| 37 RURAL PEOPLE » Greg Ingrid McCracken - Te Hana / Springvale Herefords Embracing technology Kelly Deeks In a quiet yet significant shift for modern farming, the introduction of solar-powered virtual fencing technology is transforming how the McCracken family is managing their land and livestock. Greg McCracken and his daughter Michaela introduced Halter collars to their Te Hana farm in June last year, a move that signaled a shift towards more efficient pasture management. This technology has allowed them to control exactly how much feed their cows receive while maintaining optimal grazing patterns. With virtual fencing in place, they no longer need to rely on traditional methods, making farm operations smoother, more efficient, and ultimately more productive. The adoption of this technology has led to notable improvements. “We peaked at 1.9kgs milksolids per cow per day, which is great on our steep terrain, and production hasn’t dipped,” Greg says. With virtual fencing in place, they no longer need to rely on traditional methods. The collars ensure cows are fed optimally while eliminating the inefficiencies of manual fence management. The system has also reduced labour requirements significantly. Michaela,who once saw milking as just another job, now enjoys a more flexible schedule. “She’s working an average of nine hours less per week because she doesn’t have to get up so early or lock the cows away at night.” The difference between a good season and a great season often comes down to timing. By utilising Halter’s technology, Greg has been able to make smarter decisions about grazing rotations, ensuring optimal pasture use and reducing waste. “We were among the first in our area to cut silage this year because we recognised early on that we had excess grass,” he says. This proactive approach has allowed the McCracken operation to maintain high-quality feed while avoiding overgrazing. One of the biggest advantages of virtual fencing is the flexibility it provides. Michaela has managed TM REID ELECTRICAL LTD 24/7 service for electrical breakdowns and a wide range of electrical including DOMESTIC | RURAL | INDUSTRIAL | COMMERCIAL COWSHED | DAIRY | MOTORS/STARTERS | WATER PUMPS HOT WATER | GENERATORS + CHANGEOVER SWITCHES UNDERGROUND POWER | OVERHEAD POWER Contact: TIM REID 021 425 325 | TMREIDELECTRICAL@GMAIL.COM (24 HOURS) 09 423 8080 W W W . T M R E I D E L E C T R I C A L . N E T . N Z • House & Shed sites • Roading & Races • Contouring & Drainage • Subdivision & Forestry work 027 223 3185 | nigel@nclakeearthmoving.co.nz | www.nclarkeearthmoving.co.nz •Dams & Effluent ponds •Feed pads & Arenas •Cartage truck & Trailer •Reg drainlayer & Drilling to 10m Ensuring their heritage Virginia Wright What is now the Springvale Hereford Stud started life in the early 2000’s as MaryAnn Mathis and her husband Adolph took steps to have a closed dairy herd by buying eight stud Hereford heifers from Matangi to breed from, ensuring their heritage while at the same time avoiding risk of infection from bulls coming in from elsewhere. Biosecurity goes back to well before M Bovis, with other diseases such as bovine TB that cautious farmers have long sought to avoid exposure to, and having your own stud means you can breed for the traits you value. “We wanted bulls that were quiet because we had children who would be handling them, and we wanted to be confident that what we had were Hereford and nothing else,” says Mary-Ann. They had already bought bulls they thought were Hereford but found they were predisposed to having large calves (at the cost of a couple of their cows), so they set themselves the goal of breeding purebred easy-calving Herefords, explains Mary-Ann’s son, Colin. “New Zealand mongrel bulls sometimes have a bit of everything in them including Simmental and that’s what we wanted to get away from which is why we got into stud stock and breeding our own fully registered animals with these small-framed traditional New Zealand Herefords.” After a hiccup with some big-framed Canadian genetics they came across the Craigmore Hereford Stud in Rukuhia. “They were already at that point breeding for all the things we were looking for: easy calving, wellmarked, and already breeding for the dairy market which is what we were doing,” says Colin. Fast forward to 2020 and the Springvale Hereford Stud had around 25 stud cows they were happy with, giving them roughly 12 bulls each year for their own use, along with around 12 heifers which they sold off. A decision to grow their own stud herd meant they started keeping them instead, with their stud herd numbering more like 70 in 2024, and around 30 bulls with plenty to spare once they’ve taken what they need on farm. They now sell bulls to local private buyers, most if not all of them being repeat customers. Te Awamutu *ÕÌňÀÕÀÕ İÌÀ >}> the herd remotely from as far away as Rarotonga, setting up breaks and shifting cows via the Halter app. Halter does more than just manage grazing. It also monitors cow behaviour, alerting Greg and Michaela to any health concerns. One particular instance highlighted the value of this technology when a missing cow was detected via GPS tracking. “We found her stuck in a tomo on the hill. Without the collar, we wouldn’t have known she was there.” Additionally, the system aids in heat detection and health monitoring, reducing the need for constant manual observation. “It tracks steps, eating habits, and movement patterns, making it easier to spot early signs of illness or heat cycles. Now we’ve got our heads around using this technology to manage our pastures, we are looking forward to spring and seeing how it can help us with animal health.” The technology has also reduced the stress levels in cows. “They move calmly with a gentle vibration from the collars rather than being rushed by people, dogs, and farm vehicles. The cows have adapted quickly, and it has made handling them easier.” Greg and Michaela both find themselves with a new lease on their farming lives. “Halter has been a great investment. We’re rolling it out across our second farm and managing everything from a single app.” They’re all pure-bred animals with generations of stud history behind them. “So friendly you can pat them and reasonably easy calving thanks to low birth weight bred in over years of selection,” says Colin, and feedback from one of last year’s customers backs him up. “He rang up a week after he bought them to put in an order for this year because they were so quiet. Then rang again this spring. He did AB short gestation and then he put our Hereford bulls out over the herd and he rang to say they were beating the short gestation AI, calving sooner. That’s thanks to 25 years of selecting for easy calving and low birth-weight and both of those come with short gestation which we’re now focusing on specifically.” For those who live within reach of the farm on the outskirts of Tokoroa the first Springvale Hereford short gestation calves can be seen not only live in the front paddock, much to the delight of people walking or driving by, but also now on both Facebook and Instagram. They’ve proved to be extremely popular, building their own community of interested followers, and adding to the word-ofmouth popularity of the Springvale Hereford Stud.
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