| 53 “We put embryos into our better end dairy cows and use sexed semen for the replacement heifers. Then all the other cows have an Angus or Charolais bull put over them and their calves are put into a beef-fattening unit to go into the high value market with Alliance.” MEAT & WOOL » Kakahu Angus The business also includes 3000 composite ewes and the farm fattens all lambs plus buys in 2500 lambs. alone so he believes this represents a huge opportunity for New Zealand selling grass fed antibiotic and hormone-free, high marbling meat product to the world. It’s no surprise then that Kakahu is seeing massive uptake in semen and bull sales from the dairy industry. The stud has two cattle sales a year, selling 100 Angus bulls and 20 Charolais bulls in June, and 60 Angus yearlings in October. Tom, who is fourth generation on the farm, says succession was also part of the decision to purchase the dairy farm giving more options further down the track. Tom and wife Anna have two children: Francesca, 7 and Louie, 3 1/2. The farm has been in the family for nearly 100 years. The Angus stud was started in 1954 by KH Hargreaves and now runs 600 cows and sells 250 bulls. The Charolais stud was started in 2006 by Tom and father Gerald and now has 100 cows, selecting especially for good temperament, low birth weight, low gestation length and calving ease as well as growth and carcass attributes. The business also includes 3000 composite ewes and the farm fattens all lambs plus buys in 2500 lambs. Importantly the system is a 100% closed herd giving the family great control over its business. Fernvale Genetics, located in Moa Flat, West Otago is an elite ram breeding company that has seen 3 generations of the Brenssell family over the past 80 years develop the stud to its current status. The stud today has entrenched key breeding policies that are used to produce superior animals that will have the Genetic make up to enhance the commercial sheep farming operations they are transferred into. These key breeding policies include: • Only multiple born & reared animals sold or retained in stud. • Quality outside bloodlines used every third generation. • Commercial pressure though 45,000 stock units. • Two year ram performance guarantee. • All ewe hoggets put to ram Fernvale Genetics is part of a large 45,000 stock unit sheep and beef operation. Not only is the focus on the stud, but the commerical side of the sheep and beef opertions have to be pro table. The combined farming operation includes 18,500 Beef stock units with 1,200 breeding cows. 03 204 0883 / 027 201 8181 fernvale@farmside.co.nz www.fernvale.co.nz
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