42 | RURAL PEOPLE » Rotowai Angus Celebrating ten years with first on-farm sale Rotowai Angus was established in 2016. Karen Phelps Rotowai Angus will mark a major milestone in 2026, celebrating the stud’s tenth anniversary with its first ever on-farm sale. The event, to be held on 28 September at the end of Patoto Road on Rotowai farm, reflects the growth of the King Country operation and a desire to make bull purchasing simpler for farmers. “It’s scary,” says Natasha Cave with a laugh. “But we feel the market will set the price better.” “With private treaty it was getting hard to decide who was going to get first pick, especially for new customers coming in, as demand grew,” says Alan Cave. The couple will offer around 30 yearling Angus bulls, all suitable for heifer mating, with a strong emphasis on calving ease and solid growth. A sale catalogue will be released in August. For the Caves, the auction is not only a practical step but also a significant marker in their journey. “It will be ten years since we first registered cows under the stud name. The sale is a big step for us,” says Natasha. “It’s been an interesting journey, we’ve learned a lot.” Rotowai Angus was established in 2016 after the couple purchased a handful of stud heifers and cows from dispersal sales and other opportunities. Stock originally came from Waitewheta, Springdale and Hallmark Angus studs. Prior to establishing the stud, the pair had always run a commercial Angus herd and saw buying stud stock as a cost-effective way to introduce the genetics they wanted. “We originally started the stud as we couldn’t afford to buy the bulls with the genetics we wanted. We were our own biggest clients for a long time, then it’s grown from there,” says Natasha. “Stud cows are run as part of our commercial herd and don’t receive preferential treatment.” The stud herd has now expanded to 50 cows out of a total Angus herd of 170, the remainder being the commercial herd. They recently added six more cows from the Matauri Angus dispersal sale. Today repeat clients form a significant part of the buyer base. “If they’re coming back the genetics must be working for them. They say they calve down easy and they like the quiet temperament,” says Natasha. The breeding focus remains firmly on maternal strength. “We really concentrate on good cows. You need good cows to breed good stock,” says Alan. “Emphasis is placed on calving ease, low to moderate birth weights, 600-day growth, carcass and fertility.” “Temperament is also a huge focus, that’s the first thing we cull on,” says Natasha. “It’s nonnegotiable.” The stud sources genetics now from Heather Dell, Matauri, Wairere and Ruaview, which are used alongside their own bulls they have bred alongside AI from Taimate and selected American and Australian sires. This year they will have yearling bulls for sale by Taimate Roy, Sitz Resilient, Matauri Boulder, S Right Time and Tehama Patriarch. Rotowai’s bulls typically sell for between $3,200 and $4,000, with most purchased by commercial beef farmers, a smaller proportion by dairy farmers, and the balance finished on the hook. While it is disappointing to process stud bulls, says Alan, it offers valuable insight into carcass performance and growth. The Caves farm 396 hectares of rolling to mediumsteep hill country in Mokauiti, including forty hectares of QEII-covenanted bush supporting native birdlife and significant hill-stabilisation plantings. “We will keep pushing forward,” says Alan, “working on carcass traits without losing our maternal and calving ease traits.” “Emphasis is placed on calving ease, low to moderate birth weights, 600day growth, carcass and fertility.” | | || ąćĆ Ćċć ĈĆČČ ||| ąćČ ćČč ČĊąĎ k || ||| ~| } | | } ~| | | ~ ~| I| | ćč } ćąćċ Offices in Otorohanga, Te Awamutu & Taumarunui info@baileyingham.co.nz | www.baileyingham.co.nz PHONE: 07 873 7325 | FREEPHONE: 0800 482 928 Quality Service to Farmers & Businesses Bailey Ingham Ltd is proud to be associated with the Rotowai Angus and the Cave family
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=