| 59 ON FARM » Parengarenga Incorporation Around 2900 to 3000 bulls are run in grazing cells at Te Kao. “We’ve just completed another 100 hectares into bull cells with permanent fencing. “It’s just intensifying the traditional bull finishing platform and it allows us to get better control of our pastures and better utilisation.” The station previously set-stocked the bulls at 1.1 to the hectare, but during winter pugging was a problem. “This way when it gets really wet, you give them one rotation through the wet period of the year on the longer run. There’s a lot less damage and we’re just utilising the feed that much better. The bulls coming off our cows, we kill them at two years old and we average on those bulls 335kg carcass weight. “For up the top of the north, it’s a good weight.” Each cell can support 45 two-year-olds or 60 to 65 R1 yearlings. Rotations in the system vary from about 42 days to 65 days until winter. A key factor in the system is the “massive” range of soil types from sandy to clay and are generally poor at retaining nutrients. Crucial to the station’s operation is its water reticulation system. This uses two diesel engines coupled with Italian Lombardini pumps as the primary means to move the water from two streams which are the main sources. The water is pumped about six kilometres to header tanks and gravity fed from there. Last year a solar power system was installed that draws water from a bore, supplied to a far corner of the farm, plus another solar system is planned at the other end of the farm to take surface water as a backup to the diesel powered system. There has been a consistent focus on fencing waterways, with about 18 kilometres completed last year alone. A total of 196 hectares has been planted in manuka around waterways with further plantings of native species planned, including in unproductive areas. The past season developed into a good one, despite the weather going from extremely wet last winter and spring to extremely dry in February. “It started raining in May and didn’t stop really till September / October. Our annual yearly rainfall is normally around 800mm to 1200mm and we has 2600mm last year.” Although the soil moisture levels held for a month longer than usual during summer and helped to finish a lot of lambs, this has been strongly tempered by the disappointing lamb schedule. ANGUS STUD – TE AKAU NZ For more information please contact Roger & Susan Hayward Waipapa Station, 163 Clemett Road, Te Akau P 07 828 2131 M 027 6855 989 E twinoaksangus@gmail.com PROUD TO SUPPORT PARENGARENGA INCORPORATION twinoaksangus.co.nz ANNUAL TWO YEAR OLD BULL SALE 7TH JUNE 2024 CALVING EASE YEARLING BULL SALE 26TH SEPTEMBER 2024
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