HB Today - Stud Bull Catalogue 2023

TothiseditionofourannualStud BullCataloguewhich, following the44pageCataloguein2022, isanotherbumperedition. This year we have anotherinterestingrange ofarticles foryoutobrowserangingfrom stud overviewstoequipmentreviewsand genetics.

It’salways abusytimeof year forfarmers andthis year CycloneGabrielleadversely affectedseveralofouradvertisersmaking lifeevenmorestressfulthan ever. However, theresilienceshown by allis inspiring.

Thank youtoallouradvertisersand contributors fortheirongoingsupportand welcometonewreaders. Feel freetobe intouchifyouhave aninterestingstory, or if youwouldliketoadvertisenext year.

TheStudBullCatalogueiscompiledand published by Hawke’sBay Todayandis distributedthroughlocalnewspapers inHawke’sBay,Gisborne, Waitomo, Manawatu,Wairarapa,Whanganuiand Stratford.

Coverphoto andphotothispagecourtesy of Koanui PolledHerefords

FeaturesManager: ShirleyRandell021497309

FeaturesEditorial Writer: Chrys Ayley0272919229

Senior ProductionSpecialist AlexDSouza0212256402

GoldCreekSimmentals-proudly FAMILYOWNEDANDOPERATED

TheSanson familyhasproudlybeen runningtheGoldCreek Farmat Te Karaka,45kmfromGisborne, forthreegenerations.GoldCreek takesitsnamefrom acreek running through theproperty. Earlysettlers thoughttheyhad foundgoldbut it turned outtobeiron pyrite!

Loganand Joan foundedthe commercial herd over30-yearsago.Jimand Rachel werenextto takeoverand TomSanson andhiswifeAdelinearenowatthehelm. Itis now100%Simmentalstudbreeding operationwhichmeansthe focusis nowtotallyonbreedingbulls fortheir commercial farmingclients.

Thecouplehas twochildrenEleanor, 5,andAbigail,3. Adeline runs her own upholsterybusinessbasedatthe farmbut helpsoutwhenshecan. They employa fulltimeshepherdandemployseasonal staffwhenneeded. Tomisalso abusiness partnerwithAndrewCribbwhobetween them ownWhangaraAngusStud.

Whenhe wasyounger Tomworked overseasandreturnedtoNew Zealand where heheldseveraljobs workingon EastCoastsheepandbeef farms.He returnedtothe family farmin2008and tookon amanagementrole.In2009he tooktheopportunitybuyvariouscows fromstuddispersalsandfromthese purchasesGoldCreekSimmentals was established.

Ahugepointofdifferenceistheuseof importedgeneticsviaAIandanembryo transferprogrammesourcinggenetics from Australia,CanadaandUSA. Tomsays thatintheSimmental worldthegene poolinNZisn’t thatbigsotheydecidedto dothingsdifferentlyand expandthegene poolwithnewgenetics.

TomparticularlylikesSimmentals

“becauseoftheirhighgrowthrates,high yieldingcarcassesandas aterminalcross theycrossso wellwithmostbreeds.

Therecanbeupto25%increasein hybridvigor,theyworkreally well.”

Tomhasalways enjoyedbreedingand growingandstudyinghowthedifferent

geneticlines workedandlatelyhe’s becomingmoreinterested,andis enjoying,themarketingandcustomer interactioninadditiontothebreeding. Thefutureincludesplansto keepon growingthestudandgrowtheclient base.Inan excitingnewdevelopment Tomisexpandingintobreedingblack Simmentals whichhesaysare really popularin AustraliaandtheUS.Theywill calve50cowsthis year.They’re allpolled, soallthecalveswillbeblackandpolled whichisabenefit. They’rea bitsmaller thantraditionalsimmentalsandmore maternal.Next yeartheyshouldsell some by privatetreatyandin2025should have agoodselectioninthesale.

Openday5 May10am-1pm

Sale day22May 2pmviewingfrom12 noonon farm

34bullsforsaleonfarmand20 strawseachfromtwosemensires

Therewillalsobe alimitednumberof privatetreaty bullsavailablefor sale

Tom,Adeline,EleanorandAbigail.

Lot12.

Newcattle yards arethebest INVESTMENTWE’VEMADE

JustinandAmyDickensoperate

JADSpeckle Parkat YeovalinNSW, Australia. They arebothpassionate abouttheSpeckle Parkbreedand have asuccessfulseedstock business alongside acommercialtrading operation. Last yeartheyinstalled anew setof Te PariCattle Yards.

“Wehadseensome Te Pari yardsand likedthem. Theway thatit’soverhead bracedandboltedtotheconcrete slabit’s very,veryworkable.

Nowwe’vegotthem,it’smade ahuge difference,nottojustthe runningofthe businessbuttothe familybeingableto operate safely and efficiently withthe newfacilities.

Isee Te Pariasoneoftheleadersinthe industryasfarastechnology.Wealso have theirscalesystemandtheirauto dosingapplicationgunswhichworkwith thecrushand overall, we justlookedat Te Parias areallygoodcompanytowork with.

We spendlesstimeinthe yardsnowwith thecattle. They flowbeautifullyandonce they’reintherace we’reonthecatwalk andit’svery, very userfriendly.Wecan getanimalsinandoutmuch,much quickerthanweusedtoandcertainlyina very good frameofmind.

Oneofthemain featuresthatswayed ustowards Te Pari wasthe factthatallof

theircomponents,notjustthepanelsand thegatesbutallthroughtheircrushisall hotdipgalvanisedaftermanufacture,so it’sgalvanisedinsideandout.”SaidJustin.

JustinandAmychose aTitanHydraulic CattleCrushwithanautomaticdrafting module;ithas hydraulicsqueezeand avet sectionatthebackthatmakesitsafeand easy forvet worksuchasAIand ET.

“ThecrushisthebestI’veeverworked with. To be abletouseitwiththeremote andoperateallthedraftgatesandthe entryandracegatesis areallygood design. We canadjustoursqueezeand catchourcattleallwith aremoteandour kidscanoperateitjustas wellas we can, it works extremely well. Ithinkit’dbehardtofind abettersetof yards,it’sveryusersafeand very user

friendly foraone-personoperation.It’s beenthebestinvestmentmoneywise we’veevermadeinourbusiness. Yeah, it’sbeen areallygoodmove andtheonly regretI’ve gotisthat we didn’t doit5 yearsearlier.” Said Justin.

Findoutmoreabout Te PariCattle Yardson their website:www.tepari.comorcallthe teamon0800837274

0800837274

Strivingfor EXCELLENCE

ByMurrayRobertson

ADRIVEuptotheKaharauAngus salesrostruminGoodwin Road offRiversideRoadinGisborne feelslikea triptothetopofthe worldandnotjust fortheview, but forthe bullsalesresultsachievedthere.

Thepicturesque 1200ha RimunuiStation homeoftheKaharaubrandconsistently producestopqualitystudstock.

Pennyand PeteHoogerbrugandtheir teamdo amarvellousjobgrowingthe greatlegacyofoneofthiscountry’sgreat cattlemen, Penny’slate fatherColin.

ThepassionColin Williamsandnowhis daughter Pennyhaveforproducingtop studstockcanbeseenin every bull rolled outatauctiontime yearupon year.

Thiswillbe aspecial year -the50th KaharauBullSale, atimetolookbackand acknowledgeallwhohave gonebefore tobuildKaharauintowhatitistodayand to celebratethisterrificmilestone.They areexcitedtopresentsonsofKaharau Prince 18P333, Turiroa Ragnar 18P224and Tangihau TopGun 17N436atthis year’s Sale.

Thestudset aNZrecordin2021when Lot6 reachedanon-farmsalepriceof $106,000,andit wasacrossallbreeds. They soldthetoppricedbullinNew Zealandin2018,achievedthehighestbull

sale average,withfurtherstrong salesin 2019 andin2020.

TheHoogerbrugs’teamisheaded by NickCarrandhis family,supportedby shepherdGlennMorris,generalhand Greg Perano,andcasualstaffKimRhodes andJiba Swarbrick. Thestrategicdirection ofthestationandstudgetshandled by Pennyand Pete,withNickrunningthe day-to-daystationoperation. Theywork togetheronthestudstockdecisions. In springtheykeep90 yearlingheifer replacements forthe herdand 110yearling bullsthroughthesummer,endingupwith 75-80R2bullsin June fortheannualbull saleandpaddocksales. Theremaining heifersaresoldtostudandcommercial clients,thebullstocommercial farmers andthedairyindustry.

“Balance”isthe keyword forKaharau whenitcomestoproducingthebest studcattletheycanmuster.“It’sabout phenotypicandgeneticbalance. We makeallourheiferandsireretention, purchasing,breeding, saleandculling decisionsbasedaroundthismantra,” Pennysaid.

“Thebestbreedingisalonggameand ourannualR2bullsaleistheculmination of athree yearcyclefromthetime you decidewhichbulls you’regoingtouse formating,tothebirthofthe calfandthe bullsgrowing-on fortwoyearsafterthat.”

Theteam have steadilyintroducednew geneticsduringtheir 10 yearsin charge. “Wehave endeavouredtointroduceonly theverybestnewgenetics,takinginto considerationallthetraitstraditionally soimportanttothestud,”Pennysaid. In2020,thestudpurchasedthehighest pricebullinNewZealand,Turiroa Ragnar 18P224inpartnershipwithOrereAngus. In2022,Kaharauinvestedagainwith Orereinhalfshares forthepurchaseof ShianSherson20.807, thesecondhighest toppricedbull forNZforthat year.“Our objectivesaretobreedstrong,fertile hillcountrycattlethatarephenotypically andgeneticallybalanced,well-framed, structurallysound sothey canshiftwell

forour clients.”Their cattlearedeep,thick, meaty, easydoinganimalswith aquiet temperament.

Kaharau worktoachieve balancedEBV dataintheherd sotheyselect newsires andretain femaleswith abalancedsetof EBVs. They nowusegenomicstobackup theirdecisions. “Allourcattleareregularly assessedandsubjectedtorigorousculling andthereisnocompromise.”The team strivefor “excellence.”Theirrecordsays theyaretherealready!

They look forwardto welcoming everyone to celebratetheir50thBullSaleon June 26at410Goodwin Road,Gisborneat 4pm.

