2017
Farming
Sheep
RESILIENT SHEEP What farmers are using to make progress
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October 2017
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
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PGG Wrightson wool representative Steve Fussell (L) discussing wool quality with Kereru Station Farm Manager Danny Angland.
FIXED PRICE FORWARD CONTRACTS
Forward contracts work well because it means our wool clip is pre-sold and this stabilises our income stream. It gives my governance board some certainty, especially when the market is softening or we are going into a high-volume period. PGG Wrightson understands its end market manufacturer requirements and advises me accordingly. Danny Angland Kereru Station Farm Manager
Through our wool export subsidiary, Bloch & Behrens Wool (NZ) Ltd, we are pleased to offer wool growers price certainty. Bloch & Behrens has direct relationships with manufacturers around the world, many of whom are seeking supply and price certainty. As a result, we can offer growers Fixed Price Forward Contracts while the wool is growing on the sheep’s back. Some of the benefits that Fixed Price Forward Contracts offer are: • Provide price certainty Locking in part of your future wool clip means you are not as reliant on the spot price on the day the wool is ready for sale. This is similar to managing loans by using a mixture of Fixed and Floating Interest Rates. • Depend on “Bankable Documents” A Fixed Price Forward Contract provides certainty around cashflow and future incomes. These contracts will assist in obtaining seasonal finance.
• Provide certainty of supply Our global partners are provided with certainty of supply, thereby securing their long term commitment to New Zealand wool. • Form closer links Manufacturers and growers working together will create long term price stability.
For more information contact your local Wool Representative or phone 0800 497 496
www.pggwrightsonwool.co.nz 2
Helping grow the country Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
LEADERS IN OUR FIELD Genetics for performance, productivity and profit. PGG Wrightson Genetics is a nationwide team of livestock breeding professionals, passionate about improving farm productivity through genetics. Our team of experts take pride in keeping up-to-date with the latest innovations in livestock breeding and offer farmers relevant knowledge, advice and support.
Working closely alongside the Genetics team is the National Auctioneering team who take pride in being the best in the business, consistently achieving top results at live auction sales around the country. Our Genetics team are also backed by the largest livestock network in New Zealand, spanning the country from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
We understand your farming business and your needs and are committed to helping you achieve your production goals.
To find out more contact your local genetics specialist below or head to pggwrightson.co.nz
The service provided by PGG Wrightson Genetics is excellent and has served me well over many years. They have kept abreast of genetic developments, while maintaining the balance between production and physical traits along with the phenotypes of different breeds. Gordon Levet Northland Romney Breeder
Ryan Shannon Canterbury 0275 650 979
Caitlin Rokela Manawatu/ Wanganui 027 405 6156
Callum McDonald Lower South Island 027 433 6443
Tom Suttor Hawke’s Bay, East Coast, Wairarapa 027 446 9967
Freephone 0800 10 22 76 www.pggwrightson.co.nz Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Cam Heggie Upper North Island 027 501 8182
John McKone Canterbury 027 229 9375
Callum Stewart National Genetics Manager 027 280 2688
Helping grow the country 3
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References: 1. Leathwick et al. (2009). Managing anthelmintic resistance: Modelling strategic use of a new anthelmintic class to slow the development of resistance to existing classes. NZVJ 57(4) 181–192. 2. George, S.D. et al. (2013). The synergistic effect of monepantel/ abamectin combination anthelmintic. Proceedings ASV Conference. ZOLVIX PLUS contains 25 g/L monepantel and 2 g/L abamectin. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997 (No. A011107). Registered to Elanco Animal Health, Division of Eli Lilly and Company (NZ) Limited, Level 1, 123 Ormiston Road, Botany Junction, Auckland 2016. Elanco, Zolvix™ and the diagonal bar are trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates. ©2017 Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly and Company. EAH16130 NZSHPZOL00018a
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Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
EDITOR’S NOTE
Resilient farmers
T
his year’s Country-Wide Sheep theme, ‘Farming resilient sheep’, could have easily been ‘Resilient sheep farmers’. Farming sheep hasn’t been easy in the past four decades. Economic downturn, changing markets and the pressure from other sectors especially dairy have had an impact. Pastoral land for sheep, beef and deer has dropped by 34% since 1990 (P38). The loss of the better land to dairy and other alternatives, has forced many sheep farmers to develop hill country. Farmers who have stuck with sheep and are successful, have been able to do so by choosing the right mix of genetics and systems for their environment. They have gone for stud breeders who farm in similar or harsher country. Even with the toughest sheep it is hard to manage triplet-bearing ewes, but there are farmers who are having a good crack at improving lamb survival. It’s great to see our columnist Suzie Corboy and her husband Paul back together again on one farm (p13).
We’ll have the full story on their farm ownership odyssey in the November issue. While we were working on this issue, my father Bernard (Bernie) died. He was 86 and had farmed most of his life before retiring at 67. He had been a farm worker, rabbiter, blade and machine shearer, shepherd, farmer, devoted husband and a great dad. He, like many farmers of his generation was resilient, starting with nothing, grafting his way into a farm. They didn’t have the opportunities that exist today but did live in a country which appreciated farming. Today’s sheep farmers are facing a different set of challenges including environmental ones (see P34) and a growing anti-farming lobby. They will also need to be resilient.
Terry Brosnahan
Got any feedback? Contact the editor direct: terry.brosnahan@nzfarmlife.co.nz or call 03 471 5272. @CountryWideNZ
@CountryWideNZ
NEXT ISSUE Country-Wide November includes: • PAYING DIVIDENDS: A family’s diversification on its sheep farm along with attention to detail, is paying dividends with an economic farm surplus now $66.90/su and the return on capital 3.9%. • EATING QUALITY AND YIELD: Can sheep farmers have both or do they need to make a choice when buying genetics? • MEAT CONTRACTS: What the meat companies are offering farmers • TRIPLET LAMB SURVIVAL: How a farmer is cashing in on getting those extra lambs to survive and thrive. • DRENCH RESISTANCE: A warning of what can go wrong and how to avoid to worst case scenario on your farm.
40% more lambs
from the same scan Quentin Palmer manages Waituhi Kuratau Trust’s Waimiha property in the King Country. The 410ha effective block runs 2100 ewes and 70 cows, plus replacements.
“We were running composites with a high scan, but only 110 to 120% lambing. The change, five years ago, to Wairere Romney has seen an increase to 155% with a weaning weight between 33 and 34kgs, up by 4kgs. The low wastage in ewes and lambs has made the biggest difference. These sheep can count. And they can take a knock in winter and just bounce back.”
Making your sheepfarming easier and more profitable
www.wairererams.co.nz | 0800 924 7373 Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
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More: p81
BOUNDARIES Coopworth milestone.
10
Winning way with lambs’ tails.
11
HOME BLOCK Paul Burt contemplates succession planning.
12
Suzie Corboy moves back to the Owaka farm.
13
Roger Barton shakes off the never-ending rain.
14
Robert Hodgkins tries mustering beneath solar panels. 16 17
Sneak preview on November issue.
MARKETS
Mel Croad reports on a strong start for lamb trade.
18
Buoyant trade likely to hold.
22
Brexit: NZ fights to hold quota.
25
NZ meat back on China’s menu.
26
Lochie MacGillivray ponders meat quality or quantity. 28
BUSINESS 30
Going indoors for better lamb survival. Action Network links farmers to advice.
35
Contract deals just a niche for now.
36
Central fix on nitrogen.
37 38
Dry stock land cut by a third.
40
Sheep milk product demand grows.
MANAGEMENT
Sheep
Contents
The cost of lamb production.
42
Profiting from triple trouble.
44
Young guns of Wyndham.
Rams back in harness.
50
Out-of-season lambing: Back to the future.
LIVESTOCK
Editor: Terry Brosnahan, ph 03 471 5272; mob 027 249 0200; terry.brosnahan@nzfarmlife.co.nz Managing Editor: Tony Leggett, ph 06 280 3162 mob 0274 746 093, tony.leggett@nzfarmlife.co.nz Deer Farmer Editor: Lynda Gray, ph 03 448 6222, lyndagray@xtra.co.nz
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54
Taking to the hills at Otapiri Gorge.
66
Survey highlights impact of flystrike.
Sub Editor: Andy Maciver, ph 06 280 3166, andy.maciver@nzfarmlife.co.nz
Country-Wide Sheep is published by NZ Farm Life Media PO Box 218, Feilding 4740 General enquiries: Toll free 0800 2AG SUB (0800 224 782) www.nzfarmlife.co.nz
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New and improved feeds for lamb rearing.
Sheep
48
Reporters Andrew Swallow ph 021 745 183 Anne Calcinai ph 07 894 5069; Lynda Gray ph 03 448 6222; Gerard Hall ph 03 409 8386; Jackie Harrigan ph 06 280 3165; Robert Pattison ph +64 27 889 8444; Marie Taylor ph 06 836 7018; Sandra Taylor, ph 021 1518685; Tim McVeagh 06 3294797; James Hoban 027 2511986; Russell Priest 06 328 9852; Jo Cuttance 03 976 5599; Amanda Bowes 0274 998 421; Cheyenne Stein, 06 280 3168. Account Managers: Warren McDonald, National Sales Manager, ph 06 323 0143 John McMaster, Auckland/Northland, ph 0274 443 143 Janine Gray, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, ph 0274 746 094 Donna Hirst, Lower North Island & international, ph 06 323 0739
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Shirley Howard, real estate, ph 06 323 0760 Debbie Brown, classifieds & employment, ph 06 323 0765 Nigel Ramsden, Livestock, ph 06 323 0761 David Paterson, South Island, ph 03 382 6143 Designer: Joanne Hannam Production Planning: ph 06 280 3167 Subscriptions: nzfarmlife.co.nz/shop ph 0800 224 782 or subs@nzfarmlife.co.nz Printed by PMP Print, Riccarton, Christchurch ISSN 2423-060X (Print)
ISSN 2423-0618 (Online)
nzfarmlife.co.nz
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
PLANT AND MACHINERY Watering hill country a no-brainer.
132
ENVIRONMENT
Regulations take toll on sector. Keri Johnston looks into muddied waters. Industry overlooks the farm foresters.
More: p72 Lifting yield for Coastal Spring Lamb.
72
RMPP: Keeping score at Glengordon.
79
Winning on Golden Bay’s soggy soils.
81
ANIMAL HEALTH Turning passion into profit.
86
Upside of a few dead animals. Breaking the cycle in Southland. Condition: Fit not fat.
87
88 90
Getting their vitamin B12.
91
Capturing the young orphans.
94
Saving through sub-clinical testing.
96
No surprises in ram study.
98
Considerations from the tailing pen.
