| 47 High fertility and hands-off lambing Angus (5), Sophie (3) and Flynn McKerchar (6) are great helpers in the sheep yards. Kelly Deeks South Canterbury sheep and beef farmers Grant and Alyce McKerchar are getting good results from their Murray Grey cattle and Coopdale sheep, with an emerging market in the dairy industry for their well-tempered bulls, and high fertility and hands-off lambing with his ewes. The McKerchar farm, at Cannington near Cave, is now owned by Grant and Alyce, and has been in the family for more than 100 years. Grant has been home for 10 years, after 10 years away at university and rural banking. When Grant came home, the farm had been leased out, so he started out with dairy grazing and lamb finishing while he built up his own capital stock. He was grazing some Murray Greys for a neighbour and when that neighbour sold their property, Grant took the opportunity to buy the herd, selling their bull progeny to dairy farmers for use over heifers and cows after AI, and their heifer progeny to finish for the beef market, while Grant keeps the replacement heifers he needs. The Murray Grey’s easy going temperament, low birthweight, and easy calving are desirable attributes for a beef breed in the dairy industry, and with calves quick to stand and seek food, and fast growing, they can reduce stress both on a dairy operation and for the subsequent rearer of these cross bred calves. “My focus when selecting genetics is temperament, birth weight and calving ease especially since these bulls have to go to dairy farms while maintaining a good carcass and growth. Cross-bred Murray Grey progeny are also easily identified with their characteristic grey colouring.” As Fonterra suppliers start operating under new rules in June this year, which say all calves must be raised for beef, veal, or pet food, the market for Grant’s dairy beef bulls is about to widen significantly. “That’s what I’m hoping for.” Grant is already selling Murray Grey yearling bulls to the same dairy farmers his neighbour was selling to before they sold. On the sheep side, Grant got into Coopdales on his return home, having worked with Coopdale farmers in his banking days and seeing the ‘bloody good’ performance they delivered. “They’ve got some get up and go from a lambing MEAT & WOOL » Grant McKerchar CAVE SPRAYING CONTRACTING LTD Daniel Kelly: 03 614 3715 • 021 147 7547 Pasture and Crop Spraying Gun Spraying Ewes Undrenched&Unshephered Proud to support Grant &AlyceMcKerchar Contact: Hamish&Mandy 027 291 6005 Followus on Facebook: CorystonStud Accountants & Business Advisors 18 Woollcombe St, Timaru | www.fordsimpson.co.nz | P: 03 687 2080 Proud partners of successful South Canterbury Businesses Pleased to support Grant McKerchar Ford Simpson Ltd Chartered Accountants Antony Ford Brodie Craig point of view, and good fertility with my mixed age ewes consistently scanning at 185% to 195%. Lambing is pretty hands-off - I don’t really go round and pick up lambs these days and I’ve found that quite an advantage at that time of year. I haven’t had to drench any of my adult sheep, they stand up to the worm burden reasonably well when other animals are under pressure.” Grant sources his Coopdale genetics locally from the Coryston Stud at Cave, where their focus on unshepparded lambing is flowing through nicely into Grant’s own flock.
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