Top Gun

Ragnar

Prince

NZHerefordsAllflex COASTTOCOAST HERD TOUR

By PosyMoody, GeneralManager, NZHerefords

Therearenumeroussayingsto introducethisarticle,suchasthird time lucky,goodthingsare worth waiting for, both are very fitting andcouldn’t betruerinthiscircumstance, as we finallygottogetherthree years fromtheproposeddate,togoonthe much-awaitedAllflexCoasttoCoastHerd tour.

Theeveningstartedwith abangin Christchurchwith arecord-breaking auctionheldinaidoftheNZHereford Youthraising over$22,000 whichisused tosubsidisethe YouthDevelopment Forumsand youthoverseascompetitions. CamHeggie,livestockgeneticsauctioneer fromPGG Wrightson turnedtheauction into eveningdinnerentertainment.In fact, the evening went so wellthatwhenthe busespulledoutthe followingday, we managedtoleave aregistrantbehind!

Ourfirststop wasavisittoGrassmere

Stud owned by ChrisandAmanda Jeffries. It’s always aninterestingstudtovisitas theyownbothAngusandHerefordstuds, soit’sanexcellentopportunitytoquiz Chrisonthemeritsofbothbreeds. From there we had afascinatingdriveupthe coastwithJimmyMurrayfromMatariki HerefordStuddescribingthedifference inthecoastsincetheearthquakein2016. Lifechanged fortheMurrays fromthat

daywhen apreviouslyshortjourneyfor theirlambs turnedinto a9-hourjourney totheprocessors.It wasfascinating tohearhowtheychangedtheir farming programmevirtually overnightand even flewintheirbullbuyingclientstoattend theirsale. Thestudisa familybusiness andtheirson, Jack hasastronginterest inthestud’spedigree’s oftheir600cows andselectinganimalsthatcanhandlethe hardhillcountryenvironmenttheyand theirclientsaresurroundedby. Ahighlight oftheevening waswhen Jack generously donatedsemenfromtheirbullsMatariki NeptuneandMatarikiNavigator.

Seconddaykeptusallequallyengaged with avisittoWhalebackStationandthe 148-year-old woodshed,with24stands, thathadthecapacityof60,000 sheepin itsheyday,and stillhastheclaimto fame ofbeingtheoldest,largest, woodshed stillinuseinNZbutaftertheearthquake hitonMonday14thNovemberin2016 the Highfield woolshedhadtobeliftedback ontonewpiles.

Thevarietycontinued as we madea surprisevisitto Rodin CarsatMtLyford. RodinCarsis acarmanufacturerknown foritsFZEDandFZEROracecars, owned by an Australianwho choseMtLyforddue toitsquietlocationwiththehopethatthe noiseofthetestcars would gounnoticed. We were fortunatetobeinvited,as we heardmanylocalshave been waiting for aninvitationtohave atourthroughtheir

impressivestudioand workshoptoview theincredibleinnovation takingplacein theirbackyard. Thevarietycontinued as we visited PatoaPig farmwhichis thelargestproduceroffreerangepigs inNZ. As breederswhoaregratefulof improvementsthatSNPDNAtechnology hasbroughttogeneticselection, we feltthere wasalotofgainswhichcould bemadequicklyshouldtheyadoptthe technology.Thenextstud we visited

wasrun byJanand DocSidey. Jandoc wastraditionally ahorned stud until2019 whentheystartedusingpolledsires. Jan alsotookgreatdelightinshowingusher incrediblearrayoftreeswhichhave been planted overtheSideygenerations. From there we made aquick dashto Roband MaryAnneBurrows Stud, Beechwood Poll Herefords. As Robwastheelectedchair ofthetourcommittee,it wasimpressive thathe evenhadhisanimalsathand for

• The best cross over all breeds of cow.

•Our focus is onbreeding seedstockwithgreatfats,fertility, feed conversion,faultless structureand to be free and friendly movers.

•Bulls areLepto and BVD vaccinated.

•The genuinearticleisatNgakouka Herefords

CamHeggie(PGG)auctioningsemenforNZHerefordYouthatMatariki.

NJWEndureisthemostinfluentialsireofrecenttimes. Sons for salethisseason.

ustoview, nevermindthemlookingso wellafterwhathadbeen asurprisingly wetandgoodgrassgrowthsummer.It wasahighlighttogivehis favouritecow, Beechwood Bella510a scratch. Aged 17 yearsoldwith 18 calvesrecorded,she’s deservedlyhisNo1alongwithhisbull BeechwoodInTime 7, whichhasbeen successfullyselectedtothe Beef +Lamb geneticsDairyBeef Progenytest.

After aquietnightinChristchurch, we headed overthespectacularArthurs passtovisit LongacreStud owned by MarkMurphy. WhenMark turned21,he received twoHerefordcows,onefrom LakeStationandonefrom Beechwood Herefordsandfromtherehehasgrown hisherdto62mixedagedcows.His cowshave learnttobehardydealing withanannualrainfallof4000mmwhich didn’t disappointwhile wewerethere. The

followingday, theraincontinuedbutso didthehospitalitywhile we visitedGlacier HornedHerefords.Sadly,theraincurtailed ourviewingofthestudasGlacier Herefordshave adispersalsalescheduled for11th Mayhowever, we could tell that anypurchaserswillbelucky tohave them. When we arrived at FlagstaffHereford Stud weweregreeted byThomasCondon mounted on his stockhorse having just musteredthecattle. Both Westcoast

studvisitedonthelastdayareknown for theirhornedgeneticsandtookgreatpride inshowcasingtheirqualityherds. Thefinaldrivetookustodinnerat Queenstown where we celebrated afun filled weekfullofSouthIslandhospitality, fantasticHerefordsandbreath-taking scenery.

RobbieBurrowsofBeechwoodHerefordswith 17-year-oldBeechwoodBella.

CowsandcalvesatMarkMurphy’sstud, Longacreonthe WestCoast.

PhotoscourtesyofNZHerefordsstaff.

RATonhorizontomanage FACIALECZEMAONFARM

Arapidantigentest(RAT)aimedat earlydetectionof facialeczema (FE)in ruminantswillhelp manage adiseasethatcoststhe NewZealandeconomymorethan$200 millioneachyear.

TheMinistryfor PrimaryIndustries’ Sustainable Food andFibre Futures fundisinvestingmorethan$35,000 in aprojectwith TokaoraDiagnosticsto develop aprototype facialeczemaRAT andundertakefieldtesting.The testcould beusedwithsheep,cattle,anddeerbut initialtrialswill focusondairycattle.

“FEis adiseaseoftheliverandoften doesn’t showphysicalsymptomsuntilit’s toolatetosave theanimal,”says Steve Penno,MPI’sDirectorofInvestment Programmes.

“Currentlythere’s no cheap,on-farm diagnosticonthemarket,so we’re supporting TokaoraDiagnosticstotake theirproof-of-concepttesttothenext stage.”

TokaoraDiagnosticsisafamily-owned researchcompanyheaded by chief researcher Frey Livingstonandhismother Pam,whoisthemanagingdirector.The companyconductedinitialresearchand developmentthroughstart-upgrants fromCallaghanInnovation.Italso won the Venture TaranakiPowerUpAwardsin 2022andreceivedmentoringthroughthe Sprout AgritechAcceleratorprogramme.

“We’regratefultohave receivedsomuch supportto make an‘invisible’problem visible,”says Frey Livingston.

“Rightnow, farmerscantest forthe diseasethrough bloodsamples taken byvetsbutitis expensiveandtime consuming.Withoursolution, farmers willbeabletodothetestingthemselves quicklyandeasilyvianasalmucusor saliva.”

FinanciallossesfromFEinNewZealand have beenestimatedashighas$274 millionper yearfromlostproduction, andthecostoflabour,treatment,and deceasedanimals.

“Bydetecting facialeczemaaccurately we’d expecttoseesignificantcost savingson farmsinaffectedareas,” says PamLivingston.

“Itwillenable farmerstosurveillancetest, whichwill facilitatetimelytreatment.It willalsoallowmoreinformedpurchasing, breeding, andcullingdecisions. Forvets,it willbe aquickdiagnostictoolwhencalled to apoorlyanimal,and forresearchers itwillgivea timely answertothe‘who hasitandhowbadly’question.And,of course,improvedanimal welfareis ahigh priority.”

“FEis along-standingissue forour agriculturalsector,andwith climate changeit’sexpectedtoget worseasthe toxicsporesthatcausethediseaseare

morelikelytogrowinwarmandhumid conditions,”says Steve Penno.

“MPIhasinvestedin arangeofprojects aimedatcombatingFE,including breedingspore-resistantgrass,and workingwith vets,dairyfarmers,and rural professionalstoraise awarenessabout howtotakepreventativeaction.

“Thisprojectisanothersteptowards bettermanagingthisdisease.”

Forfurtherinformationontheproject contact PamLivingstonat pam@tokaoradiagnostics.nz

SourceMPI

FreyLivingstoneChief ResearcherTokaoraDiagnostics

Otapawa Poll Herefords

“Fromthe frontortheback,Herefordsarethe leadingefficientbreedofbeef cattle,”says

Stuart Robbie,StudMasterofOtapawa.

“AndusingHerefordsincrossbreedingisoneofthe fastest,provenwaystoimprovefarmgateprofits.It isoneofthereasonswhycrossbredHerefordcalves topmostoftheweanerfairsacrossNewZealandeach year.”

Acommon-senseapproachtobreedingefficientand profitablebeefcattlearethefoundingprinciplesat OtapawaPollHerefords-Provengeneticsproducing progressivesoundprogeny.“Carcasequalityis especiallyimportant,itisproventhattheHereford isthemostefficientconverterofgrass,andweare alwaysrefiningandtestingthisinourbreeding system,”saysStuart.

ongoingconsistentadvantagesfromfeedconversion, toimprovedaveragedailyweightgains,longevity,and fertility,whilestillconformingtotheselectioncriteria ofmanypremiumsoffered.“Itispleasingtoseeour clientscontinuallytoppingtheWeanerFairswith HerefordandHereford/Anguscrossprogeny.Thatisa constantgoalforourbreedingprogramme.”

Thetablebelowhighlightsanexampleofthe Dollarvaluedifferencethatcanbeachievedusing crossbreeding.

shereachpubertyearlier,allowingforidealheifer mating,ahigherrateofpregnancythroughoutherlife meanssignificantlylessreplacementsarerequired, resultinginanimprovedefficiencyacrosstheherd. Weareputtingforwardagreatlineupofbullsthis year,includingsonsfromfeatureSiresFlagstaff Klingon,WirunnaPhilP273andTHFrontier174E aswellasprogenyfromOkawaRommel,whowas purchasedin2019for$60,000.Weencourageall cattlemenseriousaboutincreasingtheprofitability oftheirherd,particularitythosewithPurebred Angusherds,tocomeandseethebullsfirst-hand anddiscussyourbreedingprogrammewithus. At Otapawawehavealong-termcommitmenttoour clients.Ourpurposeistohelpimproveyourresults throughafocusonqualitybreeding.

