Page 19 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2018

Alan decided to pull the pin on off-farm selling in 1987 by
building rugby field-sized cattle yards with an adaptable selling
facility. For six years the family hosted a spring steer and surplus
heifer sale, attracting up to 150 buyers from throughout Otago. But
once again the swings and roundabouts in store prices was the
frustration factor, which led to the next chapter of livestock selling.
In 1993 the family bought Marydale, a 440ha gently rolling
south Otago farm that they developed for the wintering and
finishing of Beaumont’s young cattle and lambs. Shelterbelt
planting and wide-scale improvement of pastures and an
excellent laneway system make it a picturesque and ideal
finishing platform.
Each year about 600 18-month-old steers are sent from
Beaumont for wintering and in spring the rest follow for finishing
on the improved pastures. The 20ha of fodder beet fed over the
past three winters, which typically yields 21 to 24 tonnes of dry
matter per hectare, has greatly fast-tracked the finishing time.
“The combination of fodder beet and genetics has helped us
move the cattle sooner,” Richard says.
Beaumont lambs also end up at Marydale. The 600
terminal-sired lambs winter on swedes and in August the half-
breds arrive and graze pasture before being offloaded at target
contract weight. About 30% are supplied during the premium-
paying October and November period.
There are no plans to greatly change the livestock breeding,
feeding and selling formula fine-tuned over many years.
It’s a proven and successful blueprint for success – just like
Beaumont’s Herefords.

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP AND MIDDLE: Two-year-old 600-plus kg
steers at Marydale. Typically they average 325kg on the hooks and
grade P1 or P2.
THIS PAGE, TOP AND MIDDLE: This Limehills bull will be mated to
elite mixed-age breeding cows; Beaumont Station’s cattle yard has
an under-cover holding capacity of about 1200.

Beaumont Station runs one of the country’s largest commercial
Hereford herds. Their mild-mannered temperament is important
when it comes to working with big numbers, especially at key
times such as weaning, Alan Hore says. The generally stress-
free handling is also reflected in better quality beef. Charolais and
Simmental were briefly trialled as possible crossbreeding beef sires,
and Hereford-Angus steers run for a couple of seasons, but neither
diversification measured up. “They didn’t kill as well so we couldn’t
see the benefit. Herefords seem to handle this country the best,”
Alan says.

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