Page 64 - Hereford Magazine 2022

Tawanui has invested more than $100,000 in bulls in the past Purchasing quality stud sires is flowing through into the Downs’
three years. commercial cow herd.
A
$41,000 bull was Stratford farmers Lance and
Janelle Downs’ first official purchase under their
own business name.
Tawanui Herefords bought Limehills Stardom
190156 on 1 June last year; the same day Lance
and Janelle started trading on their own account. Janelle says it
has been a big year: buying the farm was just the start.
“We sold two bulls at our sale for transfer, one to Rodney Jupp,
Hurstpier Herefords, and the other to Otapawa Herefords and
the Robbie family. On top of our big bull purchase, we had a go
at AI with our yearling heifers with a bull purchased by Okawa
Herefords, Nick and Penny France, called Limehills Dragon.
We also had a go at embryo flushing our top performing cow,
Otapawa Spot, something I have been told to do many times
but never had the courage to dive in and do,” she says. “We
would like to thank Nick France and Stuart Robbie, who have
been fantastic mentors and support for us. It’s not uncommon
for me to be walking behind sheep or cattle flicking either of
those two a message with questions or ideas. They have been a
fabulous support network for us and we really appreciate it.”
The Downs have invested more than $100,000 in bulls in the Lance Downs showing the docility of new bull Limehills Stardom
past three years. They bought Okawa Saracen 8017 in 2020 for 190156.
$26,000, having previously bought two other bulls from Okawa
for stud duties. Now, they also have Limehills genetics working twin brother Lloyd. Lance and Janelle’s business now includes
for them. Stardom 190156’s traits fit in well with what the stud 810 hectares in three blocks east of Stratford, Tawanui Farms,
is aiming to achieve. They service a large dairy market, so an and the 263ha Downs’ family farm, Pukengahu.
average to below average birth weight EBV is important. Downs Family Farms still owns Aotuhia Station, a breeding
“He had good calving ease and was lower in birth weight but property managed by Lloyd, and a finishing block at Te Kuiti.
with really good growth. He also had positive fats and is triple “The home farm is our bull unit and hosts both of our sales.
the average for IMF,” Lance says. Everything is bred here at Tawanui Farms, and as yearlings they
“We need Herefords that can compete on the hills,” Janelle adds. go to Pukengahu until they’re sold.”
They had bought stud cows from the Leelands dispersal sale Tawanui’s 2021 sale averaged $7235 on 17 registered bulls, with
in Hawke’s Bay and had to build in traits that would better suit the top price of $13,500 paid by Hurstpier Herefords. They sold
Taranaki hill country. another 100 two-year-old commercial Hereford bulls at their
“They have to work pretty hard and hang on when conditions spring sale, alongside 100 commercial Angus bulls.
are short and hard in winter. We need something moderately Economy of scale saw them buy cattle from an Angus stud at a
framed with good depth, muscling and fat. Anything too big- dispersal sale in Taranaki; they needed 20 Angus bulls between
boned seems to melt and fall off the hills. We also didn’t have them, Aotuhia, and the farm belonging to Lance’s sister and
a lot of carcass data in our cattle so we’ve been looking closely brother-in-law, Laura and Sami Werder.
at that. Stardom was a bit of a curve bender. He ticked all the Lance and Janelle’s children are the fifth generation of Hereford
boxes for us, as well as being deep, meaty and having good breeders on the home farm. The oldest, six-year-old Ellie, is the
muscling, with a dark red coat and good white mane.” farmer of the young bunch … so far.
Lance and Janelle bought land from Downs Family Farms, a “She inherited her father’s passion for Herefords and
business that includes Lance’s parents, Kevin and Jean, and stockmanship,” Janelle says. “She has more say on the farm

62 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2022