100
YOUNG COUNTRY
Willy and Claire Jenkins learn with their lease. Georgie Moleta’s prime cuts. Lloyd Smith on travelling with dogs. Combatting fly strike.
138 141 143 144
146 147 148 149
SOLUTIONS CombiClamp offers sheep handling versatility. Cleaning up under the sheds. Value of quality reference checking. Harnessing success.
BREEDERS DIRECTORY REVIEW Electric utility bike a game-changer.
150
154
FARMING IN FOCUS More photos from this month’s Country-Wide.
GENETICS
134 135 136
155
102
Genetic tests a tool but no panacea. Delivery time for farmers.
104
Choosing a ram just got a lot easier.
106
New ram breeder website launched.
108
Update a step change for sector.
111
FORAGE Best bang for the buck.
112
Beeting it.
115
Sub clover: survival of the fittest.
Perennial pasture guide.
117
120
124
WOOL Just Shorn re-alignment adds value. Quality with NZ Merino.
127
TECHNOLOGY 128
Alan Royal makes the most of Windows 10. Kirstin Mills experiences live streaming. EID tagging proves invaluable. Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
129 130
More: p54 7
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Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
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BOUNDARIES | SHEEP
NZGA delegates
Coopworth milestone Coopworth breeding marks a milestone this year. It is 50 years since the first Coopworth ewes were recorded. Targeting higher productivity and easycare lambing, Lincoln College’s Professor Coop initiated the cross between Border Leicester and Romney. Coopworth Genetics president Kate Broadbent says the original Coopworth breeders were quick to recognise the benefits of performance recording from the outset, reaping the rewards of
Herb set to cut leaching A plantain originating from a common weed has the ability to significantly reduce nitrogen leaching from the urine patch. Agricom has been working alongside researchers at Lincoln and Massey universities and Plant & Food Research to discover how this genotype of plantain, Ecotain, functions in pasture systems to reduce nitrogen leaching. Agricom has bred the specific plantain genotype and says the breakthrough could have a significant impact on reducing nitrogen leaching especially from dairy farms. Most nitrogen leaching from livestock farms comes from the urine patch. The plantain began life as a common flat weed (Plantago lanceloata). The resulting forage cultivar, Ecotain, is part of Agricom’s nitrogen management system NSentinel4, and works across a variety of environmental processes on farm to decrease nitrogen leaching from the urine patch.
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selecting on recorded traits. Today, there are about 40 registered Coopworth breeders, including one member of the original breed society John Wilkie of Wanganui. David Abraham is recording the history of his family’s stud Puketauru Coopworths, which he bought in 1971. While it started out as a story on Puketauru for his family, David’s collection of stories and photos also tells the story of the Coopworth breed.
Registrations for the annual New Zealand Grassland Association conference are open with Wanganui the venue for the November 7-9 event. The theme ‘A River Runs Through It’ reflects the diversity of farming either side of the region. The theme is also a nod to environmental issues, with papers dotted throughout the three-day event delivering the latest science on mitigating farming’s impact. A couple of sheep and beef farms and a sand country dairy platform will host the field trips. The sheep and beef farm visits include a look at heli-cropping. AgResearch and Horizons Regional Council will have speakers to talk about technicalities and environmental concerns. The field day will enable delegates to see in practice topics covered on hill country development and new opportunities. Besides the traditional opening welcomes and scene-setting papers, other sessions include new technologies in pasture, dairy systems, weeds and pests, and the catch-all closing session of ‘hot topics’. More? See www.grassland.org.nz
Resilient sheep eep That sthake n ca ting a bea
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
BOUNDARIES | SHEEP
Winning way with lambs’ tails A re-designed lamb docking or tailing iron has won the New Zealand leg of the prestigious James Dyson Award for design engineers. Many sheep farmers can experience repetitive strain injuries from using traditional tools removing lambs’ tails – docking or tailing. Fluctuations in blade temperatures can also cause considerable pain for the lambs, often leading to ineffective cauterisation. Auckland-based industrial designer Nicole Austin has helped solve these problems by inventing Moray, an innovative hand-tool designed to help improve usability, performance and stock wellbeing. “I’ve refined the tool to be 35% lighter and to use 60% less hand span than the currently used docking iron. Repetitive strain injury occurring to the hands of ageing farmers is very common and my new design aims to overcome this.”
Using piezoelectric igniting, Moray has a specialised double-chamber dampening shaft for reliable weatherproofing and consistent blade temperatures for clean cauterisation. The judging panel was impressed by Nicole’s deep exploration into how the product may provide significant improvements for animal welfare and user comfort. Nicole visited a series of farms to interview farmers, ran surveys and undertook rigorous design workshops during the research phase. She also spent time docking to understand the process and the challenges faced by farmers during the highly labourintensive docking season. Her entry has won her £2000 ($NZ3667), with Moray progressing to the international round and a chance to win the grand prize of $NZ50,000. The international winner will be announced on October 26, 2017.
Nicole Austin with the Moray docking tool.
The Moray docking tool.
Blanket coverage
Maniototo backwash
Anne Hughes Customers are eagerly awaiting the latest line of ShearWarmth woollen blankets. The January lamb shear on the Neeson family’s King Country farm produced two tonnes of wool, enough to make 1000-1500 blankets, which are close to completion. Lyn Neeson and daughter-in-law Monique started their ShearWarmth woollen blanket business in an effort to take more control of the price they were receiving for their annual wool clip. The blankets are made in New Zealand from pure Romney lambs’ wool grown on the Neesons’ Tokirima farm. Lyn says it is amazing to see the difference between the blankets produced from each season. “This (year’s) blanket has been woven thicker. The wool was a little bit shorter this year, but it’s a beautiful soft blanket with a little bit of extra weight.” Last season’s blankets sold out and many of this year’s have been pre-sold. Lyn says half of the people who buy ShearWarmth blankets re-order and 90% are sold within NZ. Sales are mostly online, but they
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Taumarunui seamstress Jennifer Allen sowing the satin edging on to the ShearWarmth woollen blankets.
have also been selling more at craft and farmers’ markets. Lyn and Monique have worked with mentors on business strategising and planning and may also sell through a niche retail store in NZ by late this year or early 2018. Each blanket purchased comes with a ‘birth certificate’ telling the story of the Neesons’ hill country farm and the wool produced there. Lyn says customers love the authenticity of the product and knowing the story behind it. After a very wet and muddy winter, the farm had responded very well to the change of season. “Scanning was the best it’s ever been so we’re really looking forward to the next year’s product.” ShearWarmth satin-edged blankets sell online for $95 (bassinet), $150 (cot) and $245 for the larger blankets.
Congratulations to Water Maniototo 2017 for its YouTube video www.youtube. com/watch?v=u1OCYDQ2NqY explaining in reasoned rather than overly emotive terms the likely backwash of a water tax in a region receiving annual rainfall of just 350-500mm. About 115 million cubic metres of water is drawn to irrigate crops and pastures which under Labour’s 2c/litre proposed royalty would suck $2.3million from the rural community. Water Maniototo 2017, a group of eight women most with young families, was formed following a public meeting after Labour’s August announcement. They pooled their wide-ranging skills and set up a Water Maniototo Facebook page and produced the seven-minute video over 10 days. As well as spelling out the cost of the tax, the video overviews past and present initiatives to protect and maintain waterways. It cost less than $1000 to make, thanks to a bit of free-of-charge expertise, and was funded by individuals and the local irrigation company.
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HOMEBLOCK | COLUMN
When it’s time to hand over
Paul Burt
Matata, Bay of Plenty
A
favourite haunt of mine is second hand bookshops where I head for the New Zealand nonfiction section and seek out rural histories. Most are dated but I guess in time as family members get motivated more-recent farming stories will be told. They are an interesting and valuable resource and document the 170year challenge of building NZ’s rural economy. This has involved at least five intergenerational changes and as our family is beginning the process of succession planning one thing I am aware of is the consistency and unpredictability of change. In the late 19th century parents would have passed on farms knowing their offspring would prosper if they got the rest of the bush cut, burnt and sown and stocked with sheep. Little did they know that these children would grow into adulthood only to be broken by hardship, war and the great depression. Succession plans for that generation were in ruins because many farms were worthless and simply abandoned. Often it was only a male family member with the least prospects in the outside world who was left behind. Come the 1950s and 1960s many of these determined soles had made good once again. With machinery more readily available and technology such as aerial topdressing, sheep farming made NZ a strong and healthy trading nation. Debt was paid down, farms amalgamated and fortunes made. The lucky first-born male often benefited from an old-fashioned tradition and inherited the farm. He may have had to buy out his brothers but sisters were on their own. No wonder the women’s movement gained ground. Fast forward another 35 years and the
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Once a piece of land has absorbed your working life and you’ve witnessed its nurturing effect on your family and its delivered everyone connected with it a calm and confident life, emotion can’t not come into it.
survivors of this period were pretty sharp operators. They had been bludgeoned by Rogernomics and weaned off subsidies. A substantial number didn’t make it through this process which, as difficult and unfair as it seemed at the time, most would agree was necessary. Farming was leaner and meaner and the participants increasingly business savvy. Diversifications were many but depending on the timing met variable success. Depending on the location, sheep farming parents encouraged their children into dairy, deer or horticulture. Farms were now comparatively valuable but tight cash flows had always restricted outside investment. Changing attitudes to finance would lead the next wave of prosperity and leveraging, especially in the dairy industry would see multi-million dollar farms become the norm. However, product prices were still unpredictable and this variability continued to be the same old trap. Strangely, none of this growth and wealth has made succession planning any easier because the amount of debt carried by the average farm has risen and the land value increased faster than its earning power. Prudent families who had invested off farm (especially in other property) or onfarm in forestry, were in a better position to settle a child or two on the land as they had access to capital without selling the farm. So now it is our turn to consider how to use the sum of our working lives to best benefit our children. In Country-Wide recently I read a motivating farm profile and the aim of the talented couple in charge was to create an intergenerational business and
they were well on the way to achieving this. They are planning ahead knowing that the realities for farming families in 20 years will be far different than they are at present. There will be changes in ownership structure as servicing the amount of capital required for sole ownership will be unrealistic. There will be a “licence to farm” requirement with social and environmental and animal welfare considerations much more stringent than at present. Farms will have to have an open-door policy as consumers want to be reassured of the story behind their food. This will be part of a strategy necessary to combat the challenge of artificial protein. Farms will have to be carbon positive which won’t be a bad thing as a forestry component has always made economic and environmental sense. Extra planting can occur on hill farms to offset the emissions on more intensive farms. Ecosystem management will become a new rural skill. Just like the couple I read about, savvy farmers will create businesses within their business, to fully employ children whose skills will be beyond what we know at present. If none of this appeals, a realistic but unemotional landowner would see that when the time comes, cashing up and dividing the money equally would be the easiest and most straightforward thing to do. But, and it’s an inexplicable but. Once a piece of land has absorbed your working life and you’ve witnessed its nurturing effect on your family and its delivered everyone connected with it a calm and confident life, emotion can’t not come into it.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
HOMEBLOCK | COLUMN
Back together on the same farm, Suzie and Paul Corboy. Picture: John Cosgrove
Back to sharing the farm Suzie Corboy
Owaka Valley, Catlins Spring is here and with it comes the longer daylight so we can get more done without a headlight, the new lambs and calves which will hopefully pay the bills, and the enjoyment of wearing leather boots again on the farm, after months of wearing gumboots. There is also the mystery of going around the sheep, checking to see which ones have had the privilege of suddenly dropping dead for no apparent reason. As I write this in early September we are not lambing yet, and the ewes are only just starting to find ways to die, but after more than 20 years of farming I know there will be some that just can’t resist doing something weird, like sticking their head in the fork of a tree and then losing their footing on the bank, or finding the only rock in the paddock to get cast against. I know regular readers want to know how my winter has been with Paul and I back on the same farm, after more than five years living and working apart on different farms. Well it was a little
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
tough early on having to share my space, and having someone questioning my decision-making. Words were exchanged regarding me being a terrible boss, and I retaliated informing him he wasn’t the greatest employee, but we seem to have settled into a routine now, and there have been fewer complaints from the neighbours about the use of foul language.
