| 49 MEAT & WOOL » Monymusk Polled Herefords Herefords ‘such a rewarding breed’ Around 36-40 Monymusk Polled Hereford bulls are on offer at the Douglas family’s 34th annual sale in Te Anau. Richard Loader Locally Owned and Operated 2618 State Highway 94 RD2, Te Anau Office.................................(03) 249 5000 Email..............Tim.Jackson@hwr.co.nz STOCK FERTILISER GENERAL CARTAGE Masterminding Brighter Tomorrows Proudly supporting Monymusk Polled Herefords www.jacalsouthisland.nz AGRICULTURE ~ DIRECT DRILLING ~ HAY & BALAGE www.stevejamescontracting.co.nz Call us today for a no obligation quote. STEVE JAMES 0274 907 552 info@stevejamescontracting.co.nz 56 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau Proud to be supporting Monymusk Herefords · Pick-up & delivery service · Open Saturday til 12 noon · Loan bikes available · PLUS we service other brands · For after hours enquiries, phone Dwain or Glen Dwain 027 220 6844 Glen 027 220 6834 June the 2nd will herald the beginning of the Douglas family’s 34th annual sale of Monymusk Polled Hereford bulls, and the 19th occasion buyers are welcomed to the family’s farm at The Key under Southland’s magnificent Takitimu Mountains. On offer will be 36-40 R2 bulls, built up from Braxton genetics, whose owner, Don Goodall, pioneered modern polled cattle in New Zealand. “Our clients are the most important part of our business and they know that if they miss out on bulls early in the sale the bottom end is rock solid,” says Chris Douglas, whose parents established the stud in 1964. “We’re breeding for what our clients want. Ninety percent of our bulls go to clients in Otago and Southland, and most of those clients are on hill country. So our bulls have to be easy-doing with good structure for mobility.” Located in Te Anau the Douglas’s 980-hectare property is well-balanced with rolling to steep contour complemented with lighter flats, and is home to a 300 stud herd, along with 4800 ewes. Chris, who spent 12 years on the Hereford Council has always had a passion for Herefords. “Herefords are such a rewarding breed. They are so good to work with, with feed efficiency second to none. They cross so well with Angus giving up to fifteen percent gain through hybrid vigour.” With the large amount of information available through Breedplan, genomics, and carcass evaluation, stud and commercial breeders have become more demanding with all the information on hand. “Monymusk has been up for the challenge and the aim is to produce a top quality even line of bulls every year,” says Chris. “Early on in the piece I identified the type of cattle beast that suited our country and that’s what we’re still breeding.” Even before the days of muscle scanning Chris always sought out thick, deep, easy-doing sires so it is no surprise to see the muscle and softness in the Monymusk cattle leading to IMF in the top group of New Zealand breeders. “We’re very much in the meat game and even though the Hereford is a maternal breed, it has to be a meat breed too, so there’s a happy balance. Our high muscle cattle are well balanced with positive fats giving carcass EBVs that are right up with the best in the country.” Throughout Monymusk’s long journey there have • to page 50
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