ThebasicknowledgeaboutHybridVigour(Heterosis) hasexistedformorethan50yearsbutseemstohave beenoverlookedinrecentyearsassomebreedgroups aretrendingtowardsagenomicsbredanimalwhilst offeringselectivepremiumincentives.

“Therearegoodreasonswhyourforebearsutilized crossbreedingforoptimumprofitability.We’ve observedthatacommercialAngusherdcanexpect toachievea15%increaseinweaningweightsfrom Heterosis”.HerefordSiredProgenywillbenefitfrom

Otapawamakesselectingforcrossbreedingeasy. Identifyingandselectinggeneticswhichthrivein theenvironmentinwhichyoufarmmakesalot moresensethantryingtomanipulatethesystem orenvironmenttosuitthelivestock.Wearea commercialfarmingoperationourselves,sowesee theadvantagesfirst-handthatreflectourbreeding selectionsfromourStudHerefordherdintothe commercialherd.Longevity,maternalability,and carcasequalityareimportantprofitdrivers.Our clientsareputtingrising2yrHerefordandHereford crosssteersthroughAllianceHandpickedand achievingbetween80and100%qualifyingand averaginganextra$300+perhead.

Anothersignificantadvantagetocrossbreedingis theutilizationoftheresultingfemale.Thecrossbred cowisundoubtedlysuperiorinitscharacteristicsfor increasingperformanceacrossanyherd.Withthe superiorfertilityofacross-bredfemale,notonlydoes

ThisyearOtapawahave41highperformancestation bredBullsonoffer.WewelcomeyoutoourOpenDay onMay2from9amonwardsforlightrefreshments andatouroftheBulls.

SaleDayisJune6.TheOnFarmAuctionstartsat12 noonandLiveonBidr.

Formoreinformation contact yourlocalAgentor feel free to getintouchwithStuart,Douglas,orJames Robbiedirect.Contactdetailsarebelow.

FMGAprilFoolsDay WALLOFFAME

OurApril Fools campaignhas becomeatradition forushere atFMGbutthere wassomereal deliberationbeforethis year’s onewith alotof peopledoingittough followingthe twomajor weather events. We are very happyit’sbeenso well receivedandprovidedsomelightreliefas we continueto workhardontherecovery andgettingclaimssettled.”

“Insome ways theOld Farmerofthe Year jokeisacelebrationofFMG’sand rural NewZealand’svalues. Theoneswhohave beenaround foralongtimeandbeen throughalltheupsanddownsandstuck atit,”RichardAitkenFMG’sMarketing Managersays.

AprilFools!

We knowfarmingisseriousbusiness, andtherehave beensomerealstruggles outthererecently.Buton 1April we think it’simportantto take sometimeoutto be abitirreverent,quirky, andhave afew laughs -afterall alaughisgood forour mentalandphysical well-being.Takea well-deservedbreakand checkoutour Wallof Famelookingbackatallthemost ridiculous farminginnovations we’vecome upwith overthe years.

2022 |New sheepleashlaw 2023 |FMGOldFarmerofthe Year

Justasour youngerfarmersare recognisedonanannualbasis fortheir ruralknow-how, theoldergeneration willsoongettheir chance.FMGhave announcedtheFMGOld Farmerofthe Yearcompetition.Contestantswillneedto beaged over85yearsold. They willbattle itout overjustoneday, ratherthan two, withanafternoonnapafterlunch.Entries needtobeposted by middayon1 April.

2021 |Anewruralstreaming service

Aimingtoreducetrafficcongestionin ruralareas, anew lawcomesintoeffect todayrequiringallsheeptobeleashed whileonpublicroads.Savvy farmersare offeringsplitleasheswithmultiplecollars tohelpthosemostinneed.

Researchshowedsheepproducehigher qualitywoolwhenthey’rerelaxed.So,a trial waslaunchedacrosstheNorthIsland, with farmersinstallinglargescreenTVs ontheirproperties,screeningdedicated programmesonEweTubesuchas‘The EndlessMeadow’,‘OurGrass:NZ’s ApproachtoGreener Grazing’,andthe seven-hourepic,‘HowToWear Wool Well’. Thetrialrolledoutfrom6am,April 1.

Betterbeef BREEDING

Asbullbuyingseasongets underway,Beef +LambNew Zealand Geneticsisencouraging commercialbeef farmersto makeuseofanonlinelearningmoduleto helpinformtheirbullbuyingdecisions.

Therecentlyreleased40-minutemodule steps farmersthroughestablishing clearbreedingobjectives,(including adownloadablebreedingobjective template)andprovidesan overviewof

breedingtraitsandtheirimportance. Thisinformationallows farmerstoselect therightbull fortheirparticularneeds. Itcanalsobecompletedinsections, allowinguserstocomeandgoasthey wish.

Themoduleincludescase-studyvideos, tipsoncontactingbreedersandwhat questionstoask,as wellasdetailing howtointerpretsalecataloguesandthe dangersofbuyingonimpulseat bullsales.

Viewersalsogettheopportunityto practiceselectingtherightgenetics fordifferent farmerneedsinan interactivequiz format.

Thefinalpartofthemodule covers Beef ClassStructural Assessmentandincludes avideo ofanassessmentbeingcarriedout onbulls,as wellasdiagramsand scoring charts.

Thisisjustoneof anumberof beef-relatedtools,resources andprogrammesB+LNZhason offerthroughitsInformingNew Zealand Beef(INZB) Programme, designedtogeneratemoreincome forbeeffarmers.Anna Boyd, B+LNZGenetics’BeefOperations Specialist,says commercial farmers areanimportantpartofthesevenyearB+LNZ-fundedprogramme.

“We’re focusedongivingbreedersand farmersgenetictoolstohelpproduce great-tastingbeefanddriveproduction efficiency.B+LNZ wantscommercial farmerstoreallyunderstandthe value ofbettergeneticsandbeabletoeasily selecttherightgenetics fortheirsystem, todrivegreaterprofitability.”

B+LNZGenetics,withsupportfrom MPIandtheNewZealandMeat Boardis leadingtheINZBpartnershipprogramme, whichaimstoboostthesector’s profits by $460m overthe next25 years. To viewthemodule,gotoB+LNZ’s websitebeeflambnz.com/andsearch “betterbeefbreeding”.

B+LNZGenetics’BeefOperationsSpecialistAnnaBoyd.

VisitWaipaoa.co.nz

SouthDevon– ADOCILE

MarkEagle,alongwithhiswife DiandsonAnthonyfarm onthreesitesin Pahiatua andtheirstudKaimoaSouth DevonsislocatedinMangaone Valley Road, Pahiatua. Thecouplealsohas two daughters,SamanthaandSarawho chose notto take up farming fora livingalthough Mark wouldhave beenmorethanhappyif theyhad wantedto farm.

MarkandDihave livedonthe350haflat rollingtosteepercountryproperty for thelast 12 yearshavingmovedthestud,

foundedin2006,fromEketahuna.Di helpsoutwhenneededandtheyemploy threestaffoverthe threeproperties. Theirpreviousproperty wasadairy, sheep andbeefoperationbutAnthonywas keen to takeoverthedairyunitandMark,after milkingcows for35years,wasquite happytotakea step sideways.“Istill wantedto farmand wasquitehappyto changetobeefandsomesheep,”hesays. Thedairyoperation wassoldin June2022 andAnthonymovedtoanotherproperty closertohisparents.

On FarmSale

Monday,22ndMay 2023 -1.30pm

‘Chessfield’

1775 Mangaone ValleyRoad

Eketahuna

p: 063768256

m: 0274347152

e: eagleeketahuna@xtra.co.nz

Kaimoa

SouthDevonshave pleasureinputting forward22Bullsin2023

We arecommittedtoproducingmeaty bullswithgoodframe, constitutionand temperament. Withclients’needsinmind we have sourcednew geneticsfromoverseas to maintainthehighest qualitiesinourbulls.

Mark,AnthonyandDi Eagle

1775MANGAONE VALLEY ROAD, EKETAHUNA

BREED

Currentlystocknumbersatthestudare: 130studcows,280 fatteningheifers,60 bulls,1,000 ewesandabout500trade lambs.

InthepastMarkhadtriedseveraldifferent breedsofbullbut wasn’toverlyhappy withtheirtemperament.Butthenhe bought aSouthDevonfromanEketahuna studandsincethenhasstuckwiththe breed.

ThekeyfactorabouttheSouthDevon isthattheyare very quiet, “Theyare renownedasbeingthequietestofallthe beefbreedsandareoriginallyfromSouth DevoninSouth WestEngland.”

“BecauseSouthDevons weremoreof ahornedbreed,ratherthanpolled, we have abigemphasisonpollingand we alsotestDNAso we knowwhetherthey arehomozygouspolledorheterozygous polled.AllourbullsandheifersareDNA tested forsire verificationbutthatpolled aspectis very importantthesedays with animal welfareinmind,and forpeople buyingbullsfromus.Going forward we don’twantanyscursatall.It’ssomething we’reachievingbut we’vegotto keep thebreedingpolicyintherightdirection,” Marksays.

Thestock arescanned forcarcass attributeslikeeye muscle(EMA)rib and rump fat.Intramuscular fat(IMF) isidentifiedsotheycandiscoverthe animalsthatarebetter“doers”andmore

likelytomarble farbetterthanothers.

“Consumersarelooking foreatingquality, that’sgenerallyIMF,ashighIMFsuggests farbettereatingquality.

“Ienjoyworkingwiththemjust forhow quiettheyare,I’veworkedwith alotof cattlebutthere’s nothingquitelike mine. Docilityisimportant, youwantto feel you’realways safe.Somebreedsare definitelybetterthanothers. We wantto thinkthatthatdocilityflowsthroughwhen selling.Ananimalthat’sdocilewillgrow betterbecauseit’srelaxedand chilledand it’sgoingtogrow.”

Mark’slongtermvisionistoincreasethe numberofSouthDevonshesellsbutnot atthe expenseofquality.