After 21 years leasing the farm at Table Hill, Milton, and treating it as our own, it was both a happy and sad day when we sold our surplus ewes and cows at our clearing sale in June. The comment about the maid not cleaning the bathroom nearly had him moving out to the caravan in the shed (He was fortunate we didn’t have a suitable dog kennel). I have been doing on average a voluntary St John night shift a week in Balclutha, so that has allowed us a night apart each week while we readjust to living together again. After 21 years leasing the farm at Table Hill, Milton, and treating it as our own, it was both a happy and sad day when we sold our surplus ewes and cows at our clearing sale in June.
We were fortunate that stock prices were favourable this season, and although I say it myself, the stock did look good, as we were able to feed them well right through the season. The income made a pleasant addition to our bank account, enabling us to pay off some of the debt we have on our farm here at Owaka. Not many farmers get the opportunity in their farming career to reduce their ewe flock from more than 6000 to just over 2000, and selecting what they believe to be their better ewes to keep, and this is what we have been able to do. This is the first year that I have removed the rams and not drafted off a mob of lighter ewes to look after over the winter. This is due to not keeping any ewes that were lighter condition at mating. We just have to turn this opportunity into live, fast-growing lambs now. Our ewes scanned well, at 194% to the ram, and what is more encouraging, only 12% are carrying triplets, compared to a similar scanning last year, but with 18% triplets. We all know that on an easy-care lambing system lamb losses from triplets are much greater than from twins. Dry ewes were below 1%, with the two-tooth mob the worst with 1.6% dry. One of our written aims in farming is to achieve more than 100% lambs to sale in our hoggets, mating every hogget on the farm. We have not even achieved 90% so far, but this year we have had a big jump in scanning in the hoggets to 140%. This is mainly due to better mating weights as we only had to keep half the hoggets compared to the past six years. We have always known our hoggets are not grown-out well enough prior to mating, but we now have the figures to prove it. We will have to prioritise replacement ewe lambs. We could either grow more grass, kill works lambs a bit lighter, or sell more store lambs. Every season is different, but hopefully this spring is kind. That the cold winds stay away, to reduce lamb losses from exposure, that we get the right amount of rain and heat to keep the grass growing, so the ewes produce plentiful colostrum and milk well, but not too much rain that it is muddy over lambing, and I personally hope our hoggets are well enough grown that we don’t have too many lambing issues in the single hoggets. I have trained my youngest heading bitch so she is now very handy catching sheep, but I still would rather not have to catch them at all. Hopefully this is the year we crack that 100% in the hoggets. • The full story on their odyssey next issue.
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MARKETS | OVERVIEW While prices for some frozen lamb cuts have eased through winter, chilled demand and pricing levels remain strong.
Strong start for lamb in new season Mel Croad
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GBP/kg
4.5 3.5 2.5
Oct
Dec
Feb
5-yr ave
Apr
Jun
2015-16
Aug
Oct
2016-17
NZ lamb slaughter price
7.5
$/kgCW
T
he market for lamb is looking surprisingly stronger than many anticipated earlier on. This will positively influence farm gate prices in the new season, with prices set to eclipse those paid through spring 2016. A shortage of lamb exported from New Zealand this season sparked some muchneeded life into the lamb job which has held on right through the season. NZ exporters have taken advantage of both the tighter supplies and the higher prices paid for lamb to channel a greater percentage into the higher-paying chilled markets. This has supported prices paid in key markets which has in turn led to farmgate prices lifting to their highest winter level since 2011. While prices for some frozen lamb cuts have eased through winter, chilled demand and pricing levels remain strong. This is positive in the lead-up to the lucrative Christmas chilled period, which runs through October and into early November. For many breeding farms, targeting this key period in the marketing calendar is unachievable with old-season lambs long gone and new-season lambs not yet at finishing weights. It is generally regarded as winter traders’ turf, with many now farming to supply this lucrative period. As overseas market demand retreats at the completion of the Christmas chilled period farmers can expect farmgate lamb prices to start easing. This
UK frozen CKT leg
5.5
6.5 5.5 4.5
Oct
Dec
Feb
5-yr ave typically occurred in the second week of November but in the last three seasons, prices have peaked in the last week of October and subsequently fallen week on week to Christmas.
Apr 2015-16
Jun
Aug
Oct
2016-17
With prices set to hit and potentially surpass $7/kg in early spring, any downside will be coming from a higher starting point. This means that although prices will be easing through November
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
An even flow of lambs will also help prevent a sharper slide in returns. Last year the weather played a major role in the flow of lambs into processing plants from November through to February.
The lamb crop is forecast to lift in the new season, buoyed by a greater retention of ewe hoggets that have been mated. It’s a gutsy call to base any lift in national lamb numbers on success rate of ewe hogget lambing. Even if these hoggets lamb well, their progeny won’t have any impact on lamb slaughter rates in the opening months of the season. This is because they are considered later
New Zealand lamb kill 800 Thousand head
and into December they will still be at higher levels than in recent years. An even flow of lambs will also help prevent a sharper slide in returns. Last year the weather played a major role in the flow of lambs into processing plants from November through to February. A cold wet spring, followed by a cold, windy start to summer, significantly reduced the volumes slaughtered through this late spring early summer period. While lamb prices still eased there wasn’t the sharp slide we are accustomed to. As a result, lamb slaughter rates are unlikely to catch up in the North Island with the season to date kill still 800,000head behind the previous season.
600 400 200 0
1
4
7
10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 5-yr ave
2016-17
lambs and will have more influence on supplies in the second half of the 2017-18 season. Therefore the flow of lambs into processing plants pre-Christmas will be determined by conditions at lambing and feed levels through spring. We can’t ignore the fact the ewe flock has declined by 1 million head since June 2015 so it will take exceptional lamb survival rates to push volumes higher than we have seen in recent years. Indications are already pointing to farmgate prices remaining above average into early 2018. Much of this is based on the high demand the market is enjoying but also the prospect lamb numbers won’t flood the market early on. This comes on the proviso that spring conditions remain favourable and there is no spike in lamb slaughter rates pre Christmas. Historical trends show if the North Island lamb kill surpasses 2.3m head in the first 12 weeks of the new season, farmgate prices take a hiding. It is a similar scenario in the South Island, although the trigger point is more like 2.2 million lambs. Unfortunately by the time
2015-16
the stats are in the damage is invariably done and the market remains weak into the new year. Typically in the North Island farmgate lamb prices fall on average by 30c/kg between October and November and 50c/ kg between November and December. Based on historical data between week six and week 11 (second week in November to the week prior to Christmas) on average farmgate lamb prices will fall by 15c/kg per week in the North Island. This can vary from year to year and is very dependent on the flow of lambs. In years where lambs have been offloaded in big numbers through this period (drier conditions) the price has fallen by 75-95c/kg in the five-week period. In the South Island farmgate lamb prices fall on average by 10c/kg between October and November and 60c/kg between November and December. The closer the timeframe to Christmas the larger the weekly drop in price. In the last week prior to Christmas, inevitably 20c/kg is typically taken out of farmgate prices in the South Island.
performance recorded since 1967 - proven structural soundness & constitution guaranteed Falkirk accredited farmed on hill country @ 500 metres - tough worm resistant and resilient - minimal dags survival driven - 180%+ consistently weaned unshepherded
Breeding with Gratitude
Simon 027 226 2262 Pascale 027 226 2261 www.carthewgenetics.co.nz
Coopworths - FE Coopworths - Coop Rom X and Lamb- & Suffolk Supreme Terminals Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
19
BUSINESS | ONFARM
Indoor lambing for better triplet survival
I
Survival is the game-changer with raising triplet lambs for the Dawkins of Marlborough’s Avon Valley. Joanna Grigg reports.
mproving triplet lamb survival is the next frontier at the Dawkins’ downland Marlborough farm, The Pyramid. The Dawkins typically scan a shade over 200%, tail 155%, and wean 65% to 90% of the lamb crop at 34kg minimum at 90 days. Hoggets also lamb so the question was where to go from here? For Richard Dawkins, fresh home from a stint in the Australian mines and travelling, getting more triplet lambs through to sale seemed an obvious place to put his energy into. At times, losses in the triplets meant they nearly tailed lower than the twinning mob. The Dawkins have always shown commitment to understanding the financial contribution of each enterprise and getting better value from it. Drive through their 64-hectare Avon Valley farm, and the care of three generations over 63 years is obvious. Attractive and productive woodlots cover 13% of the farm and yield 1500 tonnes of timber annually. The cattle policy has hit the sweet spot with a mix of Friesian bulls, carry-over cows and Jersey sires for the dairy herd bringing profitability similar to sheep. About 50% of stock
30
units wintered are cattle which Richard’s father Chris says he needs for pasture quality and parasite management. Fifty hectares has been set aside for a sauvignon blanc vineyard (the cash cow of grape varieties) and 187ha of neighbouring hill country purchased to make up the pastoral land. The Dawkins invested into a share of a Murchison dairy farm Mt Ella in 2006 which is now milking about 3000 cows. Third son
Paddy, a journalist and now beekeeper, has launched Pyramid Apiaries. Diversity of income seems to be covered for the time being. Chris agrees with Richard that there is untapped potential in the triplets. “We don’t have the management systems in place to take advantage of genetic potential.” Their 1300 crossbred ewes have been at the front of the prolific pack. By the time Lambs have averaged five to six kilograms at birth and there have been no ewe metabolic issues to date. This shows the feeding programme has been a success, Richard said. Of the 300% potential lambs, interim results are 287% lambs survived.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Orphan lambs are fed cow’s colostrum as well as starter muesli for rumen development. After 14 days they are moved to an outdoor pen with pellets and pasture. Julia Dawkins will wean them at 20kg liveweight, onto Lucerne.
