how well FutureBeef is supporting northern beef producers.

That means hearing from you about how you use FutureBeef and the difference our information, resources and activities make to you and your business.

Over the coming months, Coutts J&R will be getting in touch with some FutureBeef users for a short 15–20 minute chat about their experiences with FutureBeef. It’s a chance to tell us what’s working well, what could be better and what you’d like to see in the future.

If you’re contacted, taking part is completely voluntary and your responses will be de-identified.

So, if you hear from Coutts J&R, we’d love you to have your say.

And while we’re on the subject of monitoring… here’s some practical information on how to set up a photo monitoring site on your place 👉 https://info.futurebeef.com.au/4yyrAb3

Queensland Agriculture

28/10/2026

Was this winter drier than previous years?

Thankfully, you don't have to rely on memory! This handy tool from The Long Paddock brings together over 130 years of rainfall and modelled pasture growth records, so you can compare past seasons and see how much conditions have varied.

Find out more below 👇

☀️How does this season stack up against the past?

We all remember the standout seasons, whether they were exceptionally dry, wet, or produced plenty of feed. But how do they compare with more than 130 years of rainfall and pasture growth records?

The Long Paddock Rainfall & Pasture Growth Map App allows producers to explore historical rainfall and modelled pasture growth across Australia and put recent seasons into a longer-term perspective.

🐑The app cant predict the future, but it can help take the bias out of the pub stories of the "big wet way back when".

Want to learn more? Head to https://futurebeef.com.au/resources/how-does-this-season-compare-take-a-look-back-through-130-years/

Queensland Agriculture AWI Extension QLD Australian Wool Innovation AWI Extension NSW AWI Extension VIC AWI Extension SA AWI Extension WA AWI Extension TAS FutureBeef

27/10/2026

🌱 NEW W**D TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: TROPICAL SODA APPLE

Got new bulls coming home? Bringing cattle up from down south on agistment? Don’t let new cattle bring an unwanted passenger with them.

Tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum) is an emerging w**d threat in Queensland and has been reported as far north as Wandoan, QLD. Tropical soda apple is highly invasive and has the potential to spread rapidly.

Why is this one such a big biosecurity risk? Tropical soda apple fruit smells sweet, and livestock will actively seek them out and eat the fruit. The seeds can then remain viable after passing through cattle for up to 6 days!

So, if you're bringing cattle onto your property from areas where the w**d occurs, consider holding them for at least 6 days in yards or a small holding paddock where you can closely monitor what comes out the other end.

Once the cattle are moved on, keep checking that area for new seedlings.

That might mean a few extra days of holding new cattle, but it gives you a much better chance of spotting a new w**d before it gets a foothold across your property.

🌱 What to look for:
• Prickly, multi-branched shrub up to 2 m tall
• Large lobed leaves with sharp prickles
• White flowers with five petals
• Round fruit with green-and-dark-green markings when immature, turning yellow as they ripen
• Fruit can contain hundreds of seeds

Tropical soda apple is a prohibited invasive plant in Queensland, and sightings must be reported to Biosecurity Queensland.

👀 Know what you're looking at. Know where your cattle have come from. And give new stock a proper biosecurity check before turning them loose.

👉 Find out more here: https://info.futurebeef.com.au/4AYd12V

Biosecurity Queensland Queensland Agriculture

27/10/2026

Could AI help take the guesswork out of w**d detection and spraying?

That's just one of the technologies being explored at the Regional Innovation Showcase in Bundaberg on 3–4 November.

From smarter w**d management to new farming technologies and practical uses for AI, discover what's happening in regional innovation.

Early bird ticket pricing closes today, 27 October!

See the program and register below 👇

26/10/2026

If you dehorn, when was the last time you checked whether your approach is still best practice?

🚨Our Reducing the impacts of dehorning: New research on wound treatment and management webinar is coming up in just ONE day's time - Wednesday 28 October!

The latest research is looking at what happens after dehorning and how practical management decisions can influence:
🔹 Wound healing and recovery
🔹 Bleeding and wound severity
🔹 Growth and production outcomes
🔹 The use of aluminium wound sprays
🔹 When horn tipping may be an alternative to dehorning cattle with larger horns

It’s not about changing what you do for the sake of changing it, it’s about making sure your management decisions are based on the best information available.

