Page 84 - Hereford Magazine 2022

Lyn’s heifers are finished on grass and topped up with homegrown silage during winter.
grass and silage – there’s no other feed bought in.”
Last year Lyn also grew 2ha of lucerne, which is baled and
fed out too.
“It’s cut every 30 days and we get four or five cuts from it,”
she says.
About 250 bales of silage and lucerne are made each year.
Lyn also says not being over-stocked helps as it reduces stress
and pressure on the animals.
“We had a home-kill butcher visit and do a beast for us,
and he commented how
“There’s pride beautiful the animals and
beef looked.”
in being part Lyn’s finishing technique
of supplying a of balanced stocking rates
product of real and feeding the cattle
quality.” well has also seen her
help Magills reach the
2010 Beef and Lamb NZ
Steak of Origin Finals, a
competition that identified the best steak in the country. Lyn’s First-cross Herefords are the preference on this Te Awamutu property.
supplied sirloin was a finalist in the Best of Brand Retail class
for Magills.
Stephen said it was a buzz to be part of that success. “There’s
pride in being part of supplying a product of real quality.”
Lyn agrees with Stephen, saying she was thrilled to be part
of that award. “It was amazing and goes to show if you look
after and feed your cattle well, they do well.”
She is targeting 250kgCW for Magills Hereford Prime, which
means the heifers need to be well forward and weigh more
than 500kgLW.
The 40ha block is rolling to flat country with a couple of
steep gullies. The Maeroa ash soil is light, free draining and
quite fertile. Lyn doesn’t take soil health for granted. Mike
Munro from TerraCare conducts soil tests every couple of
years, with fertiliser applied as needed. 2021 was the first
application made in about four years and she applied 250kg/
ha of TerraCare rePlenish. Lyn and Stephen drafting some first-cross Herefords destined for Magills.

82 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2022