Page 33 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2019 Edition

ABOVE: Stoneburn Hereford Stud’s new herd sires (from left) Stoneburn 160132, Monymusk Kinnard and Matariki 690.

“As long as the rain comes at the right time, we’re okay This season the stud sorted 55 of its early calving breeding cows
and if we can get through to Christmas with just normal rains, into a separate mob for a synchronised AI breeding programme using
we’re on the home straight,” Andy says. “You’ve pretty much two Australian bulls (Allandale Anzac K4 and Days Robin Hood H38)
got enough feed to get you through to the autumn rains.” and two New Zealand bulls (Okawa Hogan and Otapawa Spark).
After two years of drought, the Denhams were forced to Andy says Hereford breeders are constantly looking for
destock a few years ago and are only just building up sheep new genetics. He usually visits North and South Island studs
numbers from a low point of 3000 ewes to a target of 3500 or regularly looking for suitable stud sire prospects.
4000 ewes, plus 1200 hoggets. In between his own bull sales he also tries to visit a few
For the past eight years the family bought rams from Otago clients every year to see how his bulls have performed and to
Romney breeder Bill Everitt, but when he retired they had an make sure his clients are happy with them.
opportunity to buy some of his breeding stock. They bought “There’s plenty of stud breeders around so you’ve got to be
160 breeding ewes, 42 ewe hoggets, 38 ram hoggets and making improvements all the time,” he says. “If I haven’t got the
three stud rams, the nucleus of Stoneburn Romney Stud, a new right cattle for clients, they’ll go somewhere else. So you’ve got
venture and responsibility for Liz to look after. to breed the right stock that buyers want.
When the family bought the property 10 years ago, lambs “If they’ve got any concerns about a bull it’s important for
either went to the works directly off the ewes or were sold as them to let us know. If there are any issues we wouldn’t hesitate
stores. Now they finish everything, mostly on rape. to correct them.”
When the calves are weaned they are left to settle on a diet of So the search for the perfect Hereford bull continues.
grass before the bull calves are shifted on to 10ha of fodder beet “When I first got into it one of the stud breeders said ‘you’ll
a month to six weeks after weaning. This year they are planning to always have some disappointments’ and you sure do,” he says.
put in another 10ha of fodder beet for the heifers, which will last “But I’m happy with our progress and it’s exciting looking to
them from early to mid-June through until about mid-October. Stoneburn Hereford Stud’s future. Breeding stud Herefords is
Every year the stud selects about 40 yearling bulls for the hugely satisfying and adds another dimension to farming.”
annual on-farm bull sale in May and the rest are sold to regular
dairy farming clients or to farmers who lease bulls. BOTTOM LEFT: This mob of early calvers has been separated from
The Denhams also have regular buyers for their second cut of the main breeding herd for a synchronised AI breeding programme
to introduce new bloodlines from two Australian and two New
yearling heifers, which are sold to a large station on the Rangitata Zealand bulls. BOTTOM RIGHT: Stoneburn 160132 is a promising
River in Canterbury. The third cut of yearling heifers is sold locally. new young herd sire.

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