22 | Historic stud to continue on smaller scale Virginia Wright The home to tried and proven genetics SILRecorded • EMAScanned Romneys, Dorset Downs, Romney-Texels, Dorset DownBeltex Easy care, high fertility & earlymaturing Rams ENQUIRES TO: Bruce&CarolynnRobertson Home: 032064894 Bruce: 0274385 131 Carolynn: 0274385 128 Luke&Casey Caldwell Casey: 021 388372 Duncraigen Farm/Motu-nui South Simon de Vries - 027 840 9867 Julie Heaps - 03 226 6212 The name Wainuka combines wai, meaning water, and manuka, reflecting the nature of the land, which was covered in manuka when it was first farmed by Fraser McKenzie’s father in 1954. It’s both the name of the farm and the name of the South Devon stud which was started by his father in 1971 when Fraser was ten years old. The 830 hectare sheep and beef farm runs 5000 Romneys and 130 cattle of which 90 are purebred South Devons, and 40 are Hereford-Fresians. Fraser’s now 60 and he and his wife Sandra recently decided that it was time to sell the farm and retire to Wanaka. The McKenzies raised three daughters on the Western Southland farm and succession was one of the reasons behind the decision to sell but Fraser was always determined to sell while things were still going strong. “The farm at this stage will continue as a sheep and beef farm so they’re continuing to breathe life into the district not sucking the life out of it planting it with trees,” says Fraser. “I’ve farmed it to the best of my ability right to the end, and I haven’t hung on too long so it’s in good shape and good to have a young family coming into the area.” They may be selling the farm but it doesn’t sound like retiring is high on Fraser’s list for the future as he plans to keep a reduced Wainuka Stud going forward. The stud began with a cow called ‘Wishworthy Flower” which Fraser’s father imported direct from the UK. Having tried Hereford and Simmental he liked the South Devons for their quiet nature as well as their growth and eating qualities. 50 years later the stud has benefited from the McKenzie’s MEAT & WOOL» Fraser McKenzie: Wainuka belief in the maternal qualities of the animal. “We believe the female’s the engine room of any herd,” says Fraser. “We’ve calved two-year olds since about 1985, and we find that having to have a calf every year and be fertile breeds an efficient, hardy animal with a good constitution.” Fraser has loved cattle since he was a lad, and now, with too many favourites to choose from, he’s not looking forward to deciding which of his cows will go to their new home. “I had a friend who did a herd reduction like I’m doing now and he likened it to going down on the Titanic and deciding which of your children do you put into the life raft and which ones do you leave on board,” he says with a rueful laugh. The one thing he’s sure of is that it’ll be the best-performing animals that make the cut, which means the ones who’ve given him the best calves over the years, the ones who are showing the most promise and the ones with the genetics they’ve been breeding for. “The eye-muscle, and the rib fattening which traditionally the Devons haven’t been great for,” says Fraser, “and the yield which we’ve increased while making sure we hang onto the IMF at the same time.” 70 cows went to the bull this year and 28 yearlings of which he’s keeping 20 and five respectively, of the 92 calves tagged he’ll keep 25. Some of those calves are bound to make the cut though as for the last two years he’s been AI’ing cows with genetics from Australia. “I’m chasing that smoother, softer type finishing and it also seems to lend itself to the easier calving which is a big step forward for the breed. Easy calving’s extremely high in profitability for a beef herd.” It’s in that easy calving, while maintaining the growth rate and yield, that Fraser sees the future for South Devons, and he’s looking forward to • to page 23 NIGEL & DEBBIE FOWLE - PH: 03 225 5052 · 021 226 6156 Give Nigel a call to discuss your contracting needs, big or small. We also buy and sell balage and standing grass ROUNDBALAGEANDHAY • AGRICULTURALWORK • DIRECTDRILLING • CONTRACTING PRECISIONFODDERBEETDRILL • SILAGE Wainuku South Devon Stud, established in 1954, is to continue on a smaller scale after farm owners Fraser and Sandra McKenzie decided to sell their Western Southland farm and ‘retire’ to Wanaka.
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