Page 39 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2018

season means they have been multi-sire mating, so parent The calves are treated with a 10 in 1, BVD and leptospirosis
verification by DNA testing will be implemented. vaccination at weaning time.
Matariki genetics are having a big influence currently This year they asked Bill and Judy Austin to scan their
and Grassmere and Okawa sires have also had a role in the replacement heifers, which alongside the DNA testing will help
development of the herd. build up more data for the herd and provide more information
Jacqueline says they sourced some semen straws of for selecting herd replacements.
Matariki Holy Smoke last year. Twenty-nine straws were used They scanned for EMA and IMF so they can build a picture
and 20 held, so she is excited about those calves on the ground in relation to the retail beef yield EBV.
now. Matariki D493 has also been used in the past. Replacement heifers are selected for a clean head, white
Due to soil type, which ranges from peat swamp to volcanic shoulder, good markings, structural soundness, good feet and
ash, which is nice and fertile but needs respecting, the heavier a moderate EBV package.
cattle are moved off the hills in winter to minimise damage. The selection process for herd replacements is a balancing
“Before winter we bring the heavier stock down onto the act around the aesthetics of the animal, structural soundness
flats and winter them on the easy country,” Robin says. and a moderate EBV package.
The cows are break fed and calved behind a wire on Moderate birth weights, growth rates, good milk figures, and
conserved pasture. fertility are all part of the EBV package Jacqueline is targeting in
All calves are weighed at birth using a small crate and a moderate-sized female herd, and if a female fails to conceive,
adjusted sheep weigh bar, and Jacqueline says the quiet nature there are no second chances.
of the breed means she feels safe while undertaking this job. There are similar criteria for bull selection for use in the
Jacqueline says they pride themselves on the temperament Hereford herd, focusing on calving ease and a moderate birth
of their herd, which they feel is another vital characteristic for weight EBV. They also must look the part.
their dairy clients. “We need to think about the calving experience for our
The cows and calves are shed out onto more conserved clients; will it be easy calving and have good growth rates?”
pasture before they go back on to the hills once the calves are Jacqueline says.
a couple of weeks old, and there the cows and calves rotate the The needs of their clients are at the forefront of the
hill country and are fed hay as needed. Blackwells’ minds and to help them do this, they also breed
Animal health inputs are kept to a minimum in the mixed Angus and Murray Grey bulls and buy in weaner Jersey bulls,
age cows, which are treated with a Genesis Ultra once a year. which they grow out and offer at their annual on farm sale.

ON FARM AUCTION of origin in the sale catalogue.

At the annual on farm Mangaotea bull sale in September, the Their first on-farm sale was 22 years ago, and they offered
Blackwells offer 180 bulls. A third are Jersey bulls and the 50 bulls, of nearly all Jersey genetics with a handful of Hereford
remainder made up of Hereford, Murray Grey and Angus bulls. and Angus, but they found it harder and harder to source good
The Jersey bulls are purebred and sourced directly from three Hereford bulls to offer. It was also at this time that Jacqueline
farmers, which allows the Blackwells to confidently share the was looking for an investment and Herefords appealed to her
traceability story of all the cattle they put up. for their temperament and their red factor.
They say the homebred and self-sourced bulls command a “We are aware of what we sell, and it has to be quality, not
premium, which their clients also benefit from when they have just numbers,” she says.
finished using the bulls – either via the works or by on-selling Jacqueline bought her first cows in 2002 and had her first
them back into the market, and from selling the dairy beef calves on the ground in 2004, and has steadily built numbers
calves and weaners from these bulls. up. In 2006 Robin purchased his first Angus cows.
“We started that a couple of years ago and the transparency
is vital.” LEFT TO RIGHT: Traceability is something the Blackwells offer
The Jersey bulls are sourced from both purebred performance their bull buying clients in all facets of their business; The cows in
recorded and registered herds, and the couple specify the farm Jacqueline Blackwell’s Hereford herd are growing out top calves.

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