42 | Improved pasture Kim Newth Puketoi Estates is a fourth-generation sheep and beef hill country operation in Turakina Valley, Hunterville, where prudent decisionmaking is driving positive change in land and stock management. With a total effective area of 2800ha, the family’s holding includes three farms – Puketoi, Keilawarra and Fordell – breeding and finishing Romney composites (9000 ewes, 2500 hoggets) and AngusHerefords (800 cows). Fordell is a recent acquisition, with the former dairy farm now serving as a finishing unit. It includes 22ha of irrigated land, a welcome addition in this drought prone country. A source of pride for Puketoi’s Harry Duncan and his team is the progress that has been made in finishing stock ‘in house’ rather than selling into the store market. “We don’t really sell too many stores now thanks to the changes we’ve made to our properties to improve pastures so as to maintain and kill more stock through Silver Fern,” says Harry. “It means we can generate more capital per head from what we keep.” Traditionally, fast growth Kelso genetics have been favoured in the sheep breeding programme. Over the past five years, genetics from Waikato studs have also been used successfully to fasttrack improvement in facial eczema resistance across the flock. Lambs are finished on flatland across the three farms, (achieving an average kill weight of 19.5kg to 20kg). Harry says they had a lot of triplets at lambing this year and lambing survival rates at docking (165%) were up on the previous season. RURAL PEOPLE » Puketoi Estates • 13 Tonne Excavator • Quick Hitch Bucket • Thumb & Blade • Stump & Tree Removal • Drainage • Tracks • Dams HAMISH BERRETT 027 298 3883 The majority of the breeding cows are run on the Keilawarra farm, while Puketoi takes the tail end heifers from weaning and the smaller steers. Puketoi runs 400 steers in total with the top 200-300 going to Fordell. On the beef side, Puketoi Estates has been buying Hereford bulls locally for the past seven years but Harry says cattle breeding is still a comparatively new activity for them. “In the past, we just bought steers and fattened them, but because the store market is getting so expensive, we decided to have a crack at breeding cattle ourselves. We still have a long way to go before we make that perfect cow, but it’s working out well. “I did some shopping around at the Gisborne bull sales and purchased four bulls from four different studs to see how they would stack up on things like fertility and temperament.” The majority of the breeding cows are run on the Keilawarra farm, while Puketoi takes the tail end heifers from weaning and the smaller steers. Puketoi runs 400 steers in total with the top 200300 going to Fordell. “Our target is for them to be killed at 550kg to 600kg at 18 months. We haven’t hit that goal yet but with our focus on genetic improvement I think we can get there.” Puketoi Estates has a hardworking team of six, who are often out working on horseback. Puketoi’s 10 station horses are a great asset, used instead of motorbikes to save on fuel. Part of the operation too are young cadets from Hunterville’s Otiwhiti Station Land Based Training School who are regularly placed at Puketoi for work experience. “We know that many farmers are finding it hard to recruit staff, so feel very lucky to have that school so close. “It’s great for young shepherds who are keen to get into the game and we like to give them a job at the end of the year if we can; one of our current shepherds is actually an ex-cadet from Otiwhiti.”
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