Page 39 - Hereford Magazine 2021

William Jones with three two-year-old bulls bought under Matarae Station’s crossbreeding strategy.

hybrid vigour produces a bigger calf or yearling or a slightly keep those same animals on the property rather than go
bigger heifer that has grown out better or gets into calf better, off-farm and bring other animals in with the potential risk of
it can only be a positive thing.” introducing disease.”
Crossbreeding decisions are totally based on colour. Matarae Station lies on the flanks of the Rock and Pillar
“The straight Angus and straight Hereford cows go to a Range, above the Strath Taieri Plain. It is warm, healthy stock
Hereford bull and the black and white-face country, but is inclined to dry out in spring
cows go to an Angus bull.” and summer, with an annual rainfall of
Crossbred cattle with black coats can fetch “You may as well only 500mm. For that reason, the couple
a 10 to 20 cents a kilogram premium and are get them as big as like to carry about three years of feed in
often 30 to 40kg heavier than the straight reserve, including three silage pits buried
breeds, which means a $60 to $80 premium you can, so if a bit underground.
on each animal, he says. of hybrid vigour “I think it’s the key to farming in a dry
Historically, Matarae has kept its best produces a bigger climate,” William says.
heifers as replacements and sells all other calf or yearling or “When you’re dry, everyone else around
calves at weaning, straight off their mothers, you is dry as well. If you don’t have any
in late April. Over the past three years, calves a slightly bigger winter feed it pushes up the price and
sold at the Balclutha calf sale have averaged heifer that has demand as well. So it’s good if we can get
about $1000 a head. grown out better out of that cycle of having to buy feed at its
“It has been really good, but this year with or gets into calf maximum price.”
no calf sales [during the Covid-19 lockdown], The Jones family has been buying
we didn’t really know what to do so we better, it can Hereford bulls from Limehills for more than
decided to keep them, wintered all calves only be a positive 20 years.
and sold them at the Palmerston calf sale as thing.” “I remember my parents had a brilliant
yearlings on 25 September.” Limehills bull that left brilliant progeny,”
William had hoped the market would be William Jones William recalls. He is similarly impressed
stronger but their yearling steers of about Matarae Station with a Limehills sire bull called Streaker that
350kg still fetched $3.30 to $3.40 a kilogram, he describes as a well-rounded bull with
or between $1100 and $1200 a head. good fats, good growth rates, and moderate
As it turned out, wintering calves on farm has turned out to calving ease. He has bought two of Streaker’s sons.
be a better, easier option for William and Emily than selling William says breeding values of low birth weights and
them as weaners; it also gives them a bit more income at that calving ease are important for mating heifers, but he says
time of year. the word ‘moderate’ springs to mind when he is selecting a
“Selling calves is actually becoming really expensive,” suitable sire.
William explains. “By the time we pay to get calves to the “Our parents never mated cows until they were three years
saleyards, pay a NAIT fee, advertising fee, yard fee and old. Ours calve as two-year-olds so we do specifically buy a
commission, it can be anywhere between $60 and $100 a calf lower birth weight yearling bull, but not a ridiculously low
just to sell it.” birth weight bull.
In future, their strategy will be to assess whether they buy “I don’t like the trend of chasing low, low birth weight calves
all his parents’ calves every year and winter them on the because if you have a 40kg calf on the ground, he is already 25%
property, depending on how good their winter crops are and heavier than a 30kg calf. It’s already well ahead from day one.”
whether they have excess balage and silage. They want their heifers to produce a calf they can be proud
“There’s no pressure for us to buy them every year, but it of and mate from in future and the yearling bull needs to be
makes a lot more sense to buy them off Mum and Dad and good enough as a backup sire bull in future.

Year 2021 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 37