Rayner Reckons

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is the largest agricultural event in Australia. It draws livestock exhibitors from across NSW and from almost every Australian state. In this episode you will meet Jason Schultz, a Limousin breeder from South Australia who exhibited at Sydney this year.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is the latest agricultural event in Australia. At the heart of the show is the main ring, where hundreds of horses are judged throughout the show. This week we meet Mr John Bennett as he prepares for another day in the main arena.

Join Al Rayner as he brings the sights and sounds from the largest agricultural show in Australia to this weeks podcast. This week Al talks to long time Brahman exhibitor Glen Pfeffer

G’day, I’m Alastair Rayner. Welcome to my podcast Rayner Reckons. This week I’m going to introduce you to a cattle prouder, who with his family, operates a large station in central Australia. Before I introduce you I need to give you an idea of where we are travelling to today, and why I happened to be there. You see in this episode we are travelling into the Australian outback to a place called Marree.

If you do want to assess your business performance, you really need to assess it against some solid business measurements. Probably the most realistic starting point for any business is to determine your profit margin.

If you do want to assess your business performance, you really need to assess it against some solid business measurements. Probably the most realistic starting point for any business is to determine your profit margin.

I’m always surprised that we don’t include roast beef on the Christmas menu. So this year I’m hoping this recipe will inspire you to think about beef taking center stage on your Christmas table! This recipe is a sear roasted beef fillet with cognac peppercorn sauce. It is incredibly tasty and is a pretty straightforward recipe as well. I’m going to talk you through the ingredients and then my tips on putting it together and preparing it for your family.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the last 20 years talking to farmers about getting the most from their hay or from their silage. Even though both silage and hay are commonly fed on farms throughout Australia, I’ve found that farmers don’t always consider the best ways to use these options in their programs. This episode touches on a few basics on fodder, how to use it and things to keep in mind when you do use it to support your livestock.

One of the things about heat waves and very hot days is the rapid, and sometimes even fatal effects of high temperatures on people and on livestock. So before we get too far into the Australian summer, let’s talk about what you can do to keep yourselves and your livestock in good shape.

Foxes are a huge problem for Australian agriculture. If you’re a sheep farmer or you’ve lost poultry to foxes, you know this already! But many cattle producers don’t see foxes as much of a problem as they should. Foxes can pose just as much a problem for cattle producers as they do for sheep producers. This episode of Rayner Reckons talks about why controlling foxes is in the interests of every agricultural producer

You’d think that by now Australians would have their heads around some basic rules about living with snakes. But it seems to me that every year there is always a report of people being bitten by snakes. Tragically some of those bites result in fatalities. So in this podcast I thought it would be a good chance to brush up on a few of the rules for living with snakes. After all, we can make life a lot easier if we follow a few basics!

Making the most of older and more mature pasture plants for livestock production can be a challenge without some form of supplementation. This weeks podcast looks at how and when to use protein supplements to help drive your animals level of intake and performance

Do you ever stop and think about how much your cattle are actually worth? What is the value of your cattle? In an exciting announcement for the Australian beef industry, one of the largest meat companies has announced a move towards value based payments. This weeks Podcast looks at this announcement and the implications for beef producers.

Bushfires impact Australians every summer, often with devastating effects. Having a bushfire plan can greatly help you cope with a bushfire if one threatens you or your property. Farmers have greater considerations, particularly to care for livestock. This weeks podcast offers tips on planning for bushfires.

So how well do you know cattle? Take a second to think about that question once again. How well do you know cattle? I’m asking you this because many people are around cattle so much they are no longer thinking about the animals or trying to get to know them. And in saying getting to know them, I’m talking about understanding how they respond to you and how they may respond to the situation they find themselves in.

This week I want to encourage you to think about your bulls and what you need to do to make sure they are ready for their role in the joining herd. Quite simply, are your bulls ready for work?

Is there anything better than a perfect steak, especially one cooked on a barbecue and enjoyed with family and friends? So how confident are you in choosing a steak, let alone cooking it the right way? This week Rayner Reckons gives you a few tips on choosing and cooking the perfect steak.

The National Vendor Declarations underpin the credibility of our red meat to Australia's customers domestically & internationally. With an updated version becoming mandatory, now is the time to understand what it means to producers.

This week in Rayner Reckons, we discuss the issues around managing the flush of green feed that comes with the change of the season. For graziers this is a time when you need to make a few preparations and think about how best to graze your livestock and what things you may need to do to help them get best use of the new pasture. There are two key areas I think you should be focusing on. In particular to think about issues associated with pulpy kidney and also the risks associated with bloat.

In each Rayner Reckons, I’ll share with you information on • the latest research for livestock production, • tips on how to increase your profitability, • advice on how to secure the health of your herd, I’ll have chats with industry leaders, share some great recipes and a laugh or two.

The annual bull selling season is well underway. If you've just bought a new bull you need to look after him. This week Rayner Reckons offers a few tips on caring for your new bull