“Igrewuponadairyfarmandcontinued on.I’vefarmedall my life.I’mmorethan happyfarming.”

Saledetails

Markisveryhappyforanyone interestedintheSouthDevonsto contacthimtoarrange avisitto inspectthecattleand/orcomealong tothesaleday.

Annualsale22May,viewingfrom 11am,saleat 1.30pm.Twentybullsare catalogued.

Seewww.pivotdesign.co.nz/ ebooks/2023/kaimoa

Informing NewZealandBeef Programme TODRIVE BEEFPRODUCTIONEFFICIENCIES

ByGeorge Tatham

Beef+ LambNewZealandDirector EasternNorthIsland

Farming’sbiologicalcyclescontinue irrespectiveofthedevastation wrought by lastsummer’s cyclones andthereissomecomfortinthe normalityoftheramgoingoutandbullsellingseasongettingunderway.

Geneticsare apowerfultooltohelp driveproductivityandprofitabilitywhile helpingtheindustryreducegreenhouse gasemissionsperkilogramofproduct produced.

We areall familiarwiththe extraordinary efficiencygainsoursectorhasmade over thepast30 years,particularlyinoursheep industry, buttherearestillgainstobe made,particularlyinourbeefherds.

Beef +LambNewZealand’sInforming NewZealandBeefprogrammeaimsto helpcommercialbeef farmersselectthe bestgenetics fortheirenvironmentand farmsystems.

Throughthisseven-yearprogramme, toolswillbedevelopedthatwillmake commercialgeneticselectionquickand easywhilehelping farmers monitorand improveoverallsustainability.

1.BeefProgeny Testand commercialherds

TwoBeef ProgenyTestsites,oneat Pāmu’sKepler FarmnearManapouriand theotherat Taupo’s LochinverStation, providelinkagesanddatatoaccurately predict hybridvigour.InformingNew Zealand Beef is workingwith farmersto establishNextGeneration herdswithin existingcommercialoperations. These herdswill feed criticalinformationback intothesystem.

2.Developbreedingobjectivesandindexes

Theaimistodriveincreaseduseofhigh EstimatedBreeding Valuebulls,theuseof ArtificialInseminationincommercialherds andtheuseofgenomictoolsacrossthe industry.

LedbyB+LNZGenetics,withthesupport oftheMinistryforPrimaryIndustries’ Sustainable Food andFibre Futures(SFF Futures)partnershipandtheNewZealand Meat Board.InformingNewZealandBeef involvesfivekey projects:

4.Datainfrastructure

Thisistheprogramme’s “backend” computingpower, wheredataflows inandout formaximumbenefitto individuals(breedersand farmers)andthe nationalbeefherd.

5.Industryuptakeandprogrammemanagement

Aquality extensionprogrammewillhelp driveuptakeofthegenetictoolsproduced aspartoftheprogramme.Thiswill include asuiteof products andservices specifically targetingindustryuptakeof geneticandgenomictools.

Followingrecentconsultationwithbeef farmersandindustrytodeterminetrait priorities,NZ-specificindexeswillbe developed.

3.Build ageneticevaluation

Coreproductivitytraitswillbe establishedbasedon existinggenetic andperformancedata.Newtraits,as identified by sectorstakeholders,will thenbedeveloped. Thiswillbe followed by amulti-breed evaluation.Finally,the importationofinternationalbreeding valueswillbe explored.

Ithasbeen aprivilege

Thiswillbe my lastcolumnas Beef+ LambNewZealandDirector.Theelection fortheEasternNorthIslandDirector’s position wasdelayeddueto Cyclone Gabrielleand Iwashappytocontinuein therole forafew moreweeks.

Ithasbeen aprivilegetorepresentthis regionduringwhathas –and continuesto be-a challengingtime forourindustry. Ilookforwardto supportingthenew Directorandwishall farmersagood winter andproductivespring.

“It’sinour DNA”

AndrewReeves, afarmer,from DumfriesshireinScotlandarrived in Wellington,New Zealand aboardtheSouthernCrossin 1857.Hemanaged Purvis Russell’sstation inHawke’sBayforseveral yearsandthen movedtotheEastCoast.

Andrew’sgreat,great,greatgrandson Peter Reevessays he wasthefirstperson to take sheepfrom Takapautothecoast, usingoldtracksandtrails.Hesettledin Tolaga Bayin1865.“It wouldhave been quite amarathon Iwouldhave thought,” Petersays ofthearduousjourney.

AndrewReevesmarried aScottish womanMissLivingstoneandtheywent ontoraisethreesonsand twodaughters. ThedescendantsofAndrewReevesare stillactivelyinvolvedinthebusinesswhich

this yearcelebrates 160years. TodayPeter andhiswifeChristine workwiththeir childrenonthe familybusinessMokairau Farms.It’sverymucha familyaffairand theirgrandchildren,numbering 11,are theseventhgenerationof Reevestobe associatedwiththebusiness.“We’ve operated as ateamandgeton very well,” Petersays.Hetakesgreatjoyinseeing thegrandchildrenonthe farm.One grandsoncanalreadyshear 100sheep. Thebusinessembraces four properties: thehomeblockMokairau,neighbouring Mangaonemanaged by NickLandwho ismarriedtoSophietheonlydaughter of PeterandChristine. Jonmanagesthe WaihapuapropertyandSammanages Mangaroathatarelocatedsome wayfrom thehome farm.

Whenpeoplebuy abullthey wanttosee awell-marked Hereford.

EldestsonRichardis apolicemanin Tolaga Bay andMatthewiscurrentlyestablishing avineyardinCentralOtago.Christine attendstoadministrationwhiledaughter Sophie and daughter in law Chloehelpout duringbusytimesonthe farms.

Mokairau PollHerefords,thehomeblock ofsome990ha,issituatedatWhangara about40kmsnorthof Gisborne.

Peter’s grandfather,Stan,andhis two brothersbought Mokairauin 1927.The MokairauHerefordstud wasestablished in 1954 by David, Peter’s fatherafter hepurchasedfivecows,bredbyFred Humphries,fromthe Wilencote Jubilee Sale. Petertook overMokairauin 1997 andthisisthe69th yearthe familyhas beenbreeding PollHerefordbulls. Mokairaucattleareselectedonstructural soundness, fertility, easyfinishingand theotherattributesofthisbreed –their temperament,longevityand eyeappeal. SelectionisaidedwithEBV’s.“We startedwholeherdDNAtestingin2006 introducedSNPtestingin2013 toimprove accuracyandsimplifydaily management. It keepspurityinthebreed.”Their vision isto keepproducingsound,efficient, fertileanimalswhoaregreatgrass converterstohelp keepNZ’s beefindustry moving forward.

“Whenpeoplebuyabulltheywantto see awell-marked Hereford. Theperfect lookingHerfordhasredringsaroundhis

eyes, anicecrestonitsneck, anicewhite tailandnicewhitelegs.It’sallcosmetic unfortunately.The otherattributeofa Herefordisitstemperament;peopleoften sayhow quiettheyarecomparedtoother breeds.” Petersays.

It’sbeen averywet challengingsummer forthe familyandtheywereaffected by both CycloneHaleand CycloneGabrielle. Whileconservationisatthe forefront oftheirfarmingendeavourstheystill sufferedsomedamage.

We MakeFarmingEzy

They retainnativebushingulliesbelieving thatit’snativebushandnotheavy trees thatarerequiredtostabilisesoil. The family were welllookedafterinthe aftermathofGabrielleand weregrateful toreceivehelpfromthe Task ForceGreen, therelieffundand workpartieshelped cleanupanderect fences.“We’remaking goodprogressandthe weather’s beenour side,butitshouldn’t have happened.”

“Thisisanecologicaldisasterwhat’s happeninghereatthemomentand

there’s stillan avalancheof woodto come down.”

This yeartherewillbe30R2Herefords forsaleonsiteon 7June. Peterlooks forwardtoitbutadmitshealsogets nervousonsaleday. “It’sagood feelingto gettheanimalstosaledate.It’stheone timeofthe yearwhen youflytheflag,you can’t do anymore.”Saledayisasocial occasionandisgreat forpickinguponold relationships, Petersays.

TH209928/04/22

The#8isdesignedwith animalwellbeinginmind, greataccessandexcellent, comfortablehandlingis whatanyanimalonfarm deserves.Safe,fastand ezyworkingconditions areneededforoperators, contractorsandvetsalike.

Extreme™isdesignedfor theveryseriousstockman. Thisisthestakeintheground whererealhandlingstartsand mediocrehandlingstops.The notjustaboutsteelorpower... it’saboutcleverandintelligent engineeringfor apurpose.

TheCattleCurtain™makes youryardworkeasyand safe.Mostyardshavea lotofgates;gatesrequire peopleintheyardsoftenin amongststock.Nowplace CattleCurtain™anywhere inyouryardswherecattle shouldonlytraveloneway.

TheextendedfamilyhelpcleanupanderectfencesafterCycloneGabrielle.

Smart-Yards™arethehallmarkofqualityandfunctionality.

Wonderedwhatitsliketoworkinhighperformce cattleyards?Makefarmingezy

HIGHPERFORMANCE YARDS

Thedesignofyournewyardswill standardplansorcustomdesigned.

Arevitalised HOOFANDHOOK

TheHoof &HookCompetition is aweekendlong experience designedtoimmersecompetitors aged8-25intothebeefindustry. Competitors take part in awide variety ofeducationalmodulestoeducate competitorsonimportantaspectsofthe beefindustryandwider farmingpractices. This yearthe eventwill take placefrom1214 MayattheDannevirkeShowgrounds. For2023the committeehasputreal emphasisoneducationacrossthewhole value chain. Future Beef Chairperson, AmyHoogenboomsays “Withthehighly dynamicglobal food marketalongwith moredisruptionand challengesthan ever totheNewZealandfoodandfibresector, linkingwhathappensbeyondandbehind the farmgateishighlyimportantto educatingourfuture foodproducers.”

Theeducationalmoduleswillalso showcasethewide varietyofoccupations thatinvolveagriculture. “Agricultural careersgo wellbeyond farming,from agronomythroughtobusinessand communications,thescopeofthe industryisextremelybroad.Helping youth whoareinterestedin workinginthebeef industrywithhands-onmodulesiskey to fosteringthe talentofourfuture.”