Wednesday 28 October | 12–1 pm AEST

If dehorning is part of your management program, take an hour to see what the latest research has to say.

👉 Register here: https://info.futurebeef.com.au/3VnWPYx
University of Sydney

26/10/2026

Are you a woman making a difference in rural Australia?

The 2027 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award offers a $15,000 grant to each state and territory winner to support their project, business or program, along with professional development and networking opportunities.

Put yourself forward, or nominate someone you know.

Applications close 4 November.

Find out more below 👇

Know an exceptional woman making a positive contribution to Queensland’s rural industries, businesses or communities? 🤔

Nominate her for the 2027 AgriFutures Australia Rural Women’s Award!

The Rural Women’s Award recognises and supports the contributions of women in rural and regional Australia.

The Queensland winner will receive a $15,000 grant to support their project, business or program. 👀

Not ready to nominate? The Acceleration Grant provides a $7,000 learning and development bursary to help bring your idea, cause or vision to life.

Applications close 4 November. ⏰

Apply or nominate an inspiring woman today
👉 https://brnw.ch/21x6BP9

25/10/2026

No. 3 of 10 beef business commandments: The better the steer performance, the more you lose by selling steers as weaners.
It means you have to get more $$$ to make weaner sales worthwhile (some offset as the breeders will also be doing better).

Find out more 👉 https://info.futurebeef.com.au/4yVfs4C

23/10/2026

Are your pastures giving your breeders what they need to get back in calf?

Pastures To Prosperity- Ross Newman raises some thought-provoking questions about the role of pasture quality and nutrition in breeder reproductive performance.

Worth a read 👇

IS IT REALLY A FERTILITY PROBLEM?

We spend a lot of time trying to improve fertility in our breeder herds.

We select bulls on fertility traits.

We look at days to calving, gestation length, scrotal size and reproductive performance.

We preg test.

We cull empty cows.

And when a breeder doesn’t get back in calf quickly enough, sooner or later we start questioning the cow… or the bull.

But how often do we question the paddock?

Because if we’re asking a cow to calve, lactate, recover and get back in calf quickly enough to produce another calf every 12 months, we’re asking a hell of a lot from her.

Particularly in those first weeks and months after calving.

So here’s the question I’ve been pondering:

Does the pasture system we’re running actually match the reproductive performance we’re expecting from the cow?

We can buy better genetics.

We can select for fertility.

We can chase shorter gestation length and better days-to-calving figures.

But genetics can only express themselves within the environment we provide.

If that freshly calved cow walks back into a paddock that can’t provide enough quality feed — particularly protein and energy — to support lactation, maintain or improve body condition and resume cycling, what exactly are we expecting the genetics to overcome?

Maybe the fertility problem isn’t always standing in the yards.

Maybe sometimes it’s growing — or not growing — in the paddock.

And that raises another question.

We talk a lot about matching stocking rate to carrying capacity.

Should we also be matching our reproductive expectations to the productive capacity and land condition of our country?

Because perhaps the question isn’t simply:

“Are my cows fertile enough?”

Perhaps it is:

“Have I built a pasture system capable of supporting the fertility I’m demanding from them?”

I’d be interested to hear how other breeder operations look at this.

When reconception isn’t where you want it, where do you look first — the cow, the bull, the nutrition, or the paddock?

23/10/2026

Noticed any changes in occurrences of three-day sickness in your animals over the years? Wondering if it's the same elsewhere?

Animal Health Australia's latest report maps three-day sickness activity across Australia, showing how its distribution changes from year to year.

Take a look 👇

📍 Tracking bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) activity

Also known as the Three Day Sickness, BEF activity can vary from season to season, influenced by conditions that affect mosquito populations and virus transmission.

During the 2024-25 arbovirus season, increased rainfall across parts of southeast Australia may have contributed to more favourable conditions for BEF activity.

The map below highlights the distribution of BEF virus activity identified through the National Arbovirus Monitoring Program (NAMP) annual report.

Read the full report here 👇
https://bit.ly/4fUuVv8


Cattle Australia Sheep Producers Australia

22/10/2026

No. 2 of 10 beef business commandments: The worse the breeder performance, the more likely that older male turnoff will be most profitable.

If you have a greater than 80% weaning rate, then younger turnoff may be acceptable.

Learn more 👉 https://info.futurebeef.com.au/4yVfs4C