| 21 Waimutu’s purely grass-based system Waimutu two-tooth sire rams on farm. Russell Fredric Running an unconventional cattle grazing system along with a Polled Dorset sheep stud has proven a good business model for Rangitikei farmers Jack and Caroline Brice. Located near Marton, their 162 hectare farm incorporates Waimutu Polled Dorsets and is predominantly a beef cattle fattening operation running on a TechnoGrazing cell system. This trademarked system was created by Harry Wier of Bulls and enables the Brice’s farm to have a throughput of 700 to 800 cattle annually, at a stocking rate of about 4.5 to the hectare, Jack says. “I’m generally buying in at about 18 months to two years old. They are mostly heifers and there are some bulls and a few steers. The only bulls I have are actually the bull calves from heifers that have calved.” Jack has been operating this purely grass-based system for 25 years and says he would never go back to conventional farming. The system comprises permanent fences that form long narrow lanes with temporary fences placed across these lanes to form cells. The cross fences can be erected or dismantled easily and quickly, either manually or from a quad bike modified with simple bars that enable driving over the fences, which spring back into place. The Brice’s farm is divided into systems of about 23 hectares split into six lanes and these are temporary fenced into 48 cells with fibreglass posts. Every second fence line has small water troughs along them. This precision rotational grazing system enables the increased stocking rate without sacrificing average winter pasture cover. “You obviously need good soil and contour counts quite a bit too.” Although it is “brilliant” for grazing and fattening bulls, Jack prefers heifers because of their ease of management and that they are less aggressive among each other. RURAL PEOPLE » Waimutu Polled Dorsets Chris Hay andWR Dyer Livestock - adding value to your business. Proudly SupportingWaimutu Polled Dorsets 027 632 7177 chrishayfarming@outlook.com PO Box 78, Bay View, Napier 4149, Hawkes Bay Quality Caring Service Chris Hay www.dyerlivestock.co.nz Two-year-old heifers and the workers. “The aim is efficiency of conversion of grass. During the winter you are on about a 90 day rotation, so they are just given the one cell every two days, and then through the spring when the grass is growing and you want to fatten the stock fast, they have three cells on a 30 day rotation.” The young stock are bought in at 350kg to 400kg and grown to 500kg plus. The farm was converted to this system because it made good economic sense and still does, Jack says. “I had a huge number of paddocks, and they were all fenced on different angles, and I was farming a lot of different types of cattle; I was forever in and out of the tractor feeding out, opening and shutting gates and I was using supplements. It just became beyond a one man operation. “I wouldn’t go back to conventional farming if you paid me. Financially it’s far better off, and there’s the ease of management.” On the sheep side, Waimutu Polled Dorsets has been operating since 1964 and is the fourth oldest stud producing this breed in New Zealand, Jack says. The farm supports 300 mixed age breeding ewes, 200 hoggets which are mated and about 120 rams are sold each season. Polled Dorsets are well regarded for their high growth rates, superior muscling including the eye muscle area, and leanness, while in maternal bloodlines they provide favourable lambing percentages and good mothering and milking ability. Contact JS & CM Brice 391 Fern Flats Road, RD2 Marton 06 327 8215 | Jack 027 449 5624 | Caroline 027 230 9684 Poll Dorsets
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