the Dawkins became the Meat & Wool Monitor Farmers from 2005-2008 the national lambing average was 124% but they were scanning 180% and lambing 135%. A change from Corriedale to crossbreed genetics in 2010 has seen the same size flock produce more meat; around 37 tonnes of lamb liveweight a year, up from about 28t the decade before. By the mid-2000s lambs were growing at 325 grams/head/day pre-wean and 250g/hd/day afterwards. Chris says prewean growth rates have lifted to 375g/ day but post wean are about the same. While there are more dollars to be made in lifting growth rate, Chris believes the scanning percentage is fairly maxed out and survival is the area to find a game changer. The Dawkins were one of the first Marlborough farmers to publicly grapple with multiple-bearing ewe and lamb losses. Their flock fecundity was increasing and was scrutinised during Monitor Farm days. At one point they recorded 7% annual ewe deaths but over the course of the 2000s, better understanding and attention to ewe condition before and after lambing and a breed change helped bring this figure down. However, lamb loss remained an issue, sitting at 28% in 2006 and now about 18% to 20%. There may be an issue with a campylobacter strain that is not covered by vaccine, Chris says. Triplets have always been shepherded during lambing. Survival is, at best, 200%
from a potential of 300%. In spite of best endeavours, it is still difficult to exceed 200%. After Richard witnessed indoor lambing in the United Kingdom and read about New Zealand systems, and with encouragement from sheep scanner Jeff Sewell, Richard put the idea of intensive triplet management to his parents. With a covered shed, Pratley yards, a chiller and labour on-hand, the only major capital items required was a milk heater and lamb feeders. When Country-Wide visited Richard he was about two-thirds through their first season of indoor-lambing of the 130 triplet-bearing ewes. He was also running an orphan unit for weak triplet lambs, and weak twins or singles that Chris found on his outdoor lambing beat. Richard is adamant any extra work during lambing has to make a worthwhile return at the other end for other farmers to adopt the idea. “My aim was to have a system that most farmers could say: yes I’ll be able to have a go at that on my farm, and even with a specialist labour unit, we can still make a return. “If farmers have a covered yard or shed, portable yards and means to feed orphan lambs, then they are half way there.” Richard’s figures show 287% lamb survival from triplets lambed indoors, with no difference in two-tooths and mixed-age results. Of the 249 lambs born indoors to date, 238 have survived. Some have become orphans to be hand reared.
Only two ewes have died of the 130, of bearing complications. Autopsies show there is no main reason for lamb deaths. Chris likes how indoor-lambing protects lambs from the big three risk factors; starvation, mis-mothering and exposure. In Year One to date, the $5900 costs including capital purchases and labour (at $20/hour) should reap a $6650 return in ewes and lambs saved. This is not taking into account the pasture saved outdoors, nor the improved survival for twins/singles due to more time for Chris to do an intensive lambing beat. The whole exercise covers 10 weeks. Sharing the labour with Julia and Chris means Richard can still get time off to indulge his passion for boxing. “We made time to travel away to the Manawatu Champs in the middle of lambing.” Richard is now settled in Renwick township 15 minutes away and his partner Jess is working in aged care. He wanted a simple system where workload can be juggled accordingly. Richard says the analysis through the Innovation Farms funding will clarify costs. He estimates that rolling it out to 300 triplets next year would add another couple of hours of labour per day, but with capital items bought in Year One and through efficiencies of scale, make it even more profitable. During the 2017 tuppping, Chris deliberately controlled ewe weight to keep the proportion of triplets lower in an attempt to increase overall lamb survival. When ewes were 82kg in 2016 they got 350 triplets so he dropped tupping weight to 73kg and got 130 triplets. This dropped triplets from 21% to 9% of the flock and there were more singles and fewer twins, but still a scanning of 186%. Chris says he will lift ewe tupping weight again if indoor lambing is profitable. “Ideally we need a drug that makes the ewe release two eggs only.” “Wouldn’t that be great.”
The final destination is a pasture mix of red clover, sub-clover and plantain. Triplet-bearing ewes typically spend only two to five days indoors followed by seven days of close monitoring in an outdoor pen and vineyard headland.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
31
Making indoor lambing pay It was over in a minute. The fourth lamb arrived, stood for a drink and ewe number 85 was added to the notebook. She had been brought into the shed the day before, off pasture where she and her tupping group counterparts had enjoyed two weeks of lucerne hay and nut supplements, as a step to adjusting to indoor feeding. The ewe and her quads will then move out of the larger group of ewes and go into a small bonding pen for 24 hours. As the third stage in the process they move to an outdoor pen with other new mothers. Here they are weaned off supplements and observed several times
Julia Dawkins and son Richard share the indoor triplet lambing and orphan lamb work, clocking up around 10 hours a day between them at the busiest time.
a day, to make sure all lambs are thriving. The fourth step sees them move to the vineyard headland for another week. When Richard Dawkins is confident they are all thriving (seven to 10 days old), they join the main mob on legume-based pasture. Richard has tweaked the system to try and make it as economic as possible. Initially ewes were bought into the covered yards and fed lucerne and nuts a week before lambing, as a way to adjust them to the indoor diet and atmosphere. After two weeks of having ewes indoors and no metabolic issues Richard decided he could save on feed and labour by bringing in ewes just the day before their due date. The ewes were fine. Key to this is accurate conception dates. At tupping, ram harnesses were used and the raddle colour changed every seven days. This gives far greater certainty than what can be achieved by standard early, mid and late scanning. To date expenses including capital and labour are $5910 and potential income is $6650 in improved ewe and lamb survival. This does not include pasture savings. Making it more profitable is that the Dawkins have free access to two and three-day-old cow’s milk from their Murchison dairy farm. The only cost is a four-hour trip three times a season, to collect 1000 litres. Just a couple of hours are required in Week One, but at their busiest time, it is 50 hours a week. Each day includes feeding the ewes nuts and hay, topping up water troughs, intensive monitoring and moving stock to their next pen or
Ticks the box for Innovation Farm funding
Richard is adamant that indoor lambing should be economic and has found ways to reduce time in the shed and feed costs. Once lambed, the ewe and her lambs spend 24 hours in a small bonding pen.
paddock, as well as addressing any animal health issues. Richard and Julia also feed the orphan lambs four times a day (8am, 11am, 4pm and 9.30pm). Richard has intervened in about one third of the triplet births and also managed to save lambs from suffocation. Ewe feed rates are 30 megajoules of metabolisable energy (MJME) each day including 300g of Triplet Nut rations ($0.80c/kg) and two kilograms of lucerne hay (at $0.40/kg DM). By skipping the adjusting period Richard saved $7.60/ ewe. Lambs are tailed at two days old, one less job to do further down the track. At the start Richard followed the “gold standard” but has been able to scale back some traditional practices, finding animal
Richard Dawkins
Chris and Julia Dawkins are keen followers of onfarm research. They have put their hands up to be a Pasture Plan site, a Pasture Persistent Project farm, run a FITT project on legumes, run several animal health trials with veterinarians and Chris has served on the Farmer Council, the Monitor Farm committee, NZ Grassland Association and the Westpac Bayleys Marlborough Sheep & Beef Farmer of the Year committee. When the idea of testing indoor-lambing cropped up, Chris looked for an opportunity to link up their indoor lambing trial with outside funding. The Dawkins’ concept was accepted by Beef + Lamb New Zealand as a suitable project under the Innovation Farm banner. Through farmer levies, the Dawkins get access to funding for three years. Luckily Richard has a similar addiction to record-keeping as his father, so has plenty of figures to hand. The money cannot be spent on capital items, labour or working costs. Rather it is to provide support to the project in terms of monitoring (such as autopsies by a veterinarian) and collating and passing on the findings to other farmers. “I was keen to involve Beef +Lamb as I see benefits for the wider community,” Chris says. Each region can access Innovation Farm funding through their regional Farmer Council. There is usually one project per region per year and they can run for up to three years, Beef + Lamb NZ Northern South Island Extension Manager Sarah O’Connell says. “We will be working with the Dawkins for a couple of years to refine their system.” FITT projects still exist and are aimed at have-a-go trials that run for a year, Sarah says.
32
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Lambs up to a week old stay under observation several times a day on the nearby headland. Sometimes a set of lambs will be well-fed and healthy for their first few days, then suddenly one will fall behind and need to be removed.
health was not compromised. Iodinedipping the umbilical cord is no longer done and straw has only been replaced a couple of times over the season. “I’m not going to say don’t follow best practice; it’s just that we have had no issues. This may be because we have good airflow and our pens are warm and dry which may not be the case on farms in more challenging environments.” The second aspect to indoor-lambing is the orphan-rearing area, something Julia looks after. As well as struggling triplet lambs, any lamb falling behind in the single or twin blocks is removed
by Chris on his daily beat and started on cows’ milk in the covered yards. So far 55 lambs have gone through, with some being mothered-on to ewes and the rest making it outdoors to the larger pen. Of the orphans, 33 are triplet-born lambs, mostly identified as struggling when they are through the shed and out on the headland. “This is an area where farmers can fall short, as you think the set of lambs are fine but with a drop in ewes’ milk supply, or a lamb struggling to compete for the teats, one is slowly starving.” Signs of this are hunched stance and lagging behind, Richard says.
Julia estimates each feed takes an hour or more depending on the situation, which she does four times a day. Muesli is provided from day one to encourage rumen development. She plans to wean them at about 20kg and, as needed, moves the warratah and netting fence so they get fresh pasture. She has been thrilled with lamb health on the cows’ milk, and has had no issues with bloat. She scrubs the feeding gear each day and dilutes the extra-creamy colostrum and lets the milk settle out the bubbles before feeding. • See p44 Triplet lamb management.
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33
MANAGEMENT | EFFICIENCY Calculations were based on a very Southlandcentric type farm – all sheep, no cattle.
Cost of lamb production In 10 years production efficiencies as farm systems changed have trimmed the costs of producing a lamb, Sully Alsop writes.