Alargepartofthecompetitioniscentred aroundthe“Hoof &Hook‘’primecattle competitionwherecompetitorsbring primecattletobejudgedin aledcattle competitionontheirlikelymeritasan animal foreating.Thesecattlearethen processedandjudgedonthehook fora rangeofcarcassmeritandeatingquality attributestofindan overall champion. Competitorsarejudgedontheirabilities

toparadetheanimalstothejudgeand have theopportunitytohave agoatstock judging.Newfor2023,istheintroduction ofthe Primeheifersectioninaddition tohistoricalPrimeSteerclasses. The Primeheifersectionwill followthe same formatwhereheifersarejudgedonthe hoofbeforebeingprocessedandcarcass judged.Heifersmustbe‘dry’andless than30monthsofagetobeeligibleto enter.

“Wearereallylooking forwardtohosting arefreshedandrevitalized weekend ofeducation,encouragementand celebrationoftheNewZealandbeef industry”.Participantscan chooseto bringtheir owncattletocompeteinthe competitionor Future Beef NZis ableto assistwithpairingparticipantsupwith cattle forthe weekend.

Future BeefNewZealandis well supported by amazingbusinessesthat workcloselywiththeindustryincluding someincrediblypassionatebreeders fromaroundthecountry. “Weare very fortunate forbusinesseslikeBeef +Lamb NZ,PGG Wrightson’s,Gallagher,Allflex, PBB,Colliers Rural,FMG,Generation Angus,NZHerefords, VetsServices Hawke’sBay,Kaitoa PolledHerefords andallofourclasssponsorsthatsupport usthroughoutthe yearandonthe event weekend.”

Anyenquiriesaboutbeinginvolvedshould bedirecttoSamanthaGreene,the Beef +LambNewZealandFutureBeefEvent Coordinator by emailing info@futrebeef.co.nzorheadingtothe websitewww.futurebeef.co.nz

.EST1961.

ElginAngusfor PEACEOFMIND

After CycloneGabriellefloodgates, fencesandsilthave beentopof mind formanyfarmers,including SamandSarahDuncanofElgin Angus.However, theirattentionisnow firmlyontheirupcomingon-farmbullsale.

SamandSaraharethesixthgeneration onthe farminElsthorpe,carryingonthe Angusstud foundedbySam’sgrandfather Jock in 1952,andthe workofhisparents, Mickand Barb.Sowith71 yearsof breeding experience,it’sunsurprisingthat ElginAnguscontinuestoproducetop qualitysiresandthe26siresonofferinits 2023saleareno exception.

Theline-upofbullsaretrueElgin cattlewithSamcontinuingtoplacean emphasisonpedigree,performance,and phenotype. Thegeneticsonofferinclude sonsofthe well-provenKaharau610and RangatiraL35.Samsays thesesiresleave fantastic youngbullswith meat,bone, and great temperaments. “Feedbackfrom clientswhohave purchasedsonsofthese guys inthepasthasbeenreallypositive withsomesayingtheyarethequietest bullsthey’veeverhadandwithsomeof thebestscanningresultsthey’veever had.”2023seesthefirstcropof Turihaua N9sonsthroughtheringandSamnotes thathehaslefthismarkonhisprogeny

inmoremoderateframedbullswhocan “getaroundthehillswhilecarryingtons ofmeat.”

Samknowsthatbreedingismorethan justaboutthebullsandso keepsavery close eye onthematernalherd. Theaim at Elginis foracow whichcanproduce acalf every yearand weanat agoodweight. Samsays,“Agood-bodiedcowwith plenty ofdepthwhocanmilk well even intoughconditionswillberetainedinthe herdwhilethosewho fallshortofthis aimaremovedon. Thisensuresthatthe maternalherdis kept to ahighstandard.”

Thisprocessgivespurchasersassurance thattheirinvestmentinElgingenetics willhelp keeptheirherdsproductive. For evenmorepeaceofmind forpurchasers, allElginAngusbullsaresementested formorphologyandmotilityaswellas

undergoing astructuralassessment forsoundnessandservingability. Sam believesthisisanimportantundertaking as abreeder sothat Icanstandbehind ourproduct.“Weguaranteeourbulls for three years forfertilityandsoundness becauseourclientsandthesuccessof their farmingoperationsareimportantto us.”

TheElginAngusbull walkison Friday 26 Mayfrom9am.Samsays,“Thebullwalk is areallygood chancetocomeandhave alookatwhat we’veproducedpriorto saleday, butpeoplearealwayswelcome tocallandorganiseviewingsatanyother time.”

SamandSaraharelooking forwardto welcoming youtothesaleon Tuesday13 Juneat3.30pmtoenjoyanafternoonof blackbulls andElginhospitality.

ON-FARM BULLSALE

TUESDAY13TH

Email:anui@xtra.co.nz

Apassion FORANGUS

TimBrittain,withwifeKelly, ownerofStorthOaksAngusin Otorohangahas apassion forthe breedwhichisdemonstrated by hisinvolvementwithseveralorganisations dedicatedtoeducation,sharing knowledgeandimprovingthequalityand valueofAnguscattle.

CurrentlyTimisSecretaryGeneralofthe WorldAngusSecretariat,Chairmanof AngusPure ,ChairmanofAngusPro anda past PresidentandLifeMemberofAngus NZ.

StorthOaksispartofthe AngusPRO group,governed by theprogressive governingbodythatisAngus Australia. Angus Australiapridethemselvesontheir qualityofleadershipinthedeliveryof innovativeprogramsthatwillenhanceand promotethe valueofAnguscattleand beef.

Angusisgrowinginpopularityas consumersdemandconsistencyinquality. “Ourcustomershave greatsuccess usingourgeneticsfrom afertilitypointof view, aqualitypointofviewand aquality beefperspective. Customersofoursare getting fantasticincalfratesfromour geneticsbutatthesametimearealso beingrewarded forpremium qualitybeef,” hesays.“We’vegottostriveforthetop andgiveconsumerswhattheywant.”

“Breedingcattleconsistsof twoparts. You’ve gottoget feedingand farm

managementright. Thefirststepis selectingtherightgeneticsandit’s cumulative.MostNZbeef farmersare keepingreplacementheiferssoeach timetheymakegeneticgainthey’ve this builtintotheirreplacementsotheycan continuouslygo forward.”

It’simperativethatcommercial farmshave abreedingobjective so theyknowwhat they’retryingtodoratherthanaimlessly buying abullandhoping.Theyneeda plan,whattheyaretryingtodo,what consumerstryingtobreed forthen you’re morelikelytoachieve it.

TimBrittain.

“The key thingisbuyinganimalsthatwill growquickly,have goodcarcass weights andhave therightqualityattributesso theyhave marblingwhichmattersbig time.

Oneofthe excitingthing saboutthe beefindustryinthelastcoupleof yearsisthatmoremeatcompanies, for exampleAllianceandSilver Fern Farms, arerecognisingthatandare awarding significantpremiums formeetingquality gradesprimarilythat’sdrivenbyintra muscular fat,whichweknowasmarbling.

“Theotherbigthing,orthegrowing future,isdairybeefandusingthedairy herdasanengine forproducingquality beef.

Thisisbeingdrivento alarge extent by Fonterraandanimal welfareissuesaround bobbycalvesandtheneedtogivethem abetterlife.Qualityprogrammesare acceptingdairybeef,theydograde well. That’sagrowingtrend. Thereare 4million beefcowsbut awholelotmoredairy cowssoit’sabigengineroomtogrow morequalitybeef.It’sawin-winsituation forboththedairyandbeefindustry.”

2023BullSale:

Wednesday31Mayat1pm

Forsalethis yearis afinelineupof 85bullsthatwillsuitvirtually every programmeinthecountry.

Thereare twonew bullsthathaveexciting progenyinthe sale: GARHometown-a newAmericansirewhohasbeenleading salesintheUSand Australia,andHPCA Zephyr.“It’s pleasingthattherearealso anumberofour owngrownbullsinthe line-up. We’vebredwithprogenythatare footingitequallywithtopinternational sires.Equallypleasingisthatagain we’ll have progenyfromfirstcalvingR2heifers. It’spleasingseeingthenewestand freshestgeneticscomingthrough.”

It’salso excitingthat everyoneofour bullswillhave anendorsementfrom AngusPure.69willhave the very highest A+and 16 theA endorsement.

Notmanystuds,ifany thatcanachieve that.Allbullsareindependentlyassessed by Bill Austinandfullinformationis availableatwww.storthoaks.com.

Semenis checkedbyTararuaFarmers sobuyerscanhave confidenceintheir purchases.

AtStorthOaks we use every technology availablewhetheritbeAItoallowusto have aselection ofthe worlds very best sirestomakequickergeneticprogress, or ET (Embryo Transfer)togetmore progenyfromelite females,or Total Genetics ResourceManagement(TGRM) tomaximisebreedingpotentialand keep alidoninbreedingorgenomicswithour wholecalfdropeachyearbeingHD50K testedso wekeeptheverybest for replacementsorhomesires we might use.

TawaHillsAngus

We areselling50 straws fromWhangaraRobbiethis yearatour saleonthe 27th of Juneat 9.30amatMatawherosaleyards.

“WhangaraRobbiewas purchasedfor 92klastyear. Hehasamazingdocility, structurethatisveryhardto fault” Therewill also be 12 bigstrong good hill country bred bulls forsalethatare lookinggreat.

HinewakaShorthorns– THEBULLSLOOKGREAT

ByMitchBlackwood

This year we will beholdingour 20thon-farmBullsale. We arereallyhappytopresentthe line-upofbulls forsalethis year. Thebullslookgreat. They are well-grown withrealthickness,easyfleshingand soundness.

They arebackedupbysomeverygood dataand youareabletoseethegenetic progressbeingmadeinthebreed-plan figuresofeachbullandwheretheysit withinthebreed foreachtrait. Therearebullsthataresuitable forboth heiferandcowmating.There is astrong emphasisonproducingcattlethatare commercially focused,thatcanthrivein summerdryconditions,andare fertileand fastgrowing.

This year’s saleline-upincludesbullssired by twoofthebreed’shighestperforming sires.

Sprys GigabytesN122hasbred extremely well forusandhasleftdepth and thicknessinhisprogeny. Heis areal impactsire.Heisbreedingan exceptional phenotypeandhisprogenyexhibitreal soundness,deepbodied,easydoing cattle.

Mostimpressiveisthatheisbackedup withbreedleadingdatainmosttraits.

YamburganAnzacL278is asirewith extremelygoodcarcasstraitswithhigh fats forRib and RumpandhighIMF.His progenyjustgetbetterandbetterand we are excitedabouthisfutureinour programme.

