Page 32 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

Brothers on a mission

Words and photos: Rob Tipa

he Hellier brothers are two young farmers on a
mission to scale up stock numbers quickly on their
new farm between Waipahi and Pukerau.
They have turned to Waikaka Genetics to source
Tbreeding bulls and rams to help them reach their
targets faster.
Justin and Logan farm in partnership with their mother
Doreen on a 400ha property at Arthurton. The farm literally
straddles the border between Otago and Southland, with
panoramic views over the rolling hills of South and West Otago
and into Eastern Southland. Doreen Hellier and her sons Logan, left, and Justin, source both
The brothers started farming together on their family’s Hereford bulls and Romdale rams from Waikaka Genetics.
152ha property at Waikoikoi in nearby West Otago, which was
sold to their older brother in 2019. Both were working full-time
off-farm “so we farmed at night,” Logan says jokingly. Justin
was working on a big farm at Clinton and Logan was driving
trucks and doing an engineering apprenticeship.
“We both wanted to go farming and needed something big
enough for us to come home,” Justin explains. “We have been
lucky to have an opportunity to buy a property of this size,
then have another opportunity to buy a neighbouring bare-
land block. It’s not very often neighbouring land comes on
the market.”
The additional block is 160ha and has been grazing dairy
cattle, a practice they will continue while they build up their A mob of mixed-age cows and calves on the move on the
own stock numbers. Hellier family’s sheep and beef farm at Arthurton.
When the brothers took over the family farm at Waikoikoi
from their father, they switched from Romneys to Romdale – Every year since they have bought a Waikaka Genetics-
the attraction being easy-care sheep that didn’t need constant bred bull, saying they offered an excellent range of different
attention when they were both working off-farm. bloodlines to choose from. Within the past five years, they are
When they started buying their Romdale rams from starting to see a similar consistency and evenness coming
Waikaka Genetics in 2017 and got to know Laurie Paterson, the through in the breeding of their own replacements.
conversation moved on to the Herefords Laurie was breeding. “We’re looking for good birth weights too. We’re on easy to
“We went to one of their bull sales and we were impressed rolling hill country and we are able to monitor them easier now
with what we saw,” Justin says. Laurie’s bulls were ideal for that we are more on-farm, farming. If we can get a good solid calf
the direction they wanted to develop their own Hereford on the ground, we are off to a good start to meeting our targets.”
breeding herd. The breeding cows have scanned 100% two years in a row

30 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2023