Page 92 - 2020 NZ Hereford Magazine

SOUTH ISLAND POST-TOUR PROFILES

WAIKAKA STATION – WAIKAKA

The Paterson family’s history in Waikaka goes back to 1894. Current polled sires are Monymusk Eiffel Tower 090140,
Waikaka Station’s present homestead block, now 780ha, was Waikaka Hustler 1446, Otapawa Red Wolf 4061 and Matariki
bought in 1909. Jetson. Horned sires are Waikaka Valuer 1268 and Waikaka
It is farmed by Laurie and Sharon Paterson and son Ross and Jasper 1607.
daughter-in-law Steph, with input from their other son Bill and “We operate a closed herd, the only additions being sires.
daughter-in-law Rebecca. Their grandchildren – Ollie, Emmie, Heifers have been calved at two years of age since 1988 and all
Jimmy and Leo – are the next generation to enjoy the farm. non-performers are culled without question.”
Laurie says the Hereford herd was started in 1953 and the Laurie says they also winter 5500 sheep; the flock is
farm now carries 200 Hereford cows and their yearling calves basically Romney with a Texel stud flock as well, selling about
(all performance recorded on Breedplan). 150 rams a year.
“Herefords were decided on for their temperament and all- The farm is in a consistent rainfall area, receiving 1100mm
round production ability.” of rain each year.

LIMEHILLS HEREFORDS – ROXBURGH
Gray and Robyn Pannett, and their daughters Madison and Evie,
are the owners of Limehills Polled Hereford Stud at Millers Flat,
near Roxburgh, Central Otago. This area is known for its low
annual rainfall of 580mm. Snowfalls are a regular occurrence in
the winter, while summers can be hot and dry.
The farm is 4000ha; 2500ha is over-sown tussock and the rest
is developed paddocks with steep gullies. There are four different
blocks and the most distant part is about 30km from the homestead.
There are 8000 crossbred sheep and 1200 cattle on the property.
The Hereford stud has 350 cows mated in 2018. The
Pannetts have an on-farm sale each May; this year was their
40th sale, with 51 bulls sold. During the rest of the year they sell
around 70 bulls privately.
Limehills aims to breed moderate-framed cattle with strong
structure that thrive in commercially run farming systems. The
stud’s cattle reflect what its commercial clients want: cattle with
moderate mature cow weights, average birth weights, strong
fats and IMF. Heifers have been calved successfully as two-
year-olds for 40 years. Cattle are run in large mobs, which
ensures accurate data.
Gray and Robyn run an extensive AI programme with
150 cattle each year, sourcing genetics from the best of New
Zealand and around the world.
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