Withtheincreaseindairyinganddairy supportonthebetterclassoflandin NewZealand, alotofbeefcattlebreeding operationshave beenpushedtoharder hillcountryproperties,andas aresult, the typeofbullsneeded forthisclassof countryhas changed.

Gonearethe very bigframed,later maturingcattle.Anefficientanimalis moderateframed,withgoodearlygrowth, abletofinishat 18-20monthsofage.

Fertilityisthemostimportanttrait determiningprofitabilityinbeefbreeding operations.

Shorthornsareoneofthebestmaternal breedsofcattleandareanidealbreedin crossbreedingprogrammes.

Thebullsareallsemenandservicetested andguaranteed fertileatthetimeofsale.

Thebullshave alltestednegativeand vaccinated forBVD.Wewillhave Bidrat oursalethis year forany peoplethatare unabletomakeittothe sale youcannow watchthe saleliveandbidonline.

Catalogueswillbeoutinthemiddleof May. Photosandvideosofthebullswill alsobeonour Facebookpage.

If youwouldlikefurtherinformationon salelotsorourbreedingprogramme, pleasecontactusanytime. We hopeto seeasmanyofyouaspossibleonsale day.

Hinewaka Rembrandt32/20.

Pushing BOUNDARIES

WellrespectedGisborne farmer TomSansonand AndrewCribb,thelocal vet, boughtWhangaraAngus Studabout twoyearsago. Theywere lookingto expandtheirbusinessandthe opportunitycameupandtherest,asthey say, ishistory.

They employeda newteamwith farm managerChristopherRichardsonwith wifeAbby, shepherd TomDeverand general farmhand RaymondDonald. Far fromrestingontheirlaurelstheteamare pushingboundariesandlookingtodo things alittledifferently.

Last yeartheysolda bull,Whangara330, for$92,000 whichwas$500shy of the toppriceinNewZealandpaidlastseason. Both Tomand Andrewwerethrilled withtheresult. Thebull wasbought by Blairand PaigeCrawshawofTawa Hills Angus,breedersfromMotu,alsoon theEastCoastoftheNorthIsland. Tom andAndrewdonatedlot 5inthesaleto Whangara Primary-aruralschoolwith 84 children. Thebull went ontomake $7500and alocalrealtordonated afurther $4,000.The schoolhelpedoutonsaleday, andwilldosoagainthis year,bypreparing refreshments formorningtea.

Tomalso ownsGoldCreekSimmental StudinGisborne,andAndrewlivesinthe upperWhakarau. Bothofwhichare about 80kmsfromWhangaraandtheythought

it would be agoodideatogettoknow thelocalcommunitybyinvolvingthelocal schoolwiththesale.

Althoughit’ssomedistancebetween GoldCreekandWhangara Tomtriesto visitWhangaraapproximatelyoncea week,especiallyiftheyarecullingand leadinguptobullsaletime.Heattendsto manyofthebehindthescenesjobssuch asperformancerecording,catalogingand marketing.Andrew’scontributionismore strategic,sothebusinesspartners work welltogetherwithAndrew offering afresh perspective.

Thiswinterstocknumbersare400 registered Anguscows,170bulls,170 heifers,800inlamb ewes,about80

commercialcowsand 7,000 tradinglambs. They aimtobreedstructurallysound, functionalcattlebackedbyperformance anddata. Thecattleneedtobegreat tolookatbuthave theperformance geneticallythatmeetstoday’smarket.

They’reaimingtoimprove consistency intheherdandimprovingperformance dataandtodatetheresultsare very encouraging. Sireselectionisone important factor fortheimprovement, andtheyhave “usedsomepretty highpoweredsemensires,”Tom says.They have alsotravelledthecountryandbought bullsfrom prominentNZstuds.So,they have goodAIcalvesbutalsogoodcalves comingthroughfromnaturalmating’s.

“It’sgoodtoseetheimprovementsinthe

cattleandpeoplearestartingto talkabout thestudsoourreputationisgrowing, that’swhatbreeders want.”

OpendayWednesday10May from 10-1pm

Sale day27June12pm,viewingfrom 10am

34bulls, twosemenstrawbulls

Bullswillalsobeforsalebyprivate treaty

FarmmanagerChrisandwifeAbbyRichardson.

OaksR020.

ANEW BREED.

Whilstsome studslikethe soundoftheirownnameand talkabouttheirbusiness,we’re moreinterestedingrowingyours.

Whenothersarediningontheir reputation, we’rehardatworkearningours. We continue tomakesignificantinvestmentsin topgenetics fromacrosstheglobesowecanprovideyou withthebestoutcomesforyouroperation.

Needtheproof? Recentlywepurchased Twin OaksR020and WaitangiR257.WaitangiR257 hassincebeenselectedforthe Angus Australia progenytest (oneofonlytwoNZbulls) andthe BeefandLambgeneticsprogenytest.

We area newnameinAngusbreeding.And whilst namesareimportant,weprefernumbers thatlookforwardratherthan back.

If you wantbullsbredforthefuturewithsound structureandprovenperformancebackedby impeccabledatathengiveusacall. We’dlovetotalk about howwecanhelpyou.

WHANGARAANGUSBULLSALE

TUESDAY 27 JUNE AT 12PM

Bay BULLS

KoanuiPolledHerefordsand HallmarkAngushave joinedforces this yeartopresent Bay Bulls,an eventtheydescribeas“Bigger than Bola.”

Chrisand Jennifer Chestermanof Koanui PolledHerefords,alongwithMax Tweedie ofHallmarkAngus,have comeupwith theconceptof“Recovery Tourism”in anattempttoattractmore farmersto Hawke’sBayfollowingthedevastating cycloneGabrielle. They each willbe holdingtheir ownonfarmbullsalesbut have organizedadiscount forvisitors atNavigateSeasideHoteland ashuttle servicebetweenthe twostuds. They hopevisitorswillnotonlyattendthe salesbutperhapsstay onlongertoenjoy

someclassicHawke’sBay hospitalityand perhapsvisit afew wineries.

Koanui’ssaleisbeingheldon Thursday June 15 andHallmark’sisthe following day. Theideatojoin forcesmakes sensein anumberofways:visitorscan contributetotheeconomyafter Cyclone Gabrielleandattendbothsales.

GlenChesterman,sonofChrisand Jennifer,isalsoinvolvedwithmarketing thesalesandsaysfarmersarelooking to take advantageofhaving aHereford Anguscross.“It’saneasy way to maximizefarmreturns by takinganAngus andmatingitwith aHerefordbulltoget hybridvigor,” Glensays.“Thesalesgive farmers agreatselectionoftopquality bulls overtwo days.”

Koanuiareoffering55premiumrising two-year-oldHerefordbulls forsalethis year,andMaxisoffering70soundand maternalR2Angusbulls. Thisis acombinationofHallmarkand Waiterenuistudbulls following theacquisitionofthelatterherd in2022.

Bothstudsofferanimalsthatare fit forpurpose. They areGold standard fertilitytested.“Tome animalsaresound,orthey’re not,”Maxsays.

Bothstuds wereadversely affectedbythecyclone,Hallmark inparticular.AsMaxsays they arestill“geomorphologically challenged.”

Someofthebullsthatwillbeforsalethisyear.

Twophotosfromthe2022sale.

Bay BULLS

Continuedfrompage30

Thecyclonehasbeenlifechanging butsometimestherearesilver linings,”Maxsays andhe’s trying tobepositive.“Everyoneis sufferingintheir ownway andhastheir ownbattle.”

Allof Tutira’sroadsandinparticularHeays Access Road wascompletelyimpassable. They receivedmuchassistance,with coordinationfromMPIrecentlywho helpedgetstockout,inspiteof very limitedaccess,inlateMarch.Allwillbe sorted forthesaleandaccesswillbe possible,Maxsays.

InitialestimatesinMid-Februarywasthat 30%oftheirsteep facesaregone. “Our

steepcountrymakesup65%ofthetotal areaof Kokopuru.Mostofour damsand crossings/culvertsarelost. We haven’t got aclearestimateonthetruelossof fencing yet,butitismanykilometres.”

“We’vebeenblown awayby ourTutira/ Putorinodistrict.Clearingour ownroads withtractorbuckets,poweringthrough the work(bureaucracyfree) -andcoming togetheras acommunity. Therearetoo manypeopletothank fortheirresponse effortswitharrangingthingsintohelpus rightnow. It’sbeenmassiveandthisis justthestart.”

Maxagainhasbeenencouraged by the powerofthematernalAnguscowandin particularthenewdamsfrom Waiterenui. They arefiercewiththeircalvesin

negotiatingslipsandtomosandpushing intoisolated faces.“Genuineresilienceis notsomethingeasilycountedbutwhen youobserve it -aswestockmendo,it stickswith you.”

Inlate February theCavefamilyof RotowaiAngusputoutthecalltothe smallcommunityinMokauti/Ariaand Piopiotohelptheirmatesin Patokaand alsoHallmarkAngus.

Theverygenerousdonationsofcat,dog, chook,andgeneralsuppliesendedup helpingcommunitiesin Putorino, Tutira, Patokaand Puketitiri. TheCavefamily have beenjustoneof ahugenumberof donatorsoftimeandresourcesthrough thecyclonerecovery todatetothe farmingcommunity.

Naturallydealingwiththeaftermathof thecyclone wasdisruptiveandunsettling forboththeChestermanand Tweedie families.

However, having Bay Bullstoorganisehas helpedthemallto focusontheir“normal jobs,”says Chris. They allagreeit’sgood togetbacktosomethingapproaching normalityandtheyalllook forwardto meeting youatthe sales,andenjoying somegoodoldHawke’sBay hospitality, on June 15 and June 16.

Joining forcestohelpmakeiteasierto gettotheirbullsales by puttingonsome cheapaccommodationandtransportto the events“justmadesense”for Koanui &Hallmark.

GlanworthOn-FarmAuctions:

Ascenefromlastyear’s Hallmarksale.

Thisshotshows alittleofthedamageinTutiracausedby CycloneGabrielle.

Hallmark Angus,R031

Solutionsto MAKEFARMINGEZY

TechniPharmisNZ’sleading supplierofspecialisedagricultural equipmentsolutionsandrelated services. Thecompanywas foundedin 1993 by GroupCEOHarmen Heesen. Theheadofficeislocatedin Rotoruawithmanufacturing warehousing andlogisticsoperationsfrom Tauranga

FullyNewZealandowned TechniPharm operatesbothinNZand Australia.It caterstothebeef,dairyand sheep sectorsand ownsmany(patented) designsandregisteredtrademarksplus asignificantlistofproductanddisplay awardstoitsname. There would be few farmersinNZwhohave notheardof or purchased aproductfrom TechniPharm, Heesensays.

