Page 86 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2018

Cows and calves are gradually moved up, block by block, on the property, but for now naturally quiet cows make for a
in spring, coming back down for calf marking at the end of more efficient farming operation.
January and weaning at the end of March. “One man can shift 500 cows and calves up the valley.
Up the valleys 70 to 80% of the country is bush or shingle, That’s pretty efficient.”
with matagouri scrub as tall as a tractor. Cattle that can be When selecting bulls, Ken says they don’t chase any
spotted easily are a distinct advantage. particular Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs).
“We make sure everything has a whiteface,” Johnny Wigley “We’re looking for average EBVs all round. We used to take
says. Johnny is Ken and Jane’s son, who came home to work on a lot of notice of milk but we don’t feel we need to any more. We
the stations a little over a year ago. “Anything with a blackface just keep away from any particularly low EBVs.”
can hide in the scrub too easily.” While it’s important, birth weight’s not excessively high; they
To that end, there are about 200 black cows with white don’t calve heifers as two-year-olds so a birth weight EBV that’s
faces and the rest are straight Herefords. For uniformity and moderately higher than average isn’t a problem and, if anything,
what appears to be a buyer preference, they look for a darker is preferable as it correlates with increased survival and higher
brown in the Herefords. weaning weights, he explains.
“We don’t mind the odd red neck or calf with no white feet,” “Quite a bit of time” is spent studying a bull’s maternal
Ken notes. parentage before deciding to bid, and they heed studmasters’
But the key quality they’re looking for is a cow that will get advice on a bull’s suitability for their country.
through a long winter in good condition on minimal feed and still “We mate on rough ground with 20 to 30 cows per bull and
rear a good calf every year. there’s quite a high attrition rate. There’s the odd one we cull for
“Herefords get through the winter better as they’re a bit hardier age but most only last three or four years.”
than other breeds and they’re better suited to our country.” Ken admits he’s “always been biased to horned Herefords”
They also have a quiet temperament, which eases handling because he believes they have a better constitution and go
in the yards and through the blocks, not to mention sales of through winter better, but due to Johnny’s direction, he’s not
calves and reducing trouble with trampers. bought any in recent years.
Johnny believes one day tourism will be the biggest earner “I think there’s no future for horned genetics,” Johnny

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