Page 43 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2018

Our Breeders
Good things take time

WORDS REBECCA HARPER PHOTOGRAPHS GRAEME BROWN

NGAKOUKA HEREFORD STUD,

MIRONUI STATION, WEBER IF GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT, Bruce and
Chrissina Donald are the perfect example.
OWNER: BRUCE AND CHRISSINA DONALD The couple operate their Hereford Stud, Ngakouka, from
• 567 hectares (500 effective). their Weber property, Mironui Station, near Dannevirke.
The stud was established in 2000 and the Donalds held their
CONTOUR: first on-farm bull and heifer sale in 2017, a pivotal moment for
• Medium hill country – prone to wind but generally the family. Although the road to sale day has been punctuated
summer safe. by potholes, they stuck to their guns to realise their dream of
farm ownership and growing their stud.
RAINFALL: For Bruce, it has always been Herefords. “My start was
• 1200 mm. when I was about five or six, my grandfather had a Hereford
stud in Greytown, Platform Stud – that was the start of my itch,
STOCK: which encouraged dad to buy a cow from them for me.”
SHEEP: After school and attending Telford, Bruce worked on cattle
• 1500 commercial Romney breeding ewes. studs around the country, including Braxton and Monymusk
CATTLE: Herefords, then spent four years at a Gisborne Angus stud. It
• 120 Hereford stud cows. was there he met Chrissina, who worked as a school teacher
• Breed replacements for both herd and flock. for the past 25 years but has taken a break from teaching to
• High level of trading stock – 30% buffer trading zone, as become more involved in the farming operation, particularly
the season allows, depending on feed and margin. with the stud and on-farm sale.
Bruce likes the challenge of breeding the complete Hereford
package. “It’s the only breed where cosmetics come into the
selection criteria. That, for me, gives more of a challenge, doing
the structure, cosmetics and performance all in one package.”
The Donalds look for good temperament, self-replacing
cattle that are very fertile, have longevity and are good doers,
as well as top performance and great tasting animals. “High

TOP OF PAGE: Bruce and Chrissina Donald established Ngakouka
Hereford Stud in 2000. The stud is located on their farm Mironui
Station, at Weber, near Dannevirke.
BOTTOM LEFT, INSERT: The Donalds held their first on-farm sale
last year and sold 18 out of 20 catalogued R2 bulls
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