Attheoutsetintheearly90sHeesen, aformerdairyfarmer,realisedthat there wasashortageofanimalhandling equipmentinNZsohestartedimporting from Australiabut foundthatthe equipment wasn’t totallysuitedtothe NZmarket.He formed apartnershipwith amanufacturingengineerandbegan producingtheir ownequipment.He estimatesthatthereareabout25,000 piecesof TechniPharmequipmentinuse inNZtoday.

Withclientsall overNZfromInvercargillto Kaitaiathecompanyaccumulates ahuge rangeofknowledgeon farmsystems andcarefullylistensto feedback from

clientsandthat’sallincorporatedinto theirknowledgebasetoproducehigh performanceanimalhandlingequipment. TechniPharmisleadingthetrendto hydraulicoperatedAnimalHandlers.

“We’restartingtoseequite alot of our existingclientbasewhobought equipment 15-20yearsagoupgrading to ahydraulicallydrivenunit.Hydraulics arenowverysmartandmuchmorecost effectivethan20yearsago. Poweruse of ahydraulicunitcanbeaslittleas 1Kw andcanbedrivenoffsolarorgenerator ifnopowerispresentinthe yards.A hydraulicoperatedhandlergivestheclient anotherleaseoflife,simply,domore, saferand faster.Manyofourearlyclients areintheir60or70ssowithHydraulics theycancontinuetobe workingstockfor anotherfiveor10years.Itmakesitall easy.”

“We’reinthebusinessofprovidinga facilityfor,inthis case, abeeffarmerto handlehisanimalsin away thatmakes it fast,easy,stressfreeandsafesothey cancollectthedataand informationthey needtomanagetheoperationsothey canlookaftertheiranimalsinthebest possible way,shapeand form.”

Overthe yearslifeandtechnology,along withtheneedsof farmers changeand TechniPharmcanassist afarmerwith appropriateequipmentwhicheverstage ofthejourneytheyareon. Theyeven

offera fixedguaranteedupgrade value for upto 5yearsafterpurchase.Thismeans thatif your farmingsystem changesand youneedmore features youcansimply upgradewithoutlosing your investment ontheoriginalunit youobtained.

Thewebsitetechnipharm.co.nzhas ahost ofinformation,videosandadvice,along withdetailedproductspecificationsor contacttheir expertteamon 0800809098.

HIGHPERFORMANCE YARDS

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ISYOURBULLUPTOTHEJOB?

BreedABullis afertilitytestingpackagetoindustryagreed standardsconductedbyVetServicesHawke'sBay, DannevirkeandWairarapa.

Eachbullthathas passedisprovidedwith acertificatedocumentingtheir vaccinationhistory,BVDstatusandthecomprehensivefertilityassessments completed.It'snot aguaranteeoffuturefertilitybutitprovidesassurancesthat thesebullshavebeenthoroughlyassessedtothe higheststandard.

PleasecontactyourlocalVetServicesclinictobookinyourbullsfortheirannual BreedabullWOFor apre-saleBreedabullassessment.

Bulls- KEEPYOUREYES

ByHarryWhiteside ProductionAnimal Veterinarian, VetServices Waipukurau

Withourscanningequipment allbutbackontheshelf foranotherseason we’ve had alittletimerecentlyto reflectonanother yearofcattlepregnancy resultsand followuponsomeofthe moredisappointingoutcomes

Whilsttherearepotentiallymanyfactors involvedin apoorscanningresult,bull failureisundeniablyonethatbringswithit theheaviestlosses.Suspicionisobviously raisedwheneverwehave entire mobs scanned “empty”butthealarmbellsalso ringwhen ahigherthan averageempty rateoccurs…thoseresultsabove 20% “empty”areparticularlysuggestiveofa bullbreakdown.

Thepatternofpregnancyspreadpicked upatscanningcanhelpshed alittlelight onsomeofthepossibilities.If we seea numberofearlypregnancieswithoutany “lates”itmayindicatethatthebullhas started wellbutbrokendownlongbefore his workshouldhave beencompleted. Thisusuallyresultsfromphysicalissues, mostcommonly abrokenpenisorleg/ backinjury. Ontheotherhandif we see nothingbut“late”pregnanciesitmight indicatethatthebullhashad aproblem earlyinthematingseason.

This is often the case when the bull

haspickedupaninfectionclosetoorat thestartofmating.Infectionsraisethe temperatureofananimalandinbullsthis canbedisastrousashightemperatures renderthesperminfertile.It takesupto6 weeks fornew healthyspermtoreplace these“cooked”sperm…awhole 2mating cycles!

At VetServices we have beenbusyin recent weeks followinguponsuspect siresaheadofthe forthcomingbullsales in June.

Oneofthemorecommondefects we pickupwhenexaminingsuspectbullsis “corkscrew”penis,whichdoes exactly whatitsays onthelabel!Bullscanbe bornwiththisdefectbutmoreoftenthan nottheproblemoccurswhenthenerves controllingthepenisaredamagedasa resultofan awkwardmating.

Anotherconsequenceoftraumaistheoft cited“brokenpenis”whichisbasicallya hugehaemorrhageanywherealongthe shaftthatthenpreventsnormalerection beingachieved. Bothconditionsaregood reasontorender abullunfit formating. Nowandthenpenile wartsmay present as acauseofpoorpregnancyresults. Sometimesthe wartmaycausean adhesionthatpreventsthepenisfrom

PEELED!

fully extending.Moreoftenthannot however, frictionduringmatingwillcause the warttobleedanditisthisbloodthat rendersthesperminfertile.Inspection ofthetesticlescanalsorevealpotential reasons forapoorpregnancyrate;lumps andbumpsin variousguisescropupfrom timetotimeandaremoreoftenthan nottheresultofprevioustrauma…kicks andpenetration byforeignbodies being amongstthemorefrequentcausesof hard,swollentesticles.

When youconsiderthatmostmature bullsarecarryinguptoonetonneof weightandareoftentryingtonegotiate thewrigglingof amoreagileheifer/cow andinvariablyonunevenground,it’s notsurprisingthatinjuriestolegsand backsareamongstthemost common causesofadisappointingpregnancy result.Timeandagainwhen examining bulls we see arealreluctanceofsome individualstomount. They showallthe rightsigns,curlingtheirtoplip, vocalising, manoeuvringintopositionbut fallshortof makingthatdecisivemove.

Thisis asuresignthatpaininthelegs orspine/pelvisisholdingthemback.Itis notuncommontoseesignsofarthritisin thosejointsundermoststressduringthe actofmating,particularlythehipsandthe vertebraeofthelowerback. Theolderthe bull,themorecommonlysuchproblems areencountered.

As mentionedearlier,infectionpicked upclosetoandduringthematingperiod canalsorender abullinfertile. Thisis particularlydifficulttoprove as we often onlyseetheresultatscanning by which timethebullhasmade afullrecovery andhisspermhasreturnedtonormal. Thisiswhyitissoimportanttoensure bullsare vaccinatedagainst BVDpriorto every matingperiod.Infectionof acow with BVDatmating mayresult in asingle “empty”animalbutinfectionofthebull mayleadtoanentiremobnotbeing pregnant.Unfortunately,thereareother causesofhightemperature forwhich we donothavevaccinesbut BVDwould certainlybeoneofthemostcommon.

Givenhowcrucialthebullistothe successofanybeefbreedingenterprise itisnotsurprisingthat we strikethe occasionalproblematscanningtime. We place atremendousamountof faith inthese fellasto workaloneorinsmall teamsandcontinuetodeliver anew season’s calfcrop yearon year. Andthatisjustit; apoorscanningresult canprove devastatingbut fortunatelysuch problemsoccurrarelyinanyoneseason. Thisreflectsthe exceptionalcareand attentiontodetailthatbullbreedersput intotheirdaily work.HereinHawke’sBay, we areparticularly fortunatetohave some ofthebestinthebusinessonour very owndoorstep.

MahutaOcean8073

ALEADERINBLG/LICDAIRYBEEF PROGENY TRIAL

MahutaHereford,locatedat GlenMurrayinthenorthern Waikato,have alongtradition ofbreedingbulls forheifer mating.Inrecent yearsbreedingbulls have been selectedwithmoregrowth whilemaintainingcalvingeaseandthis hasbeenrewardedwithMahutaOcean 8073performing well.

Thetrialis amulti-breedprogenytrial withbullsusedby AIoverdairycows.It’s important forthebeefindustrysincean increasingproportionofprimebeefhasits origininthedairyindustry. Oceanhadcalf birthweightsamongthelowest[averaging 37.5kgovercows],gestationlength closetotheleaders,calvesfirsttoreach weaning weightandfirst for200-day growth.Hisprogenywerealsoamongthe leaders for400-day and600-daygrowth and we arelooking forwardtotheresults oftheircarcase evaluation.

Mahutastudisrunon400haofhill countrytogetherwith aewe flock which isbeingbredfrom RomneytoWiltshire withtheaimofreducinglabourcosts associatedwithsheep. Theweatherhas beenkind overthepastseasonwith regularrainandgoodgrassgrowth. The farmis runbystudPrincipal John Allen withhelpfromScottWaterhouse. The recentstormshave donesomedamage with anumberofslips, felledtrees,anda wreckedshedbutinthelargercontext we have escaped very lightly.Ourthoughts arewiththosewhohave sufferedsevere lossesespeciallythoseontheEastCoast. Thestudfocusesonbreedingbulls for heifermatingbothbeefanddairyandhas aprovenrecordofsuccess.Allheifersare calvedas2-year-oldsandmustrear agood calfeachyeartostay intheherd.EBVs areusedtoselectthemostproductive cattleanddollarindexesasacheckon

profitability. Mostofthebullsusedhave beef-heiferindexesinthetop5%for Australasia. Thismeansthatbullscanbe used overheiferswithconfidenceand alsoprovideeasycalvingbulls forcows. Johnsays thattheherdishighly fertile withdays-to-calvingEBVs way belowthe breed average. Thestudaimstobreed cattlewithearlygrowthandearlyfinishing sothattheycanbefinishedbeforetheir secondwinter.Johnbelievesthisisthe mostprofitable wayoffarmingbeefand alsoreducesgreenhouse-gasemissions

by minimisingthetimethatcattleare eatinggrassandemittingmethane. Annualsalesof yearlingbullsareheldin Septemberonthe farmand2022 wasa record yearwith arecordNZ averageprice forHereford yearlingswith arecord price forthe stud.MahutaRouteburn 1059 soldtotheCraigmoreHerefordStud for $14000.

