Business Rural Autumn 2021

32 | Joint venture sale Karen Phelps A joint venture sale between three breeders in Canterbury has resulted in benefits for both buyers and sellers, says Rob Stokes from Richon Herefords. Rob’s stud along with Beech- wood Herefords and Woodburn Herefords hold two annual sales – in June and October. “It came about due to problems holding joint sales with mycoplasma bovis. We discussed it over a beer then built a yard. It’s resulted in a lot more clientele as we hold it in the morning then another two studs – Grassmere and Capethorne – hold their joint sale in the afternoon. So buyers can see a number of bulls in one day. We’re get- ting people coming down from the North Island now,” says Rob. There have also been other benefits with the three studs investing in genetics together to jointly improve their herds. This has seen them invest in genetics from Allandale Anzac, an Australian bull from Mawarra Genetics, that Rob says ticks all the boxes for performance, phenotype, longevity and profitability. This year’s sale will also include progeny from Grassmere Jeffrey, $60,000 bull that brings simi- larly good traits and EBVs. Rob says that the first crop of progeny this year are looking outstanding. To further improve their genetics Rob says they prefer to put their yearling bulls out in December to give them 40 days with the cows before the adult bulls are put in. “It’s a good test for them to be used as a year- ling. It improves our genetic gain and consistency in terms of the type of bull we produce. It helps us to scrutinise how they might perform.” He says they aim to “stay in the middle” with regards to their genetics, for example a birth- weight below 6 and a 600 day growth rate not much higher than what the mature EBV weight will be. MEAT & WOOL » Richon Herefords “Because of the type of hill country they will go into we don’t want them too big in frame,” he explains. Rob and wife Julie run Richon Herefords from their 2500ha farm in Lees Valley. Rob, who is also Federated Farmers High Country Committee chairman, grew up on the farm and he and Julie took over management in 2000. In 2017 they purchased a 50ha property at Amberley where they live, used as a bull block, and a 120ha finish- ing block in Oxford, of which they lease 60ha and own the rest. They started the stud in 1994 with 20 cows, the aim being to simply produce bulls for their own farm. It was in 2013 that Robbie and Mary Ann Burrows from Beechwood downsized their farm and wanted to continue their stud. So they entered a sharefarm agreement with the Stokes where the Stokes do the day to day work with their 120 herefords and they share the offspring 50/50. On the Lees Valley farm, managed by Tim Sowman and Rob Tucker, the Stokes run 400 commercial hereford cows and 240 stud cows including the Burrow’s polled herefords. The Stokes farm also includes 2400 perendale ewes and 600 hoggets. At the finishing block in Oxford the Stokes run 200 yearling steers. The majority head to the block in autumn from Lees Valley and the rest in October. All are wintered on fodder beet, which is break fed. They start sending the cattle to the works in September and aim for a 300kg carcass weight. All heifer calves are wintered on the finishing block and replacements picked. Meanwhile all yearling bull calves are taken from the home farm to the Amberley bull block and remain there until sale day when they are sold as yearlings or R2s. The yearling bull sale, held in October, is aimed at the heifer mating mar- ket and dairy industry. The June R2 sale is aimed at the beef industry. “It came about due to problems holding joint sales with mycoplasma bovis. We discussed it over a beer then built a yard. It’s resulted in a lot more clientele as we hold it in the morning then another two studs - Grassmere and Capethorne - hold their joint sale in the afternoon. So buyers can see a number of bulls in one day.” Darfield 03 318 8516 | Oxford 03 312 4016 www.frewstransport.co.nz • GENERAL FREIGHT • STOCK • LIME & FERTILISER • GRAIN • LOG CARTAGE • BLOWER TRUCK 0274 364 776 03 314 8541 www.duckworthfencing.co.nz • STOCKYARDS • SHEDS • RETAINING WALLS • ALL TYPES OF FENCING FREE QUOTES Richon Hereford Cows on wintering country at Lees Valley.