42 | RURAL PEOPLE » Stokman Angus Stokman bulls an ‘investment for the future’ Bay of Plenty couple Sherrie and Mark Stokman (top) run the picturesque Stokman Angus Stud with son Jake. Virginia Wright Like his parents, Jake Stokman has a passion for genetics. When Sherrie left Montana in the United States for a dairy farm in Waikite Valley in the Bay of Plenty, with her kiwi husband Mark Stokman 25 years ago, she brought 30 embryos from her cows at Sitz Angus stud with her. Hence the Stokman Angus Stud has genetics tracing back to the great path nder sires of the Angus breed in the United States, bulls known for producing outstanding females. When Mark had health problems six years ago, they sold the dairy farm while retaining the 100 hectare run-off. The purchase of a neighbouring block of 280 hectares gives them plenty of room as they concentrate on their Angus Stud. Jake (24) came back from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Agricultural Commerce three years ago, and has started working his way towards taking more responsibility for decision-making, along with their stock manager Craig Moyes. They currently calve down 370 registered spring calving cows and heifers and they also have 60 autumn calvers that they’re slowly transitioning to being fully registered as they phase out the commercial side of their autumn operation. “We’ve seen an opening in the market for farmers wanting Angus bulls for their autumn breeding, and there’s also buyers who take a whole line of autumn heifers for breeding, so both are good income earners,” says Jake. Their annual spring sale is coming up on the 21st September. They’ll sell 100 yearling registered Angus bulls, including four sire groups exclusive to the Stokman’s Angus Stud breeding programme, traceable back to Sitz Angus Ranch and those early path nders; and 40 R1 heifers for breeding. They’ll retain 80 replacement heifers, while those that are left will be fattened up for sale to the works. “Every registered calf born is HD50k dna tested at birth which increases our EBV accuracy and veri es their parentage. Not many breeders verify parents and it’s amazing the cows that switch calves, or we even had twins out of two different sires – DNA take away the guess work. We do fertility tests and carcass scans on all our sale bulls too, to provide as much information as we can to help our customers decide which one of our bulls they want to buy,” says Jake. Remaining bulls are generally sold by private treaty to local dairy farmers looking for low birthweight, easy calving genetics. “That’s one of our main breeding philosophies is that we want farmers to be able to go home at night and wake up in the morning and the cows and heifers have calved down and they don’t have to worry about a heifer that’s had a problem calving,” says Jake. Jake studied genetics as part of his degree, reinforcing his early interest in Angus breeding, ignited by visits to the Sitz stud farm when visiting his mother’s family as a child. He’d like to see the size of their herd slowly increase to 400 cows, being careful to keep the same strengths in the maternal side: udder quality, reliable fertility, and calving ease; while concentrating on further improving the carcasse traits that the Stokman Angus Stud have always bred for: fast early growth, pro table, ef- cient cattle with good marbling to ensure carcasse premiums are achieved. Like his parents Jake believes that when you purchase a Stokman bull you’re buying an investment for the future. “Every registered calf born is HD50k dna tested at birth which increases our EBV accuracy and veri es their parentage.” Ph: 021 148 0322 | bluffcountry.co.nz | karl@bluffcountry.co.nz like us on Proud to work with Stokman Angus Agricultural contractors servicing the greater Rotorua region • Round & Square Baling • Loaderwagon Silage • Fertiliser & Muck Spreading • Earthworks & Development • Cultivation & Seed Drilling • Rock Crushing • Vegetation Mulching • Hedgemulching • Feed Supplies • Transport
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