Square Meaters are a home-grown Australian success due to the breed creator, Rick Pisaturo seeking to provide better beef for his customers in the 1990’s.
Rick’s Autobiography ‘Australia, My Love’ from Prisoner of War to Order of Australia has a chapter on his development of Square Meaters along with other breeds he developed.
Post second World War the Americans decided to go for compact cattle with the result that they got too small. Then followed the introduction of continental cattle, European Breeds, in the 70’s and 80’s, changing the style of cattle around the world, including Australia. Increasing the size, along with the cuts and they had long legs and a very slow maturing pattern.
It is ironic that Rick at the time helped to drive the “bigger is better” mantra, but later through his customer base, realized this was not what the customer wanted to buy. “I learnt from customer’s demands at my two butcher shops that they were looking for a smaller cut and tender quality,” said Rick.
With this in mind, Rick sought to develop a breed to suit this market and decided that only through the selection of pre – 70’s type Murray Grey cattle could he produce the carcass that met the local market criteria. In 1993 Rick commenced the development of the Square Meaters Cattle with traits to meet the butcher market and for those discerning breeders who saw the value in the breed and the product produced.
Rick selected suitable registered females from the Murray Grey breed with an emphasis on structure and muscling, a moderate frame and good milking ability, they were then joined to selected Murray Grey sires. Thus, creating a cow with compact size, superior muscling and early maturing that would produce a great calf at 9 – 13 months with a high yielding, quality carcass to meet domestic restaurant and butcher trade weights off grass.
The Square Meaters cows have high maternal instincts and fertility rates suitable for a short joining period leading to calving maturity within 24 months. They are excellent milk producers which enables high weaning weights in their calves. Square Meaters display an excellent temperament which is optimal for low stress handling, giving ease of management throughout the chain of movement to produce the quality tender meat expected from the breed.
The breed today retains the moderate framed and compact animal described above and meets today’s individuals modern red meat recommendations, butcher and trade market plus achieving excellent results in Hoof and Hook Competition’s across Australia. SMCAA registered herds and seed stock are well established and found in most Australian states and territories and is gaining momentum in the cross-bred industry to improve the capacity of saleable veal and general animal management.
Many top achievements are being seen nationally at Royal Shows and steer competitions with carcass champions, high carcass scores, MSA eating quality awards and vealer sales that say it loud and clear for the Square Meaters Cattle breed – they well and truly meet the high industry standards for the domestic beef market and butcher trade.
