Page 48 - Hereford Magazine 2022

Will moves one of the three sons of Otapawa Voodoo he is using as yearling bulls this year.

“The work I do as a genetics consultant is obviously driven for auction. They just hit the target in every respect for us,
by the use of data. All the animals we select have to drive us in with amazing data that they will thrive in our climate, great
a direction that is really beneficial for a commercial beef guy phenotype, and structure to die for. They’re good top-end hill
to buy their bulls from us.” country bulls.
Foulden Hill is a picturesque dryland hill country property “I think our Herefords are really starting to hit their straps
nestled in a rock-studded basin above the Strath Taieri Plain, now with the direction we’ve got the entire cow herd moving
which is notoriously prone to drying out in summer. in,” he says.
“Our property isn’t a real strong cattle property so our Breeding cow numbers at Foulden Hill have stabilised at
cows have to battle a fair bit of the time,” Will says. “This is 80 purebred Herefords, as well as another 40 Santa Gertrudis
the first time in about two and half years that our cows have breeding cows. Will believes this is the optimum for a property
had much grass in front of them, so it has been a real test.” of this size, so the farm is now selling off about half of its
He says it is rewarding to see what cattle can do under really in-calf Hereford heifers and a percentage of surplus Hereford
trying conditions. cows in calf every year.
“I enjoy seeing the results of breeding selections to aid and “Cows have to perform really well year in and year out. That
drive clients’ profitability when you see they are working for puts real good pressure on what gets to stay. We’re calving
you as well.” 80 purebred Hereford cows and looking to consistently sell
The breeding focus for Foulden Hill Herefords is in about 15 Hereford bulls of extremely good quality to the beef
producing functional cows that produce a live calf every industry each year.”
year. Artificial insemination (AI) sires have to hit the mark An on-farm sale is held in June each year in conjunction
for calving ease; they have to have plenty of growth but also with Foulden Hill’s Santa Gertrudis bulls and Angus bulls
plenty of carcass fat. from the Netherton Angus Stud near Middlemarch.
“On this country we need animals that are able to live, Bull sales have been steadily improving over the years, with
survive and thrive in a pretty marginal climate, so the more fat animals going all over the country.
they can put on in good times the greater their ability to hold Will has a lot of irons in the fire and loves the hectic lifestyle
on when times are tough,” Will says. of a wide range of work and being constantly on the road
The joy of working with AI sires is having access to some between clients and jobs. His work as a genetics consultant is
“pretty handy bulls from all over the world. With most of the highly specialised, but also very varied. On any week he could be
AI sires we use, you could chuck a blanket over them and they running between sheep and cattle yards, sorting or selling rams,
would all fit a similar mould when it comes to EBVs, and they weaning or sorting cattle, and on his days off he frequently ends
have to hit the mark on phenotype and structure as well.” up helping friends and clients classing their wool clip.
He is particularly pleased with an AI sire he has used from While he lives at home on the family farm, his parents look
Otapawa Poll Hereford Stud in northern Wairarapa. after the day-to-day running of the property, he keeps track of
“I’ve got three sons of Otapawa Voodoo being used as the management of data, and breeding decisions on their stud
yearling bulls this year and should have six or seven lined up stock operations are shared between them.

46 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2022