42 | MEAT & WOOL » Delmont Angus Temperament tops balance of traits Winters can be tough at Clinton with an average of 120 days without feed growth Ange Davison The hill country around Clinton has been home to Delmont Angus since the 1960’s when Stuart Cochrane started the stud. The hardy cattle beast was popular to help farmers convert hill country to pasture as they were able to chew through the red tussock cover. Now run by Stuart’s grandson Jono, Delmont Angus stud is still thriving as the demand for Angus remains strong thanks to its reputation as an easy care and hardy animal. “The Angus has a strong brand around it including the meat which is sold at a premium in restaurants. They are also known for their good temperament and as good calvers,” says Jono. The 1660-hectare farm consists of largely moderate to steep rolling hill country that supports 8500 ewes and 260 registered cows in calf and heifers. Yearling bull calves are sold in the spring for heifer mating and rising two-year-old bulls are sold on the farm in May with about 25% of the bull calf drop making it through to the two-year-old old sale ring. “We may start with 120 bull calves and end up with about 32 at the final sale. The calves have gone through a decent amount of selection pressure in the paddock so our clients get quality,” says Jono. “It’s a year long process from weaning to when we select them.” “We don’t target one trait as you tend to lose something else if you do. We are big on temperament and young bulls that play up in the yards get marked down and culled. To select our replacement stock, heifers are put in a pen by themselves and their behaviour is scored from 1-5. It’s really important that they have good temperament.” Jono uses AI on all heifers to access leading genetics from around the world and New Zealand. The stud selects its AI Sire for good structure and temperament first, then for genotype or Estimated Breeding Values (EBV) and phenotype. Ideally it is a balance of all traits. “A bull’s Intramuscular fat (IMF) is important for the end consumer and there is a marbling score used for premium Angus beef at the works. We choose to put emphasis on birthweight, days to calving and select for ease of calving as these traits are profit drivers, resulting with live calves on the ground All replacement heifers and bulls to sale are DNA verified and have geonomically enhanced EBVs. This increases the accuracy of the DNA when selecting for traits rather than a 50/50 chance. Clinton’s climate can be tough and while it’s considered summer safe, the winters are brutal with an average of 120 days without feed growth. “We rely on winter crops so we target a moderate sized cow that you can keep condition on. We want them to mature early and be off the farm before a second winter. This ensures good quality mature meat and a better carbon footprint.” “There’s plenty of tussock country and brown-top in the district and you want a cow with a strong jaw and head that looks like it wants to survive,” Jono laughs. “We’re always looking for a balance of traits. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Southland and Otago’s Independently owned Ford dealership 0800 224 661 | enquiries@roadtrans.co.nz Taking care of all your rural transport needs, where ever you are.
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