48 | Keeping a close eye on managing feed Balmoral Station, west of Lake Tekapo. Photos: Victoria Rutherford. Kim Newth Flow-on impacts of a very dry summer and autumn in the Mackenzie have been keenly felt this winter by the district’s high country farmers. Dry seasonal conditions hampered pasture growth, flowing through to tight winter feed for stock. At Balmoral Station, west of Lake Tekapo, Sam Simpson – along with Hayden Duffell - took action early to proactively meet the challenging conditions by buying in extra feed as well as shedding some stock earlier than usual. Sam manages the dry land and Hayden manages the irrigated farm, and together they manage Balmoral’s pedigree merino flock, founded by Sam’s father Andrew in 1985, along with a herd of Angus/Hereford cattle. While the farm’s centre pivots helped with growing feed, Sam says they simply did not have enough water on the ground quick enough with the long hot days. “After shearing, we got the sheep off silage and hay and onto sheep nuts as supplementary feed. It’s something a bit different for them and they usually clean them all up – unlike barley, where there may be some wastage. As well, we bought some pea vine hay from Timaru, as well as some meadow hay from a neighbouring station and also sold some young cattle as rising one-year-olds that we would normally have taken through and finished.” At time of writing, ewe pregnancy scanning was imminent. Sam plans to offload any ewes found not to be in lamb as early as possible to further stretch existing feed resources and ensure the pregnant ewes are well fed. Lambing is due to commence around 20 October. With high interest rates and high input costs, the tight feed situation has been another added stress for farmers. A positive amid the pressure for Balmoral Station is their supply relationship with Devold of Norway: the best of their clip is sold at a premium to this high-performance merino clothing brand. To meet Devold’s specifications, the strength MEAT & WOOL » Sam Simpson - Balmoral Merinos of wool supplied needs to be over 38 Newtons per kilotex (N/ktex). “We sell as much wool as possible to Devold as it’s worth a lot more to us that way than if we sold it at the standard market price. The tricky part is getting the staple strength up to where it needs to • Business Advisors • Tax Advice 53-55 Sophia Street, Timaru (03) 687 2036 admin@footes.co.nz www.footes.co.nz • Business Development • Accountancy Peter McPherson, Chris Heath, Peter Cockburn, Dean Mitchell, Sandra Wiggins, Megan Baird & Suppor�ng Staff. Proud to support Sam Simpson of Balmoral Merinos monk fencing mackenzie basin - rural fencing Email monkfencing@gmail.com Proud to be associated with Sam Simpson - Balmoral Merinos Phone Nathan 021 203 1076 Generations of the Simpson family have lived and farmed on Balmoral Station, under the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s South Island. Merino sheep thrive here on the harsh, dry elevated plateau. Merino meat is appreciated for it’s fine texture, low fat content and rich flavour. Each animal raised on Balmoral is tagged and all produce can be traced back to it’s origins. Generations of farming experience, intimate knowledge of the land, and excellent breeding stock mean the Simpson family has complete confidence in the high quality of their produce. Sam Simpson • 021 336 806 • samjsimpson@gmail.com
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