Page 136 - 2020 NZ Hereford Magazine

Our Breeders

Hairy Spot for Herefords

FROM THE OLDEST STUD IN TARANAKI TO ONE OF
THE NEWEST. THE MCLEODS ARE GRATEFUL FOR
THE KNOWLEDGE WILLINGLY SHARED WITH THEM

BY THE GAY LEARNING STUD AND THE TARANAKI

HEREFORD CLUB.

WORDS / PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED

PICTURED: Michelle and Paul McLeod on their farm near Hawera.

MICHELLE AND PAUL MCLEOD began The couple bought two heifers and This season they have used straws
their bovine journey with a 150-cow, 50/50 three cows. of Wirruna Matty M288 and Monymusk
sharemilking agreement with PKW in 2000. “A humble beginning, but oh so exciting. Gallant 11089 over their registered mob
This grew in the next 17 years to 860 cows They calved down and left us hungry for and will be flushing their best Hereford
and resulted in them buying their first farm more. Peter was told, ‘Whatever you are and a Speckle Park to get more calves
in Fraser Road, Hawera, in June 2017. selling, I am buying!’ The next year we on the ground faster.
“We were keen for a slower pace in bought six more mixed-aged girls from the “With Mycoplasma bovis, we don’t
our lives, and to enjoy our lifestyle while Gay Learning stud and were fortunate to want to buy too many in. We want to
raising our three boys – Ethan (18), Max purchase seven cows and three yearlings be self-sustainable by using our own
(16), and Nate (13),” says Michelle. from the Keelryn Stud – John and the late born and bred registered bulls over the
“The Hairy Spot was branded ours and Bernice Loveridge – all of which are from commercial herd in the next few years.
the search for exceptional stock began. the renowned Irane line of breeding.” “We intend to increase our beef
The stud name derives obviously from the August 2019 saw the McLeods calving numbers as the dairy milkers’ numbers
Hereford (Hairy – as I was afraid of ‘Here’ down 18 pedigree Herefords; they had decrease by natural causes… or we win
being pronounced as here!) and the Spot also purchased 51 commercial cows. the lottery! Eventually it will be entirely
refers to another side venture of Speckle “What a great road it has been, beef. Our goal is to get our yearlings to
Parks with a few ET calves on the ground. calving went really well. I guess the fact a great size and temperament for the
With the purchase of our farm, which has we have experience calving cows helps a start of on-farm sales and that is really
an unruly gully in the middle, we decided lot, but perhaps we do feed them a little exciting for us.”
early in the chasing-milk-solids game, too much. They are very spoilt.”
and after excessive lame cows, that we
needed to diversify into dry stock.”
Michelle contacted the Taranaki
Hereford club by email and after a
chance phone call from Peter McDonald
of Gay Learning Stud, a deal was made.
“He basically said, ‘you NEED to
come and have a look Michelle’, and
yes, they were great-looking girls of
sound temperament and type. I would
like to thank the Taranaki Hereford Club
members as they are so forthcoming
with the knowledge of the breed and very
helpful to us beginners who strive to get
it right.” PICTURED: The McLeods calved
18 pedigree Hereford cows in 2019.
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