Johnsays thatthestudhasanothergood lineupofbulls forsalethis yearandis looking forwardtopresentingthem for sale.

In-calfheifers.

MahutaGraceDarling.

Alliance WINSGOLD

AllianceGrouphasbeen awarded fivegoldmedals foritsbeef, lamband venison atthe OutstandingNZ Food Producers Awards.

NewZealand’s only 100percent farmer ownedredmeatco-operativewongold forits PureSouthLamb, PureSouth HandpickedLamb, PureSouth Beef,Pure SouthHandpicked55DayAged Beefand PureSouth Venison.

TheawardscelebrateinspiringKiwiswho harvest,growandproduceNewZealand’s outstanding food anddrink.Entriesare judgedon arangeofcriteriaincluding aroma,visualappearance,flavour,

consistency,quality, sustainability, brand storyandpackaging.

ShaneKingston,GeneralManagerSales forAllianceGroup,saidthearrayof awardsacrossitsportfoliohighlightsthe co-operative’scommitmenttoqualityand thepassionanddedicationof farmers.

“Our PureSouthbeefandlambareour foundationbrandsandtheyareenjoyedin morethan65countriesaroundthe world. Therecognitionofthespecialqualitiesof ournewHandpickedLambisparticularly pleasing.

“Overthepastfiveyears, we have also steadily expandedourrangetobuilda

differentiatedpremiumportfoliotoprovide our farmerswithopportunitiestopartner withusonnewproductstomeetdemand fromconsumerswhoarealsowillingto payapremium forredmeatproductsand attributesguaranteed by atrustedbrand.”

Judgespraisedthe PureSouthLamb foritsdelicate,mildandmellowflavour andpleasantfinegrainedtexture,and the PureSouthHandpickedLamb forits texture,maturedepthofflavourand“tarty layeroffat”.The PureSouth Venison won accolades foritstenderness,succulence anddeliciousflavours.

PureSouth Beef wasdescribedasmild, juicyandtenderwithgoodclean tasting fat. ThePureSouthHandpicked55 DayAgedBeef wassingledout forits marblingand“goodbeefyflavourthatis reminiscentofGrandma’sclassicbeefand Yorkshirepudding”.

Theco-operative’sPureSouthHandpicked 55DayAgedBeefhasalso wonmultiple goldmedalsatthe WorldSteakChallenge. ThePureSouthand PureSouth Handpickedrangesare availableat www.puresouthshop.com.

PhotosofHandpickedBeefcourtesyofAllianceFarmers’Produce.

ROTOWAI ANGUS

Tarangowerapproaches

ByNikkiWilliamson

TarangowerAngusStudissituated atMahoenuiintheKingCountry. This yearwillbetheir77thannual on farmsaleandtheyarelooking forwardtocelebratingtheir 100thsalein three years-time.

RobPurdieandhispartnerNikki Williamson runthebusinesswithhelp fromcasualstaffwhenneeded,andfrom timetotime,their twodaughters 16 year old Tylaand 15 yearoldGracehelpout. Thelandis1150acreseffectivebeing 25%contourriverflats,50 %rollingto mediumcountryand25 %verysteep. Winterscanbe very longand wettotalling 1778-2032mmannually.

Thestudwas foundedin1926 byRob’s Grandfather LesPurdie.Robhaslived onthe farmallofhislifeandis a4th generation Purdie.

Tarangowerimplements arigorousculling procedure,poorperformingcowsandany withbadtemperamentsorconformation problemsarealsoculled.

Thebullsare runinonemobfrom weaninguntilmid-Junethentheyare splitintogroupsof20-25andcarefully selectedtillwhat youseeat Auction 12 monthslater.

Ouraimistobreedsoundcattleofgood temperament,structure,musclingwith good fertilityandeachyear we look tosource 1or2 qualitystudbullsthat willcomplementandenhanceourcow herd.Nosupplementsare fed,justgrass andhayonly. We makeallofour own hayyearly –approximately7000 bales equivalent.Ourvisionistocontinue tobredandraisequality, sound,good temperedfunctionalcattlethatthrive undercommercialconditions.Andto keepimprovingwhat we do andcreate asustainableandprofitablebusiness thatprioritisesanimal welfareandour environment.

What’sforsalethisyear?

We have 40R2Angusbulls forthis year’s salewithsome by newsires OregonP129 &WaitewhetaP28.Somerealstandouts are Lot1,Lot2,and Lot5 thenlaterin thecatalogue Lot20&Lot22arebulls we usedas yearlingsthatarequality individuals.

Yearlingbullsforsalebyprivatetreaty.

Hillcountry cattlebredforcalvingease,finishing andtemperament.

100thSALE

Keypoints

•Wefarmunderstrictcommercialconditions

•Wefattenallourstock

•Wesellapproximately30 yearlingbullstothedairymarket

•Tarangowerruns 180studcows,and 1200 PerendaleBreeding ewesunder commercialconditions.

•Bounded by theMokauRiver wefarm 1150 acreseffectiveandwinterapprox9 superhectare.Allstockare fattenedat Tarangower, andeachyear we carefully select &retainapproximately45heiferstoincludeinourherd.

•Ourwinterscanbe very wetandlongwith averagerainfall70-80inchesper year. From 3yearsoldon,cowsare expectedtoraise acalfannuallyandanydry cows areculled.

•Wehave sold twohighpricedbulls attheNationalSalewhenheldinFielding–one for$55,000 andtheother$17,500. This wasarealhighlight forus.

RobPurdie’s Grandfatherfoundedthestud.

912Ngatarawa Road, Mahoenui, KingCountry (located ½hoursouth from PioPio)

Good newsfor RURAL

ByRichardMcIntyre Federated FamersDairy Chairperson &Telecommunications spokesperson

THURSDAYJUNE1ST2023

BullSaleVenue:

AT 4.30PM

Totalcommunicationsblackout onmoreremotepartsof farms, bush,highcountryand evenoff ourcoastinfishingboatsshould soonbe athingof thepastwithbothOne NZ(formerly Vodafone)and2Degrees announcingthey’ve inkeddealswith satelliteservices.

Latelastmonth2Degreessaidit would soonstarttrialswithgloballow-earthorbit

satelliteprovider Lynkthat would enable itsclientstosendtexts by cellphoneno matterwheretheywere.Ultimately,that wouldbe extendedto voicecallsand basicdataservices. Thecompanywould allowemergencymessagestobesent by anyone,notjust2Degreescustomers. In agoodsignthattherewillbe competitiononthisfront –which could help keepprices down –withinhalfan hourofthe2Degrees’ announcementOne NZsaidithadreachedagreementwith ElonMusk’sStarlink.

Samescenario -i.e.textonlyinitiallybut expandinglaterto voiceanddata. Their service won’tbeturnedonuntillatenext year.

Servicestransmittedvialowearthorbit satellitescanbedisrupted by bad weather andtherecanbe abitof alag/delaywith sendingandreceivingmessages,but for emergencysituationsorwhentheuseris outofothercoverage -what abonus.In fact,potentially alife-saverwhena vehicle rollsorsomeone fallsdown aslope.

Andas we sawinsomedistrictsslammed by CycloneGabriellewhencellphone towersareknockedout(ortheirback-up batteriesfinally rundown),abouttheonly meansofgettingmessagestocut-off farmsand ruralcommunitiesisthe faithful oldbatterytransistor radio.

Federated Farmersmemberswillrecall

Forover80yrsHingaiabullshavebeenstandinguptothedemandsoftheindustry

CONNECTIVITY

someofthefindingsfromour Rural Connectivitysurvey last year.Juston 68%of farmersand farmstaffregularly workalonewithnoconnectivity(it’svery common forsubstantiallylessthanhalfof afarmpropertytohave mobilecoverage).

Personal Locator Beaconsare avery usefulsafetymechanism,butreallyan optionoflastresortthatbringsallthe emergencyservicestotheuser’s location. Mosttimesless extremeassistanceisall

2yrBullSaleThursday15th June2023,1pm

that’sneededwhileoutonthe farm,and theabilityfor two-way textswillbehuge formatchingneedwithbestresponse.

Survey respondentswhosaidtheirmobile phoneservicehaddeclinedinthelast 12 monthsjumpedfrom20%to32%,witha southernHawke’sBay showingupasone oftheproblemareas.Manyfarmersare findingthatnearbymobiletowershave becomeincapableofhanding voicecalls andmobiledataastheyhavebecome overburdened by morepeoplemaking greateruseofthesametowers.

Thegreatunknownaboutthecellphoneto satelliteoptionisthecostgoing forward. Butgiventheroll-outofterrestrial-based serviceshasbeenpainfullyslowtosome moreremote farms,andthebigplus fromthisoptioninemergenciesand whennaturaldisastersstrikeit’sapretty awesomedevelopment.

SALEDATE -29THMAY1:30PM

31bullsonoffer | HomozygousPolledbullsavailable

PUSHING BREEDING BOUNDARIES

AT GOLD CREEK SIMMENTALSWEALWAYS LIKE TO PUSHTHE BOUNDARIESOFWHAT’S POSSIBLE ANDSET AHIGHERSTANDARD.

This means thinkingdifferently andnotdoingwhat’s always beendone,because what gotyouhere won’t necessarily getyou there.

Farmingproductivity and profitabilityisalways under pressuresoitpaystomakethe right decisionwhen buying your bulls.

And whilst we’renot so showyand slightly shier aboutthe waywedobusiness, we’renot shyabout theperformanceofour bulls.

Ourbreedingvalues continually improve each and everyyear.Welistentowhatyou want andwetake actionbecauseweknowyoursuccess is oursuccess.

We make sure we alignour breedingprogramme to theneeds and wantsofour valued clients. And that’s theonlyway we ensure youkeep coming backfor more.

We work hard to earn each andevery saleso we look forwardtoseeingyou at ours.

GOLDCREEK 2023 BULL SALE

Monday 22nd Mayat2pm 34 bulls+2semen siresavailable forsale

WHERE Gold CreekSaleComplex

4557 MatawaiRoad, Te Karaka,Gisborne