I
f you cast your memory back 10 years to October 2007, most of the country was coming out of a serious drought (and, unbeknown to many, heading into another), works lambs were at a lofty winter peak of $4.00/kg, store lamb was at $2.00/kg, beef schedules around $3.60/kg, and wool was $3.00/kg (which compared to now is a bit sad). Country-Wide approached both myself and South Canterbury consultant Peter Clarke to critique one gentleman’s attempt at calculating the cost to produce one lamb, and in doing so, make our own calculations. Depending on what figures were included, between the three of us, we came up with figures of between $36.50 and $113 per head. Ten years on I have been asked to recalculate the figures for comparison. Calculating the cost to produce one lamb based on industry average figures is a bit academic, everyone’s costs will be different, it means some will be higher and some will be lower. The value is itself, not always useful – it’s not like we can take this to a meat processor and say “hey, my cost of production is lower than what you are paying me, you need to pay me more”.
42
That’s not how the market works, unfortunately. What is useful is looking at what drives a lower cost of production in some businesses, and a higher cost in others. It’s interesting looking backwards. In October 2007 I had been at BakerAg (then Baker & Associates) for one year. Looking at my calculations from then, while accurate, I would probably do it differently now. The calculations then were based on a very Southland-centric type farm (all sheep, no cattle). For the purpose of comparison I have used the same method as 2007. This entails: • Start with all the costs to run a farm. • Subtract all the non-lamb income (cattle, wool, cull ewes, etc). In producing lamb these are all by products (if you did the same calculation for cost of production for cattle lamb would be the by product but we are focusing on lamb). • The remaining costs is the net cost to produce lambs so this remaining cost is divided by the the number of lambs available for sale. This time however, the data I have used is from the BakerAg benchmarking survey that we have run for our clients for the past 30 years. The results are in the table.
COMPARISONS: Our farm systems have changed: • The effective area has remained the same but farms are running on average one stock unit/ha less than 10 years ago (excellent for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing impact on environment). • The decrease in stocking rate has mainly been in breeding ewes dropping 0.6 ewes per hectare. • The sheep-to-cattle ratio has remained pretty stagnant. • We are more efficient with the sheep we do have. We are achieving a higher lambing percentage and getting more lambs from hoggets. • This means the proportion of lambs we can sell relative to what we produce has increased.
EXPENDITURE Farm operating costs have increased by 41%. Interestingly the biggest increases have been in seeds and cropping, weeds and pests (maybe related to more forages that require expensive weed control?), rates and insurance. Debt per hectare has increased by 22% but the sector has been shielded from this by interest rates dropping by 18%. Total interest and rent costs have increased by 36%. This is a risk as rates continue to increase from this point.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
BakerAg Benchmarking Survey - All Class Averages 2006-07
2015-16
Effective Hectares
923
938
Stocking Rate Per Hectare
10.1
9.1
% Sheep Stock Units
72%
71%
Lambing %
129%
132%
Hogget Lambing %
61%
73%
Ewes per effective hectare
5.3
4.7
Sale Lambs per effective hectare
5.7
5.2
Sale lambs per ewe
107%
111%
Total Sale Lambs
5220
4893
$
$
61,973
78,995
Animal Health
30,429
40,587
Shearing Expenses
45,255
50,295
Fertiliser
56,871
101,552
Feed & Grazing
48,868
86,726
Vehicle Expenses
22,457
29,111
Repairs & Maintenance
51,777
55,963
Farm Working
28,459
44,579
Administration Expenses
16,488
22,320
Expenditure Per Hectare Wages
The value is itself, not always useful – it’s not like we can take this to a meat processor and say “hey, my cost of production is lower than what you are paying me, you need to pay me more”.
Rates & Insurance Farm Working Expenses Per Hectare Depreciation
INCOME Revenue (excluding lamb) has increased by 66% spread equally across wool and beef revenue (this was before wool’s spectacular crash last year). Looking at lamb specifically, the schedule, averaged across the whole year has improved by 40% from $4.01/kg for the period of 2005-2007 to $5.62/kg for the period of 2015-2017.
COST TO PRODUCE A LAMB If interest and rent costs are excluded, the cost to produce one lamb on our farms has reduced by $1.53/head or 4%. This seems counter intuitive. Why has this occurred?: • Our farm systems have become more efficient. With better lambing percentage and better hogget lambing we are producing more saleable product from fewer sheep. • Although expenditure has increased, the value of the products we produce alongside lamb (cattle, wool, cull ewes etc) has increased proportionally more so the residual cost to lamb production is less. If interest and rent costs are included, the cost to produce one lamb has increased by $8.16/hd or 14%. This is due to debt servicing costs increasing. Although interest costs have fallen by about 18% the average debt on farm has increased by 22%.
SENSITIVITY How do you reduce the cost of production on farm and thus leave yourself more room for profit? Either cut costs or become more efficient. Reducing costs: • Reducing farm working expenses by 10% (about $23/ha for the average farm) will reduce the cost to produce one lamb by $4.44/hd.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Wages of Management
20,812
30,874
383,389
541,002
22,120
28,641
60,000
60,000
465,509
629,643
Wool
80,819
123,581
Sheep (excludes lamb)
46,321
77,942
Cattle
139,292
218,831
Other
13,007
42,374
Total Non Lamb Revenue
279,439
462,728
Net cost to lamb production
186,070
166,915
Total Farm Expenses Non Lamb Revenue
Cost to produce a lamb
35.65
34.11
Interest & Rent
113,480
153,820
Net cost to lamb production (Including Interest and Rent)
299,550
320,735
Cost to produce a lamb (Including Interest and Rent)
57.39
65.55
• Reducing cost is the one that is easy to say, but more difficult to do. Benchmarking can help identify areas where you spend more than industry averages but can you reduce costs on a sustainable basis and not drop production?
INCREASING EFFICIENCY • Increasing lambing percentage by 10% will drop the cost to produce a lamb by $2.80/head. • Increasing hogget lambing percentage by 5% will drop the cost to produce a lamb. • The idea of an increase in efficiency from any aspect of your business (cattle, cropping, deer) has the same effect – more production for little or no extra cost will reduce the average cost of production.
43
LIVESTOCK | ONFARM
The Frew families (left to right): Brett and Leticia with Luiza 4 and Emily 3 Mervyn and Marie; Dan and Steph with Charlee 3 and Lexie 2.
Taking to the hills Disappointment with lambing on the flat inspired the Frew family to move their breeding ewes to the natural cover of the tussock-covered hills above the Otapiri Gorge. Lynda Gray reports.
C
ounter-intuitive thinking has been anything but counter-productive on the Frew family’s Otapiri Gorge farm in Southland. Take for example the 15% jump in lamb survivability following the decision to lamb most of the ewes in three shifts and move from the lowerlying, flat paddocks to the higher-altitude tussock blocks. It’s just one initiative that has helped increase sheep gross profit/ sheep stock unit by more than $350 over the last nine years. The driver for the management change was successive years of disappointing tailing results from ewes lambed on the lower-lying flat and higher-stocked shepherded blocks in comparison to those lambed on the unshepherded tussock blocks. The Frews put the disparity down to the wind that funnelled down the long and narrow valley causing the ewes and lambs to
54
bunch together and mis-mother as well as the frequent disruption from farm vehicles and traffic on the Otapiri Gorge road which runs alongside many of the main lambing paddocks. “It was a frustration because we always seemed to be having to do more work for a lesser result,” Dan says. It led to a rethink on the ideal lambing terrain and timing for each stock class. The conclusion was that the ewes might be better off undisturbed in the tussock and scrub cover of the hill blocks where the chance of becoming cast was reduced, and there was natural contour for a ewe and new-born lambs to hunker down in and bond. The concept was put to the test in 2012 with the terminal sire mated older and B-mob ewes put out on the tussock blocks for lambing on September, and following them the two-tooth and elite ewes for lambing on October 1. In 2013 the hoggets were also annexed to the
Farm facts • Mervyn and Marie Frew • Dan Frew and Steph Turner plus children Charlee and Lexie • Brett and Leticia Frew plus children Luiza and Emily • 1050ha of developed flats to steep oversown tussock hill country at Otapiri Gorge. • Sheep breeding and lamb finishing with summer and spring trading of cattle.
tussocks for unshepherded lambing. Since then there’s been continual fine-tuning of the system resulting in an August 20 lambing for the terminal-mated and B-mob ewes; September 20 for the elite and two-tooth ewes, and October 20 for the hoggets. In another recent refinement the B-mob ewes are being progressively culled. Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
‘We’ve decided we’re better to concentrate on the top 5% performers rather than the bottom 10%.’ “We’ve decided we’re better to concentrate on the top 5% performers rather than the bottom 10%.” The success of the Frews’ lambing system hinges on a condensed 17-day mating cycle to clearly define the start and end of lambing for each group. Once a group finishes the ewes and lambs are moved in mobs over a week down to saved pasture paddocks on the flats. Equally important is management of the oversown pasture on the tussock blocks, the overall goal of which is to grow good quality cover of about 1500kg drymatter (DM)/hectare. “I describe it as active lambing cover because the ewes have to walk around and fossick but they’re well fed. I think (ewe) fitness has a big bearing on survivability.” The hill tussock country is also invaluable for shelter and feed after winter shearing over June and July. “We like to have a week of grazing up our sleeve on the hill before putting the ewes back on to crop.” Cattle play a quality control role on
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
the hill with about 250 R2 spring-bought beef or beef-cross animals topping pastures over the summer. They’re sold before winter to eliminate the chances of damaging the heavy soils. Dan reckons even if the cattle don’t make huge margins on sale they indirectly contribute to overall farm income by helping maintain good quality pasture for ewes and lambs. As well as cattle, lots of lime and the strategic spring and autumn application of 20-40units/ha of nitrogen on selected paddocks helps kick start growth. Chemical topping of Californian thistle with glysophate for the past five years has also helped lift pasture quality. “Some of the heavily affected areas take three years to control, but the improvement in pasture and reduction in thistles is significant.” Dan says the tussock hill country will continue to play an important role in the overall sheep feeding system but what he’s struggling with is how to keep up an adequate feed supply. “The question for us now is how to
TOP: The Frews have developed their own Kelsobased breed. ABOVE: Dan, Mervyn and Brett Frew have consistently pushed sheep production through a mix of flexible thinking and action. BELOW: The 324ha of hill oversown tussock has ideal cover, terrain and feed for lambing and immediately after winter shearing.
55
Tetraploid ryegrass Delish is being used to increase the organic matter level of the diary-run-off block bought in August.
Key farm stats and changes: 2010 vs 2017 Then
Now
Key changes
Area
884ha (730ha effective)
1050ha (885ha effective)
+ 166ha conversion of a dairy-runoff for sheep grazing
Stock
4260 ewes (incl 229 Kelso stud ewes) 1600 hoggets 30 rams 124 cows 112 yearlings
5900 ewes (includes 280 elite ewes) 2160 Hoggets 100 rams 250 R1 & R2 cattle (spring – summer trading)
Dropped Kelso franchise to breed Kelso-based rams primarily for own use. All hoggets mated and 1500 retained for main mob. Breeding cows dropped and replaced with spring and summer traded R2 cattle.
