38 | South Devon stock more than living up A Loch Lomond four month old bull calf. New born South Devon calves (bottom). Virginia Wright Brian and Ann Thomson farm a sheep and beef operation on a total of 210 hectares across two farms south of Dunedin, close to the airport: 104 hectares at Kuri Bush, and a further 106 hectares to the west in Allanton called Loch Lomond. While the 1300 breeding ewes for prime lamb production account for 75% of their farming operation it’s the 80 purebred Loch Lomond South Devons that hold pride of place in Brian’s heart. As he was growing up Brian’s father always ran commercial cattle on the property but when Brian read about South Devons, the oldest breed in the UK with a reputation for being a quiet breed, he decided to establish a stud. “I went to Castle Rock South Devons in Lumsden and bought a couple of purebred females and a purebred bull,” says Brian. “They were very well-fleshed animals and of course they were horned cattle back in those days.” That was 1988 and originally the Thomsons put their purebred South Devon bull across their commercial cattle. “We could see the quality of these animals, they were growing really well and coming out at good weights. The progeny of that first cross were really exciting,” says Brian. After nearly 35 years of breeding up, their 40 commercial cattle have become 40 purebred South Devons and the animals are living up to their potential just as Brian had hoped. “They’re a docile animal,” says Brian, “with an ability to do well once they’re born and get up to good weights at 18 months of age. If you feed them well once they’re away from mum, for the next 12 months, they’ve got an ability to put meat on at a very good rate.” What that means in commercial terms is that the animals reach the desired 300kg weight in time to go to the works before they have to be kept on farm for a second winter, which has an obvious flow-on affect to the bottom line. Each year the Thomsons sell six of their best South Devon bulls in a combined bull sale with Warwick and Jane Howie, who sell 10 or 12 of their best Glenwood Angus bulls. People tend to like one or the other and although there are incentives being offered by some meat companies for pure Angus meat, Brian remains staunch in his preference. MEAT & WOOL » Loch Lomond South Devons Brian & Ann Thomson “We believe that our first cross South Devons have superior growth rates to the Angus; we breeders discuss this all the time and I’ve got a new client who says his first cross Devons are 30 kg ahead of his Angus cattle,” says Brian. The Thomsons run their South Devons on the rolling hills at Kuri Bush and fatten the bulls on the flatter Allanton property. Brian has recently added a homogenous polled bull to his stud to meet the current trend away from horns. He’s also playing around with his traditional red South Devon genetics and in the lead up to Christmas he had two chocolate brown bull calves and a heifer on the ground he was particularly interested in, having used semen from the Australian Davelle Cool Beau N51 with his homegrown South Devon breeding cows. “His breed plan figures are said to be some of the best ever seen in South Devons anywhere in the world,” says Brian. “Low birthweight, good early growth, then bending the growth curve for a moderate mature weight.” Some semen from Ashwood Sambo introducing black genetics from Christchurch’s Ashwood Black Devons resulted in two black calves introducing still more colour into the Loch Lomond stud and Brian will watch all of these calves with interest over the next 18 months to see if they measure up to their hype. “We’re always trying to breed another, better, bull,” says Brian, “otherwise things stagnate. Some of these black genetics seem to have a bit more softness and the Australians say they’re scanning as well or a bit better than the reds but we won’t really know until we scan them ourselves in 15 months or so.” In the meantime for the upcoming bull sale in Lawrence on the 19th of May the Thomsons have six good polled bulls, “very well-fleshed, out of our home-bred Loch Lomond bull Mt. Royal Paul,” says Brian. “You can find out more about his details on the South Devon web-site.” “We believe that our first cross South Devons have superior growth rates to the Angus; we breeders discuss this all the time and I’ve got a new client who says his first cross Devons are 30 kg ahead of his Angus cattle.” AG & BALEAGE LTD Marshall SET PRICE PER BALE NOT PER HOUR, NO SURPRISES ON THE BILL SERVICES OFFERED • Round bale baleage and hay • Full or part service • Mulching: gorse, rushes, grass, hedge trimmings • Silage • Cultivation • Fencing We cater for all and just a phone call away Call the team that care | Peter: 027 464 3321 WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCH LOMOND SOUTH DEVONS For a free initial consultation and no obligation fee estimate call us on 03 477 1984 or visit www.jwsmeaton.co.nz Level 6 Consultancy House 7 Bond Street, Dunedin We provide accounting services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. 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