42 | MEAT & WOOL » Ferniehurst Station Ltd Feed management focus at Ferniehurst Kim Newth Getting the balance right on stockfeed can be a tricky business at Ferniehurst, a hill country sheep and beef farm in North Canterbury where the autumns tend to be dry and spring pasture growth comes late. Prudent decisions mean the farm is positively positioned going forward. Managing stock on the 1800-hectare property for owners Richard and Catherine Wilding is Tom Harris, who has been at the helm for the past two and a half years. Born and bred in Southland, Tom grew up on his family’s fifth-generation farm in Tautapere and took up shepherding after leaving school. A decade later, in 2016, he went to a stock management role on a North Canterbury farm before “heading over the hill” to Ferniehurst in 2020. Prevailing dry autumn conditions are challenging for the Angus beef side of the operation at Ferniehurst, with cows having to be sent away for winter grazing. De-stocking has seen cattle numbers fall from 320 to 200. “That number seems to be about right now – it’s working well,” says Tom. “Of course, sheep are our major money raiser and our main focus; we do all we can to feed them well.” There are 5000 ewes at Ferniehurst, with 3000 going to the Romney ram and 2000 to the blackfaced ram, with selected rams offering a good balance of hardy and productive genetics. “After mating in June, we send 2000 hogget replacements to Nick Davey in Rakaia to grow them out and they stay there until September.” Nick and his parents Bill and Lynda Davey are champion wheat growers who run an intensive cropping and stock support system. Their farm on the south bank of the Rakaia River at Rokeby is said to have some of the best soils in the country and a good supply of ground water. They provide wintering support for both hoggets and dairy cows. Mated hoggets need to be well-fed during winter and into spring. As Tom says, it makes much more sense for them to send their hoggets away to Rakaia to graze on the lush pastures there than having them compete with the ewes for feed at Ferniehurst. “Our focus is very much on the ewes and feeding them well; ultimately, growing out the hoggets off-farm is cheaper and more sustainable for us.” Tom says they are currently going through a re-grassing programme to renew pastures. Feed crops in the system include lucerne and fodder beet, with some 300-400ha of cultivable country available. “We’re going out of rape and going back to a grass and clover mix for winter. With the new rules and regulations, we think this is the right winter cropping decision but we’ll have to wait and see how it goes.” Assisting Tom on the farm are two shepherds and they each have five or six dogs to keep the sheep moving where they need to go. Spreadmark Certified Dan Thiele - 027 511 7656 - 03 319 2779 - cheviotlime@gmail.com CARRIERS OF LIVESTOCK, GENERAL FREIGHT, BULK & FERTILISER CHEVIOT TRANSPORT 2017 LTD 99 Ward Rd, Cheviot 7310 P: 03 319 8644 A/H: 0276 776 787 Ferniehurst Station is a hill country sheep and beef farm in North Canterbury. Around 400ha of the farm is ungrazed land including native bush and mature trees. Following slip damage from the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, some 100 poplar trees are planted every winter. Tom says he is currently working through environmental planning with Environment Canterbury. gbendall19@gmail.com
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