Page 119 - Hereford Magazine 2021

Bexley

continues to impress

Buyers at Bexley’s annual yearling bull sale at the end of September are looking for good bulls and they’re not disappointed.

uyers turn up to Bexley’s annual yearling bull weeks, then are tailed with a Hereford. These crossbred calves
sale at the end of September with expectations, are sold as weaners.
and they are not disappointed: each year bulls are Calving begins in early August; the mobs being fed as
grown to average 520kg and are well presented much as they can eat until weaning at the end of March.
Band well mannered. Approximately 50 heifers are kept to first calve as two-year-olds,
Bexley Station, owned by Colin and Carol King, is on plateau and 60 bulls are selected to take through winter for the sale.
land between the Awakino and Mokau rivers in the Awakino Surplus heifer calves are sold on farm to repeat buyers after
Gorge between the King Country and Taranaki. The driveway weaning, as are the bulls that don’t make the cut for the sale.
heads off through a tunnel and climbs through native trees, The Kings were strong supporters of Beef Expo, starting in
and on your first visit you could expect to see steep hills and 2008 when they bought Hukaroa Excellent, going on to buy
rough country. However, 526ha of the 728ha farm is in grass, Kairuru Express in 2009, Okawa Panda in 2012, Matapouri
much of it tractor country. Merton in 2013, Okahu King George in 2015, Foulden Hill
The farm was first bought as 1820ha by A.H. Miles in 1904, and Rebel in 2016, and Monymusk Kelpie and Hukaroa Nova
named after his birthplace in England. It was initially developed in 2017. Other bulls that have performed well at Bexley
as a sheep station, but difficult economic times meant the are Okawa Freedom and Okawa Electra – both 2011-born –
Guardian Trust had managers on it from 1926 until 1953. The and Bexley 08 27, Rapu Rangi and Awhea Highlander and
northern half was divided off as Rimrock Station and the rest Maungahina Showmen and Skydancer (2014-born). Colin was
was sold to E.J. Kerrigan. Various owners followed, with a dairy disappointed when the format of Beef Expo changed.
shed constructed and supply to Kiwi Dairies beginning in 2000. “It was a great opportunity to see bulls from different studs
Colin and Carol bought the farm in 2006 as a 250-cow dairy in one place, and something to strive towards for new breeders.”
plus beef/sheep unit, but after 35 years of milking cows Colin Colin and Carol believe in feeding their animals well, and
had had enough. They had brought unregistered Hereford and the farm would be considered understocked by some. But
Angus cows down from Northland, and in 2007 added four with more than two metres of annual rainfall, they prefer to
cows from Keelryn’s stud dispersal. In 2008, the Kings joined look after their animals and their pastures. They do their own
NZ Herefords after adding registered Herefords from dispersal silage and hay harvesting. Colin enjoys the machinery side of
sales at Waitaporiri, Seven Hills, and Pinecroft. In 2009, more things, and Carol uses her background as a rural veterinarian
females came from the Matapouri, Anric, Leelands, Glendale on the animal health side.
and Newcastle studs. Fast forward to 2020, when Bexley calved The market for yearling bulls fluctuates and is challenging
280 cows – 150 of those were stud Hereford cows, with the with more animals up for sale each year, but makes sense,
remainder being a mixture of unregistered Hereford, Angus, Carol says.
Speckle Park, and Speckle Park-cross. “A yearling only needs to produce 10 calves to pay for
The bulls go out with the cows at the end of October until himself, and can be used for at least another year if he is
the start of January. The stud cows are in mobs of about 30 looked after. He is only half-grown.”
with one bull throughout. The unregistered Herefords have The future for Bexley Herefords?
a stud Hereford bull for three weeks then an Angus bull for “To continue to enjoy growing the best animals we can,
six weeks. The Angus have a registered Angus bull for three while appreciating the special place that is Bexley Station.”

Year 2021 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 117