| 5 RURAL PEOPLE » Beef It Simmentals Simmental bulls in great nick for sale Around 26 prime Simmental bulls will be on offer at Beefit Simmental’s annual bull sale at the Kaikohe Saleyards on June 7. Richard Loader The placid Simmental breed has been a major part of Aaron and Bernadette Gubb’s lives. Quietly establishing reputation as stud breeders with their Beefit Simmental Stud, the couple’s annual bull sale is now approaching its fourth year. Dairy and beef farmers in the Far North, the couple had used unregistered bulls bred from their purebred Simmentals over their dairy herd for about fifteen years, but four years ago took the opportunity to take things to another level. “We bought an entire stud consisting of fifty cows and heifers from Peter Hill in Whangarei, along with other stud cows from disbursement sales, “ says Aaron. “We’re up to about 200 pedigree cows calving this year. We breed for a structurally correct, docile animals, that are suitable for both beef and dairy.” As in previous years, Beefit Simmental’s annual bull sale will be held at the Kaikohe Saleyards on the second Wednesday in June, which this year falls on the 7th. On offer will be around 26 two-year-old bulls, between 600-700 kilos, along with about five autumn born yearlings weighing in around 500 kilos. The next few weeks will be busy structurally assessing the bulls and muscle scanning, selecting the bulls that will be on offer in June. Aaron says he and Bernadette are very happy with this year’s line-up, which are in great condition and ahead of last year’s growth rates. “The guys with the bigger herds come back every year to top up, but some of the farmers running fifty to one hundred cows only need two bulls and the Simmental bulls have longevity and high libido with the ability to handle a high mating load. So you only see some of the buyers every second or third year. “Most of the bulls will go over commercial cross bred beef herds, for hybrid vigour and the progeny finished very fast. In the Beef + Lamb Progeny Testing trials Simmentals have proven to be unbeatable with an extra 8.5% to 23.3% extra liveweight gain at weaning, and extra 10% live-weight gain at finishing and a 3% extra return on finished carcass weight.” Aaron and Bernadette select genetics from Kerrah Simmentals. Located north of Wairoa, on the boundary of the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne districts, Kerrah is Australasia’s largest Simmental herd and one of the leading gene pools of fully recorded Simmentals. “We buy a mix of bulls and semen from Kerrah and I’ve bought a number of females from there in the past too. It’s pretty hard terrain there, and a test of extremes, so we know those bulls will transfer well to our farm, and that is ultimately good for our customers.” Both from farming backgrounds, the Gubbs milk 400 predominantly Friesian cows on their 230 hectare effective dairy unit half way between Kaikohe and Kaitaia in Umawera, near the Mangamukas. The 198 hectare beef farm sits 38 kilometres away in Kaikohe, though some of the Simmentals are on a lease block at the back of the dairy farm. Of the bulls that don’t go into the sale in June, a few are used as tail off the dairy cows, while others are finished or sold in the paddock during the year. “Most of the bulls will go over commercial cross bred beef herds, for hybrid vigour and the progeny finished very fast.” • Round & Square Hay and Silage • Cultivation, Cropping & Drilling • Maize Planting & Harvesting • Bulk Haulage • Conventional Hay • Weighbridge Services • Lime and Fert Spreading Ryan and the team at RTA Contracting are proud to support Beef it Simmentals 160 Hariru Rd, Ohaeawai RD2 Kaikohe office@tractorthomas.co.nz 021 813 421
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