Soil fert
Grass pH 6.1 tussock 5.4
Grass 6.0 tussock 5.6-5.8
Stocking Rate
9.8 su/ha
10.1
+0.3
Lambing date
22 Sep
20 Aug, 20 Sep, 20 Oct
Move to ‘3 shift lambing’
Scanning
205%
198%
-7%
Lambing (survival to sale)
152%
160%
+8%
Hogget lambing
70%
92%
+22%
Av kill date
Feb 28
March 10
2016 multiple and hogget lambs took longer to reach slaughter weights due to difficult January
Lamb prod average
18.34kg @ 82.72 (2009/2010)
18.5 @ $102.90 ( 2016/17)
Lamb price average
90.72 (2009)
$85.35 (2016)
Sheep gross profit/sheep stock unit
$983.05
$1336.62 (2016)
to sustainable sheep pastures is being made through short-term grasses and crop. Tetraploid ryegrass Delish is being used to increase the organic matter level,
+$353.57
adding about double the amount of organic matter than a crop of brassicas. The Delish is being stitched in by direct drill to fill the gaps until paddocks are cultivated
Taupo Western Bays Farm Manager Lance Aldridge has used Gleniti Romney Rams for over 25 years. He says their consistency and reliability has produced top performing ewes whose fertility is outstanding and impressive.
“
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grow more grass on the hill without cultivation and the loss of the shelter and microclimate.” Another example of the Frews’ againstthe-flow thinking and action is the conversion of a dairy run-off block for sheep grazing. It’s a trend-breaking move given the large-scale dairy conversion that’s swept Southland over the past 15 years. But with their sights set on upsizing the sheep production base Dan and Brett bought 165ha in August at the southern boundary of the family farm. “It will give us more opportunity, more income and is part of our family succession plan.” The purchase follows the sale of a 160ha block at Lora Gorge about five kilometres away. It was bought in 2011 but the distance from the home farm made it difficult to efficiently manage due to the extra labour unit needed and the time spent shifting stock and machinery when required. Much of the new run-off was previously used for making cut-and-carry for winter which was taken off the block for feeding elsewhere. Dan says the cutand-carry process plus soil compaction from cattle and heavy machinery has restricted the return of organic matter to the soil and depleted pasture quality and quantity. “It’s been interesting. We thought we would increase sheep production straight away but we discovered pasture quality and soil management needed attention.” A three tonnes/ha dressing of lime and 40 units/ha of nitrogen was applied in both spring and autumn, and a transition
We’ve had the highest scanning ever despite going through two droughts back to back. We keep going back because it works. It’s about performance and profit in a harsh environment including, snow ice and summer droughts.
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Efficiency gains The Frews’ big focus is on improving overall flock efficiency. “The industry generally is very much focused on lamb growth rate, although that’s important our main focus is on minimising wastage and increasing ewe efficiency,” Dan says. A big contributor to better ewe efficiency has been the increase in lamb survivability brought about by the triple shift lambing and the tweaking of genetics. Other contributors have been careful feed management to maintain a consistent body condition score and animal health management that has reduced bearing problems, milk fever and abortions. The family were part of the Kelso (South Island) franchise but in 2010 decided to leave the group to have greater control over their breeding direction. From 2012 they started selecting and breeding from the mostefficient ewes – those raising two or three lambs to weaning in an unshepherded system – and built an elite mob of 280 which are mated to Supreme sire rams from Kelso (North Island). “We have had many ewes weaning over 100kg, or up to 1.3 times her bodyweight with very minimal input, so it has certainly made us realise what they are capable of doing.” The best ram progeny from the flock are used across the commercial ewes and a limited number are sold. “We primarily breed for ourselves but we have a growing client base who like competitively priced rams.” The ewe lambs with above-average growth rates are mated as hoggets, and those that successfully rear twins retained for the main flock. “We carry a high number of hoggets and lamb them unshepherded. We cull about 15% that are dry, and 15% wetdries. We used to take the wet-dries into
Winter crop grazing is planned to minimise sheep walking, soil damage and run-off.
the main flock but we don’t now and it’s helped increase survival.” Better hogget management has also reduced wastage. Hogget lambing sat around 75-80% for many years but when they were lambed a month later up on the tussock hill country unshepherded survival increased 13% even though scanning stayed the same. “We put this down to shelter, increased bodyweight and warmer weather during lambing.”
The goal is for a post-mating 15kg weight gain, or 100g a day, and is based on a 70-day, followed by a 50day rotation around younger, higherproducing pastures grazed to a 1400kg/ DM/ha residual. “We don’t want anything to hold them back so we give them everything we think they might need such as Toxovax, Campyvax, Flexidine and a 5-in-1.”
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www.NewhavenPerendales.co.nz Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
LIVESTOCK | ONFARM
KEY FACTS Cheryl and Len Win have spent more than four decades developing scrub and gorse to productive paddocks.
• Grafted away for 44 years to develop a mortgage-free farm • When interest rates hit 17% the Rural Bank told them to go. • Run 1500 ewes, 410 hoggets and 50 breeding cows on 270ha( 215ha effective) • Lambs last spring, about $85/head, $110 this August.
GOLDEN BAY
Winning on Golden Bay’s soggy soils Four decades of work have transformed a scrubby farm with pakihi soils into a profitable operation. Anne Hardie reports on the work of Len and Cheryl Win. It’s 44 years since Len and Cheryl Win bought a block of infertile, gorse and manuka-covered land in Golden Bay and there were times when debt nearly drove them off. Today, they’re mortgage free, no longer lamb their hoggets and the result is an increase in their gross income to nearly $1800/hectare with lower farm operation costs. They run 1500 Romney-Texel-Finncross ewes on 270 hectares( 215ha effective) plus 410 hoggets and about 50 breeding cows. Though they used to achieve close to 90% lambing from their hoggets, they decided a few years ago to let the hoggets grow out. The result was not what they expected, but it had other benefits. They thought that by not lambing hoggets we would get more growth on as two-tooths and they would do better. Len says their liveweights as twoCountry-Wide Sheep October 2017
tooths were probably two to three kilograms better, but there was no difference in the scanning percentage. “What it did do, though, was cut our workload down because lambing and docking didn’t drag on for as long, and they started to increase their lambing percentage as four-tooths.” Without in-lamb hoggets, they also have a bigger area to graze the rest of the mob and Len says that adds about 1.5kg to lambs. This year the mob scanned 185% and during the past five years the lambing result has averaged 155%, despite wet springs and open drains that carve through many paddocks to drain the sodden soil. In the past they also grazed dairy cattle through winter but ditched that due to the pugging effect on the poordraining pakihi soils and nowadays they take lambs through winter on saved pasture to provide monthly cashflow
from Alliance’s winter contracts. Looking at the Wins’ farm today which stretches over a flat plain, it’s an intensive property of 70 paddocks averaging 2.5ha that carries about 21 stock units per hectare and is a profitable smaller farm. What you don’t see, is the four decades of hard work that has transformed the former scrubland into productive paddocks. Now in their early 60s, the Wins are still passionate about their farm which has been a challenge, often financially and physically gruelling, since they bought 310ha just a couple of kilometres from the tiny township that was once destined to be the country’s capital. The land was once dug over for gold in Collingwood’s early gold rush days, then continuously burnt to get meagre grass growth to winter cows for neighbouring farmers. Impervious pakihi soils combined with an annual rainfall of two metres and sometimes more, provides perfect conditions for gorse which grows nearly a metre a year, so regrowth and undeveloped areas are still being tackled. Last summer they had 6ha sprayed by helicopter, while Len rotary-slashed another 2.5ha to get gorse and manuka down enough to walk through with a hand gun to spray. As a young couple, they lived in a caravan for two years without power and facilities while Cheryl worked as a nurse and Len sheared sheep in between tackling gorse and scrub to develop more paddocks to create a farm. Interest rates rose to 17% at one point and the Rural Bank told them to call it a day. But they determinedly struggled on and built a shell of a house before adding three kids to the family. Along the way they sold a small chunk to pay debt and are still developing areas of the farm.
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Cheryl and Len Win with their microbiologist daughter, Stephanie, in the lead up to lambing.
Matching the feed supply The Wins don’t start lambing until the beginning of September. Wet springs and pakihi soils equate to a late start in grass growth and it’s usually the end of October before it really kicks in. Through winter, ewes are fed a mineral mix with molasses in the paddock which they take to with enthusiasm. They use it for twin-bearing ewes over winter and though there’s no scientific evidence, they feel the ewes have done better on it. Len says they were getting hard udders and blind teats after lambing, but since they added the minerals, they had no problems. “It takes them a while to get on it, but then they’re addicted.” Cheryl says, just prior lambing, the ewes are set-stocked, with those scanning triplets set at 5-7/ha, twins no more than 9/ha and singles between 10 and 12/ ha. The 2.5ha paddocks mean they are all small mobs and those paddocks with
open drains are assigned to single-bearing ewes which will at least stay beside their lamb if it falls down in. Len says about 9% of the flock have triplets and at birth, one is often mothered on to ewes that have lost lambs or a ewe with a single, rather than have three competing for two teats. Ideally, they want twins rather than triplets to boost lambing percentages. “You want twins and minimal dries.” He says they don’t want to increase the percentage with more triplets because that’s more work and they’re usually two to three kilograms lighter at weaning. “What happens with triplets is the lambs compete with each other and latch on to the teat with their teeth and some of those ewes get sore udders, so you have to have plenty of feed for them.” “The mums will often kick the third one off anyway,” Cheryl adds. “We don’t do pet lambs and they’re much better on a mum than a bottle.” Pens are set up in the woolshed for
Rushes are a constant battle on pakihi soil in high rainfall.
fostering lambs on to ewes and Len says they can pick up a ewe and have a lamb on to it in the woolshed 15 minutes later. Last year they were hit with toxoplasmosis in the ewes despite vaccinating the mob and 12% had aborted by scanning, possibly due to a breakdown in the vaccination.
“It takes them a while to get on it, but then they’re addicted.” “Three out of the first four sheep down the race had aborted their lambs and my bottom lip was starting to drag down,” Len remembers. “But the survival rate was brilliant in those that lambed, with only 7% of lambs lost in the mixed-age mob and 5% in the two-tooths. It was just brilliant weather at lambing, the lambs were the right size, there was only 3% triplets and ewe losses were less than 1%.” This year there is no toxoplasmosis, but a poor summer and autumn meant they
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Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
FORAGE | ONFARM Sophie and Todd Rowland are into the fourth year of farming 860 hectares near Owaka.
