| 43 RURAL PEOPLE » Shayne and Sarah Coombe Performing with pedigree Ayrshires and Friesians Emma Bailey Shayne Coombe started building his Ayrshire Herd when he was just 12 years old, now he and his wife Sarah own two farms in the Waikato and are 50/50 share milking with pedigree Ayrshires and Friesians. Shayne’s love however has always been the pedigree Ayrshires. Shayne grew up on the family dairy farm in Te Aroha and they are now farming in Ohinewai which is on the East bank of the Waikato River, milking 630 cows. At a young age he became interested in the Ayrshire cow, distinctive by its red and white colouring. “I always liked them as a kid when I would see them at shows. I started buying up a few at the age of 12 from my relief milking money.” By 21 he had a herd of 70 and he went 50/50 share milking with 170 cows in Morrinsville where they stayed for four years. Now Sarah and Shayne are in Ohinewai on a 200 hectare cow farm where they have been for 15 years with their 12-year-old son Deacon and nineyear-old daughter Ellie. The herd now includes 200 pedigree Ayrshires, with plans underway for a sale in April 2027, selling pedigree Ayrshires and Friesians. “I do embryo work and we are starting to get too many out of the same families as we use a lot of sexed semen.” This is the reason for a sale. The Ayrshire breed is a good all round cow, he says. “They have good udders that do the job in the cow shed which is what you want. If you like the cow you are working with you enjoy farming.” Annually the autumn calving herd on the 50/50 share milking job does on average 550 kg/ms per cow.“This coming season we are calving 600 cows, our heifers start three weeks before the cows which are all AI mated. We also have 60 embryo calves due in March 2026.” According to Ayrshire New Zealand (www.ayrshire.org.nz) the breed originated in Scotland prior to 1800 when different strains of native cattle were crossed with other breeds. Most of these first cattle were black, but the browns and mottled colours started to appear by 1775. The improvement of the native stock began about 1750 with the crossing of such cattle as Teeswater. Early breeders carefully crossed and selected various strains of cattle to develop what we now know as the Ayrshire, an efficient grazer noted for her vigour and efficiency of milk production. She is especially noted for the quality and shape of her udder, and the high quality, easily digestible milk she produces. The Ayrshire arrived in New Zealand in 1848. This first Ayrshire was a bull named ‘Rob Roy’ who was loaded onto the immigrant ship ‘Philip Lainge’ in Glasgow arriving in Otago in April 1848 carrying the main body of the first Scottish settlers to New Zealand and founding the settlement of Dunedin. The first cow arrived the following year. The Ayrshire has a 12-month calving interval, strong constitution, is a good forager, has good legs and a well-attached udder and performs well on many New Zealand farms. It is a minority breed of 108,000 Ayrshire and Ayrshire cross in a dairy population of over 3 million. 0800 HONDAS Huntly & Morrinsville Your local Honda & Husqvarna dealer Peter Glidden Honda proudly supporting Shayne & Sarah Coombe “If you like the cow you are working with you enjoy farming.” Sarah and Shayne are in Ohinewai on a 200 hectare cow farm where they have been for the last 15 years.
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