Since 1991, the Australian Feedlot of the Year Competition has aimed to encourage continuous improvement within the feedlot industry and to recognise those feedlots that are operating their business at the forefront of the principles of the National Feedlot Assurance Scheme (NFAS).
The feedlot industry prides itself on the integrity of our long-standing quality assurance scheme, and this competition shows the dedication our sector has to fulfilling the high standards we sign up to.
This competition continually showcases what high-performance in lot feeding looks like and inspires and encourages businesses alike to operate at the very best standard.
This year, we have six entrants from across Australia who are vying in their respective categories to be named 2024’s Australian Feedlot of the Year at ALFA’s BeefEx 2024 Conference held in Brisbane on 15-17 October.
In the above 15,000 head category, Teys Australia’s Condamine Feedlot has been named a finalist. Read on to find out more about their story.
Teys Condamine Feedlot is located in the Western Darling Downs of Queensland, three hours drive from Toowoomba. This modern facility performs a key role in the Teys supply chain through the production of quality grain fed beef for both domestic and export markets.
What are your business values?
Teys was established over 75 years ago and built upon the family values of the hard-working Teys brothers, with strong roots in the Condamine and Western Darling Downs region. Since our establishment in 1989, the team at the Condamine Feedlot work hard to live those values every day, as we deliver on our promise of creating sustainable and brighter futures for all.
Critical to our success, our values of humility, integrity, loyalty, resilience underpinned by trust and co-operation mean we are equipped to operate our business with respect for our past, and a passion for the future.
We are a close-knit crew of 35 and our behaviours and teamwork are an integral part of day-to-day operations. Living Teys values is a strong constant through the changing conditions of our environment and ensures that we are doing the best for our people, cattle, environment, and communities every day.
How important is environmental responsibility and sustainable practices to your feedlot?
At Teys, our promise is creating sustainable and brighter futures for all. So sustainable operations are a big part of our DNA. As part of the Teys group, the Condamine Feedlot has a practical focus on how we make a difference with sustainable and responsible business practices.
For us this includes a continuous drive to reduce our energy and water requirements every day. Whether it be through one of our two solar PV units, improvements to our boiler to use less gas, or the water and utility metering systems, the Condamine team is continually striving to improve our sustainable operations.
Our feedlot was an early adopter of solar power with the site constructing a 300 kW Solar PV back in 2017. Since commissioning, up to 70% of our daily power usage now comes through solar generation on site.
Our focus on retaining a strong and healthy environment in which we operate is grounded in minimising negative environmental impacts and protecting natural ecosystems.
That’s why we are active in biosecurity and pest management for our region. For example, we have constructed an exclusion fence around the feedlot to manage feral pigs that are a major problem to the environment and community. Through the construction of the fence, we have been able to greatly reduce the local feral pig population which has aided in ensuring waterways and other environmentally sensitive areas are maintained.
The team is also leveraging best practice protocols for manure and effluent treatment and disposal. That’s another way that Condamine feedlot is going above and beyond our compliance obligations to continuously improve our strategies to reduce pollution and waste. We know this is not only important to our stakeholders, the industry, and our future – but, quite simply, it is the right thing to do.
What does animal welfare look like at your feedlot?
Animal health and welfare is paramount to our operations and drives our people every day to do their very best for the cattle in our care. Like our relentless focus on safety for our people, industry leading animal welfare is everyone's responsibility, and it takes a whole team all trained and committed to positive outcomes, animal health and comfort to ensure that the highest standards of animal welfare are maintained every day.
Just one demonstration of our focus at Condamine on innovation and continuous improvement in animal care is our shading. We are proud that cattle in every pen, including working yards, have access to shade and water. The Teys business was an early adopter of shade with all pens built from inspection with shade and two water points.
Shade is obviously only one part of animal welfare, with other critical areas covered each day. We have a strict routine for animal care each day including riding every pen each day to monitor individual animal health. Across the week regular pen cleaning and thorough water trough cleaning schedules are all aimed for improved conditions for cattle.
Importantly, with our millers and animal nutritionists blending feed, and monitoring diets we ensure fresh feed is delivered to every pen twice daily, so our cattle have the best of what they need to eat.
Additionally, with successful implementation of innovation from bunk scanning tech to steam flaking processes, we have continued our focus on what is best for the animals. At a practical level, we monitor cattle movement and use this to improve working yard designs, head bails & use nonslip footing through all yard systems to further ensure safe movement for animals. Our animal care processes on site, monitored, and delivered by a dedicated team ensure that every animal at Condamine has positive interactions every day.
How would you describe the feedlot’s focus on community engagement?
Like most feedlots, the Condamine Feedlot operates in a small but vibrant local community. Teys is a major employer in the Condamine region, and our team are proud to support the fabric of the local community in which we live and work.
The Condamine Feedlot aims to support a wide range of events in the area through sponsorship and practical support where it’s needed most. From local campdrafts, school visits and tours, Rugby Club, Rural Fire Brigade, and other grass roots charity organisations – getting directly involved in community is one of the great joys of rural and regional living.
We feel strongly that community involvement includes so much more than financial support and that’s why we are actively involved with the youth and students of the region, too – the future of our communities. We work with a number of schools from the district to educate and grow the knowledge of students around agriculture and most importantly Lot Feeding.
We are always passionate to share our knowledge and love of this great industry, and it is rewarding to see school students then start their careers in the Feedlot industry and stay connected to their local communities, too. To us, that investment and connection is priceless.
What's next?
Teys’ Condamine Feedlot now moves on to the second round of judging, which involves an independent judging panel made up of industry representatives evaluating key areas within these pillars including innovation, employer attractiveness, responsibility throughout the supply chain, and community engagement. These factors aid in distinguishing the top performing feedlots from the pool of entrants.
ALFA commends the incredible work these feedlots have done to become finalists, and for the efforts they make in continually meeting and exceeding the NFAS’ requirements.
More information on the Australian Feedlot of the Year Competition can be found on the ALFA website at feedlots.com.au/floty.
The Australian Feedlot the Year Competition is an initiative of ALFA and proudly independently run by the leading provider of agribusiness auditing, certification and training services, AUS-MEAT Limited.