Best bang for the buck A South Otago couple who are in their fourth year on their first farm know what the priorities are, Terry Brosnahan writes. Photos by Peter McBeth.
B
uying a sheep and beef farm renowned for gorse is not for the faint-hearted, but a South Otago couple is determined to make their investment a sound one. Sophie and Todd Rowland (both 31) are into the fourth year of farming 860 hectares (750 effective ) near Owaka. It is their first farm and when they took over development work had started including aerial cropping or more commonly known as spray and pray. The Rowlands scaled it back because it was not going to give them the best bang for bucks. Instead their focus has been on regrassing the pastures and easier country, the farm’s engine room, fencing and stock water. They have erected about 7km of fencing at the cost of $25,000/year to subdivide paddocks, keep stock out of
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creeks and improve overall stock and pasture management. Farm working expenses in 2016/17 were $755/ha and gross farm revenue, $864/ha. The expenses included a lot of start-up costs. “We literally didn’t own a hammer when we started so a lot of one-off costs.” The farm is made up of 495ha hill, 256ha flat to rolling, 80ha native bush,29ha planted trees. The average paddock size is 8-14ha and blocks range from 25-50ha ha. Also without subdivision and the pressure of stock grazing, the aerial cropping is not an effective use of resources. The gorse comes back within three years. The Rowlands run 3100 Romney ewes to the ram, 800 hoggets (not mated) and 170 breeding cows plus trading stock which has varied from year to year.
OWAKA VALLEY
Last year they fattened R2 cattle 100, 20 of their own. This year they have 20 R2 cattle and 60 dairy heifers. Most of the farm is northerly facing and the biggest block is 110ha which is good cattle wintering country. When they took over the farm they also bought the 3000-ewe flock which was predominantly Romney. They reduced numbers to 2600 and anything they didn’t want to keep breeding from went into a terminal ‘B’ mob. In their first year Sophie and Todd had enough feed to finish all their lambs and buy in trading lambs. The Rowlands have focussed on breeding an efficient sheep. They bought Romney rams from Sophie’s father James Pinckney’s stud Shoreford after the sale of their family farm. They now buy their rams from North Island stud breeders, George Williams and Geoff Bendall. “We want to be purchasing from similar if not harder country than ours.”
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Performance lifting A focus has also been on reducing the wastage with better feeding and genetics. In the first year the scanning was 185% and the lambing, 132%. Last year the lambing was 147% and this year the scanning, 180%. The ewes are scanned early July and triplet-bearing ewes are not included in the 180% scanning figure. Their lambs are averaging 18-18.5kg carcaseweight (CW), 42-43kg liveweight (LW) and they sell through a small farmer buying group which they didn’t want named. Membership brings assistance with stock management to help them supply consistent lambs. This year they averaged $99.82/head for 3300 sold prime.
‘Over the past three years we have got better at condition scoring on a regular basis to identify any poorer-doing or lessefficient ewes.’ Along with Guy Martin, who also supplies Suftex rams for their terminal mob, they go through the rising twotooths before shearing. “They are definitely a more even line of sheep,” Todd says. There isn’t the feed to lamb any earlier but progress has been made. They started with a 17kg average mean kill date late March and were lambing 132%. They are now averaging 18.7kg lambs and have 500 ewes to the ram more than their first
The 110ha block makes good cattle country.
year and a 147% lambing. Older terminal ewes start lambing in the paddocks on September 1. Another terminal mob of younger ewes start lambing September 10 on some of the paddocks and the easier hill country. Maternal ewes lamb on the hill country September 20. The hoggets are not lambed but may well be in the future when there are greater gains from the development. Sophie says the terminal mob sheep are not second class, but they are good sheep and give good early lambs. “We are hard on them as anything which needs help like an extra drench ends up in the B mob.” The A and B mobs are run together throughout the year. They are separated at mating and lambing. They don’t aim to give extra drenches than their annual pre-lamb drench or capsule but identify any poor ewes. Todd says these are put into the B mob and if needed get an extra drench.
“But we want to be improving our flock therefore don’t want to keep progeny.” All the ewes’ udders are checked at the pre-wean drench. Anything with poor udders or wet drys are culled. The two-tooths weigh 63-64kg when going to the ram, ewes about 67kg. Sophie and Todd want efficient sheep, not big ewes eating a lot of feed and producing only 130% lambing. They try to keep the sheep in good condition and fit all year. “Over the past three years we have got better at condition scoring on a regular basis to identify any poorer-doing or lessefficient ewes,” Sophie says. They farm easy-care sheep so once the ewes are set stock and start lambing they are left to it. This year the Rowlands are breakfeeding old ewes behind a wire on grass. Normally they go on swedes but the Rowlands are concerned about teeth wearing. The hoggets are on swedes all winter.
›› Family succession p114
Looking down towards the front country and improved paddocks.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
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Family succession Sophie worked as an agribusiness manager until 2012. Todd worked as a shepherd on stations in Central Otago. After she and Todd came back from overseas in 2011 she worked on the family farm at Riverton until it was sold in 2013 to assist family succession which has given Todd and Sophie the opportunity to farm. Sophie’s share of the farm sale, their savings along with a thumping big mortgage bought the farm and a lot of hard work. The couple haven’t had to employ any permanent staff, but will need to soon. When Country-Wide called in late August, Sophie was only several weeks away from having their first child. They take on Telford students for work experience which has worked well. The cows are predominantly AngusHereford and Hereford which were bought with the farm. They were such a mixed bag they go to a terminal Charolais bull. All calves are sold at weaning. Sophie says the original plan was to tidy them up and breed from them. “But the way the beef market has been it has worked well with good demand for Charolais-cross calves.” The goal is to have a straight angus cow. They were going to finish half of their calves this season but good prices and cashflow changed their minds. They sold them at truck weight for an average of $4/kg LW. They normally buy in about 100 R2 to finish them over the winter on fodder
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The Rowlands run 3100 Romney ewes to the ram.
beet and sell to ANZCO. “We don’t have to worry about trying to finishing them on grass as spring can be a challenge.” This year cattle were too expensive to buy. They bought 60 dairy heifers to help eat the surplus crop and make money. The heifers will go to the bull and be sold in-calf. They have also taken on 450 hoggets for grazing. Some of the ewes are also on the fodder beet for the first time. Improvements to the farm and management practice changes have lifted stock performance. Shearing is every six months which allows a good look at the condition of the ewes. At $7.80/ewe shearing is seen as an animal health cost as it has lowered the
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number of cast ewes and deaths. A small bonus is the amount of wool clipped has risen 0.5kg to 5kg/ewe. The Rowlands try to keep animal health costs to a minimum. Anything needing extra drenching goes to the terminal sire. The twin ewes get a Bionic capsule and singles a double combination drench. The lambs also get a pre-weaning drench then drenched every three to four weeks depending on the season. They used Clutha Vets to help develop the drenching strategy and so far have no sign of drench resistance. The two-tooths get a campy injection and the ewes a toxo shot and a five-inone pre-lamb. The lambs get a five-in-one too.
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FORAGE | FODDER BEET
No gorse in the pockets The Rowlands have spent $20,000-a-yearplus on spraying gorse. They do a lot themselves and use a helicopter for the bigger, harder-to-get-to areas. This doesn’t include the gorse sprayed in development of land and pasture. “Gorse is a big factor in which blocks we tackle to keep the control,” Sophie says. An unanswered question is what the sheep and cattle ratio will be in the future once development kicks in. Todd says ideally it would be good to maintain sheep numbers and increase cattle numbers. However they are mindful that cattle pug paddocks and hill blocks during winter making it an ideal seed bed for gorse. There are seven different soil types, none predominant on the farm. The hills are good clay loams and the flats silt loam. The soils are short of copper and selenium but high in magnesium. They soil test but this year did a whole farm test. It cost about $2000 but Sophie says the savings from not putting on fertiliser where it is not needed more than covered the cost. Soil fertility hasn’t been too bad when they took over but the pH was about 5.6 on the hill. They have been spending $100,000 for fertiliser, lime and application each year The cropping regime is swedes followed by swedes or a rape crop. The crop regime is direct-drilled swedes followed by kale or rape or fodder beet
“Gorse is a big factor in which blocks we tackle to keep the control,” This year 12ha was in summer crop, 30ha was in winter feed and 20ha will go back into grass in the spring. About 200 bales of silage are made as insurance against snow and fed to stock on crop. Annual rainfall is about 1100mm and well spread out through the year. A laneway is going in from the corner of the farm where the house and yards are to the front country. A water scheme has gone in which is gravity-fed from a spring. Satellite yards are on the plans near the top of the farm for stock on the hill blocks. This will reduce time, lower stress and condition loss in stock by not shifting them 6-7km back to the home yards. There is plenty of natural shelter on most of the gullies, rocks and native vegetation give good shelter. However, more shelter needs to be planted on the lower paddocks.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Lambs tuck in to a fodder beet crop.
Beeting it High-yielding and palatable, fodder beet crops give farmers the ability to winter a large number of sheep within a small area and free up pasture on other parts of the farm. Norwood farmers Peter and Tom Chamberlain began feeding fodder beet to ewes last year when they had surplus of the crop and their traditional rape crops had not yielded as well as expected. While the sheep had to learn to eat it, once they got a taste for it they were away. Meadow and ryegrass straw was fed as a supplement initially and later they fed protein-rich lucerne baleage to offset fodder beet’s low protein content. The ewes did so well on it that fodder beet is now part of the Chamberlains’ wintering system. Dr Jim Gibbs from Lincoln University says unlike cattle, sheep do not need to be carefully transitioned on to the crop as it does not cause acidosis in ovine rumens.
It is more case of running them on to the crop for a couple of hours over a few days so the sheep get used to eating it. “They just need to get their head around it,” Gibbs says. It is however vital that sheep are vaccinated against clostridial diseases before going on to fodder beet because the crop’s high sugar content will feed the clostridial-causing bacteria. Sheep also have a higher protein requirement than cattle and while there is usually sufficient protein in the leaf, in crops with damaged leaves, a high protein supplement will be necessary. This need for protein is also the reason Gibbs recommends daily breaks, as this ensures the sheep are eating the leaf and the bulb. Longer breaks will see the sheep only eat the leaf on day one and then spend subsequent days just eating the bulb. “You can have big problems with
›› Growing great crops p116
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ONFARM
Willy and Claire Jenkins with daughter Billie and son Jack.
