Page 38 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2018

On Farm

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Naught to 100

– the rise of Mangaotea Herefords

WORDS / PHOTOGRAPHS NATALIE CAMPBELL

PICTURED: Robin and Jacqueline Blackwell with the Hereford cows that Jacqueline has grown
in numbers to 100 since establishing the stud in 2002.

BEING SURROUNDED BY DAIRY FARMERS means the Jacqueline was brought up in nearby Ratapiko, the daughter
priorities in the breeding programme for Jacqueline and Robin of a dairy farmer, and readily admits she never had any interest
Blackwell of Mangaotea Herefords varies slightly from what in milking cows.
most would consider traditional. She really enjoyed working with animals and outdoors,
Dairy farming clients expect good clean markings and but was adamant she was never going to be putting cups on.
cosmetics in their bulls and that’s an area the Blackwells are Following a career off farm and after meeting Robin, she has
expected to place emphasis on when offering bulls for sale. returned to the land and has found her place in dry stock farming.
It’s a delicate balancing act they manage without The opportunity arose to lease 179ha at the back of the home
compromising on quality, while offering bulls with a moderate farm and Jacqueline secured that lease. She has been managing
EBV package and structural soundness. that in conjunction with 40ha of the home farm for the past 10 years.
The couple’s enterprise focuses on bull breeding and dairy She gets a lot of satisfaction out of growing out the animals
support and winters 8500 stock units. It’s a multi-faceted and seeing them reach their genetic potential and would like to
enterprise that includes a Hereford stud, Angus stud, Murray Grey incorporate a finishing platform and carry through the females
stud, Southdown stud, dairy heifer and cow grazing, supplement that don’t make it as herd replacements.
feed sale, Jersey bulls and a commercial Romney flock. “It’s about building the brand and adding value, but it will
The property is 560 hectares (effective), and annual rainfall need to be cost competitive with dairy grazing,” she says.
averages just over 200mm. The farm sits between 200 and 300 Weaning and pregnancy testing in Jacqueline’s Hereford
metres above sea level. herd occurs at the same time in late February or early March –
Being in the heart of dairy country, near Inglewood in as the season allows.
Taranaki, the Blackwells have forged a niche market catering to Pregnancy testing is the first benchmark for the females that
the needs of their surrounding dairy farming neighbours. are retained in the herd. Any dry female is culled.
The Hereford herd has been Jacqueline’s passion since she The target weaning weight for the heifer calves is 240kg live
founded it in 2002. She had been working off farm, was looking weight.
to make an on-farm investment, and Herefords appealed. “We look at the mature cow weight of the dam in relation to
She started out with small numbers and had the goal to the weaning weight; 50% or more of the cow body weight at
reach 100 registered cows – a target she has now achieved. weaning time is the target.”
It was a few years ago, after husband Robin could see how Single sire mating has traditionally been used, with bulls
much fun she was having, that he established a registered joining the cows on October 10 for a July calving. The aim is
Angus herd. an eight-week calving window. However, a bull breakdown last
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