Learning with the lease
T
Leasing the farm next door to where Willy Jenkins works has served him and wife Claire well. Glenys Christian reports.
he opportunity to lease a neighbouring sheep and beef farm for the past six years has given farm worker, Willy Jenkins, a greater belief in his own abilities. “It’s been confidence building,” he says. His wife, Claire, describes him as a humble person who won’t talk himself up and he happily admits he sometimes needs a push in the right direction. So although they’ve decided not to renew the lease from the start of the new year they both believe the skills they’ve learned will stay with them and serve them well in their farming future. Willy, 34, was brought up in Kawakawa Bay, south east of Auckland where his parents leased their four-hectare small block to local farmer, Bill Cashmore. He was looking for a farm worker so Willy, who had worked in nurseries locally after leaving school, was interviewed “over a beer” and two weeks later started the job. Sixteen years later he’s still there and still very much appreciating the variety of farming life. “I always loved dogs and I really enjoy fencing,” he says. “And Bill really instils pride in the job you do.”
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It was a case of him being thrown in the deep end with Bill starting him on crutching in his first week. But when the boss couldn’t find him in the shed, only a tell-tale pool of blood on the ground, he thought that was the last he might see of his new worker. However Willy was just suffering a bad nosebleed and was still unable to get off the couch to answer the phone when Bill rang him later that evening. “He told that story at my wedding,” he says. Bill himself had left school at 17 to come home and start at the bottom on the 1200ha
farm settled by his ancestors in the 1880s. Now he runs 3000 Romney ewes along with 260 straight Angus cows on the home farm and 600ha of leased land nearby. A third of the ewes are put to a terminal Dorset sire with 4000 prime lambs going off the property every year. Suffolks were tried in the past but now the concentration is firmly on the size, durability and hardiness. More than 95% calving rates are achieved, but hard times in the 1980s saw Bill cut scrub and carry out fencing around the area to pay the mortgages he and wife Lynnette, a nurse, held. Son Robert returned home after university and three years in the South Island high country as farm manager about the time Bill got involved in local body politics in Auckland. Last year he became deputy mayor and still chairs the council’s Rural Advisory Panel where a variety of rural groups are consulted and give feedback on its plans. He made the suggestion to Willy and Claire that former Federated Farmers’ Meat and Fibre chairman, Keith Kelly, was looking to lease his and wife Jennifer’s adjoining farm of 250ha. While it can be accessed from the back boundary of Bill’s farm it’s a 20 to 30-minute drive to get to it by road up the Ness Valley. Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Leasing tips
One buyer repeatedly bought all the wethers Willy drafted off every December.
There are several pointers Willy and Claire Jenkins are happy to pass on to others about priorities when leasing land. • Get things in writing so you don’t go in blind. • Make sure both parties are on the same page. • Be very clear about you want. • Get a mentor, someone in the industry you trust. • Set yourself an achievable goal. • Don’t overestimate the time you have available. • Look after yourselves. • Get the balance right and enjoy doing what you can do.
“Bill said it wasn’t going to make us millionaires but it enabled us to get money out when we sold the stock and we wouldn’t have been able to do this any other way,” Willy says. “We’ve sacrificed time to do it and we’ve upskilled in the business area. And I found I could rely on myself to do the things I needed to.” With some financial help from Bill he and Claire entered an agreement which detailed how many of the sheep on the farm they would buy and when. Willy continued to work four days a week for Bill on his property then spent the two days of the week on Keith’s farm. Over three or four years ewe numbers were dropped back from 800 to 700 and now the present 600. While the animals worked the hard hill country well the lambing percentage at 60% wasn’t where Willy wanted it to be, but has gradually been lifted to 115%. “It could be 150% but the animals would
was able to use Bill’s bulls over the breeding cows. They’ve improved in size and calving has lifted to 95%, with Willy selling weaners through local fairs. “The genetics are starting to show through,” he says. “They’re not big-framed animals but they’re efficient.” While they had their own accountant run over the figures Claire took on the task of being more vigilant about their finances dayto-day using Rural Cash Manager, after some training from Lynette. With no assets they used up their savings to sign up for the lease then needed more money for reinvestment in the property. “That was scary,” Willy says. “We had to work out what was coming up next and I had to keep Claire in the loop.” And it proved hard to budget when one year their lambs fetched $82 per head and the very next just $42.
be smaller and not doing well,” he says. “I’ve run things basically and the main thing to do has been to look after the sheep. If the ewes are looking good the lambs are doing well.” That’s led to Willy gaining a good reputation with one buyer repeatedly purchasing all the wethers he drafts off every December from mid-August lambing. When it came to cattle they couldn’t afford to buy the stock already on the farm but Willy
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‘We realised I was missing out on the kids,’ Willy says.
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“There was a big jump in what they fetched and then it came back down,” he says. “And the wool side of things has been hard.” While he can handle penning and pressing they still needed to get shearers in, and that could be problematic when Bill’s flock also needed to be shorn. “There was a lot of juggling, especially in October, November and December,” Willy says. “But you’ve got to work in together. And Bill was always available for advice.” He was also happy to let to let Willy use some of his equipment on Keith’s farm as there was only a small tractor there for feeding out. Formal meetings were held every six months outlining the work that needed to be carried out over the next period to maintain the farm to its present standard. “For the first two years I did a lot of fencing, digging the holes and using a posthole borer like Bill’s taught me,” Willy says. “There were over 1000 posts put in and 130 strainers so that was a few kilometres. And I was spraying gorse and making sure the tracks were looked after because I couldn’t afford contractors. I wanted things to look good and be in a good state.” He also modified cattleyards in the middle of the farm and was able to make around 30 big bales of hay on his parents’ property every year to feed out. The concentration on subdivision early on had a number of immediate benefits. “I could build a feed wedge because you had a little bit of grass in front of you,” he says. “And mustering was a lot easier. The sheep would run down the hill and I’d think, ‘Got you, you buggers’.” The biggest thing was the chance to learn new management skills. “There’s the satisfaction you get when you see stock improve in front of you,” he says. “It’s different when they’re yours.” Willy increased his dog numbers from four to eight, but with relinquishing the lease he’s already retired two, with the oldest now leading a “molly-coddled” life at Claire’s father’s place. That decision wasn’t easy and came after thorough discussion with both sets of parents which pointed them towards putting family first. “We’re not too money-oriented,” Willy says. “We realised I was missing out on the kids so it will be nice to be around a bit more.” They intend to take a bit of time out before deciding their next move, with farm ownership still very much on their radar but not via the dairying route. “There’s something about the hills I enjoy,” Willy says. “I don’t know if I could handle the flat stuff. We’ve covered our business expenses and come out with some money at the end of it and can choose to put it into another business. That’s where we made our financial gain.” Claire is a trustee of the Orere Point School, which their son, Jack, 6, attends and daughter Billie, 4, will be off to shortly. Willy’s looking forward to being able to help out more at working bees as well as attending kids’ sports matches regularly. And he’s also getting out of his comfort zone some more by entering a fencing competition with a mate at the Hawke’s Bay A & P Show later in the year.
Country-Wide Sheep October 2017
Prime cuts
F
Words by Anne Hardie or Georgie Moleta’s 21st birthday, her parents gave her a great wooden butcher’s block. It’s a creative piece of artwork made from aged posts and the different timbers found on the farm, but more importantly, it’s a sturdy work bench for her fledging home-kill butchery business.
Georgie Moleta is passionate about turning a carcase into a wide range of cooking options.
Two years on, her small business is capable of vacuum-packing cuts of meat, producing salami, sausages and smoky bacon, as well as turning a carcase into a range of cooking options for her customers. She’s butchered wild cattle, thar and chamois, turned ducks into salami and is over the moon if customers ask her to french-cut rib-eye steak on the bone and create small roasts from sub-primal cuts of meat. Growing up on a farm near Takaka and hunting in the mountains with her father provided plenty of opportunity to learn about the meat they delivered to the table. At high school and contemplating future careers, she began working in the supermarket’s butchery through the Gateway programme and found she liked it. Leaving school at 18 she got the chance to take on a three-year apprenticeship with a French butcher in Nelson who was renowned for his
different cuts of meat and the ability to turn the often-wasted leftovers into traditional French cuisine such as pates and terrines. It was the ideal training ground for a fledgling butcher and before long Georgie had job offers from supermarket butcheries and that led her back to Golden Bay. Supermarkets can only offer the run-of-the-mill cuts of meat and smallgoods which was frustrating when she knew there was so much more that could be offered, so she got a homekill licence and began building up her own equipment. At this stage she has different chillers around town, a small smokehouse built by her father on the home farm and shares facilities to make the salamis and sausages. The costs of expanding facilities and buying ingredients in bulk, combined with a house mortgage at
Turning pig into sliced bacon.
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a young age, has meant she has continued working for a wage while it gets established. Bacon goes in the smoker in the morning, while the sausages and salamis are made in the evenings and home kill carried out in the weekends. Most of her customers are hunters and farmers who bring her the carcases, while others such as many lifestyle block owners need animals killed as well, with most shot in the paddock to reduce stress on the animal and the meat. “Wild animals that are stressed and have adrenalin pumping through them have meat that is almost jelly in texture,” she says. “When I hunt, I’m mainly stalking without dogs for that reason.” Poor condition is also stress on an animal that will be reflected in the meat and if she has one message for her customers, it is to look after the animals well from day one. “You have a calf and one day you’re going to eat it, so you drench it and keep it in good condition – typical good farming. You’ve got to look after it all the way through and respect it.” Choosing the right time of year to slaughter, when there’s still plenty of pasture will also dictate the quality of the meat, which usually means autumn before the cold reduces
Georgie Moleta has a range of facilities around town for her home-kill business.
pasture growth, she says. If an animal is not in good condition, that stress leads to tougher meat and there will be less of the desired marbling. Too often when someone gets a beast slaughtered, Georgie says they’re only seeking steaks, mince and sausages which gives them a copious amount of meat in the freezer, but
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little choice for dinner. It pains her, when there is so much more that can be done with a carcase. “With sheep, you can break down the leg to portions – sub primals with just the muscle part of the leg – to give you a little roast that you sear in the pan and then chuck in the oven for 15 minutes which is such a simple way of cooking it and so pure. “And there’s massive variety with beef – you can do little roasts, schnitzel and crossblade steaks which is a really nice stewing steak with one line of sinew. It’s out of the little hollow behind the shoulder blade and you can take that sinew out for a flat-iron steak that can be tenderised, marinated and put on the barbeque. You can get lots of different steaks out of stewing steak.” Her favourite is rib eye left on the bone and French-cut like a rack of lamb, then seared in a pan before cooking slowly in the oven like a roast. Once butchered into its various cuts, she vacuum-packs the meat to preserve it longer and retain its flavour. Without vacuum packing, the meat really needs to be eaten within three months, she says. And it can take longer than three months to eat the meat produced by a good-sized cattle beast.
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