| 25 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Michael & Susie Woodward 2023 born calves at Cowgora Hills, mixed breeds. Photo by Hunter Studio. Big move from Canterbury pays off Sue Russell This is the second time NZ Dairy has spoken with enterprising farmers Michael and Susie Woodward who on Gypsy Day in 2019 moved their family and stock up north from Canterbury to settle just south of Otorohanga, in the King Country. Their farm is right on the border where the unique hilly, tomo-filled terrain the King Country is known for, begins. “We’re the last dairy farm operating on our road before it changes into sheep and beef country” says Michael. Today, the couple have also taken on Michael’s father’s Mohair business and, as such, have redefined where they put their daily energy into, bringing in a manager for the last two seasons on the 300+ cow dairy unit. “We average 350kg/MS per cow through the season and also have 200 Angora goats while typically in any season we’ll have 65 R1 and 65R2 replacement stock,” Michael explains. When the Woodward’s first settled on the 170ha (150ha effective) self-contained farm, they had to contend with three dry summers in a row which meant they needed to reconsider how they managed the farm. “We put in about 7ha of chicory and buy in maize silage as feed for the herd and we’ve had two good summers following those initial challenging years.” The herd is milked on a full season once-a-day regime, one they absolutely benefit from. Susie says cow condition has definitely improved as a result of this decision. “As long as we have got the feed we can milk. Preliminary in-calf results is at 84% 6-week in calf rate, a pleasing figure, considering we pushed our mating forward by a week this season. We need to start calving earlier, with the summers going dry,” Susie, who takes a real interest in the breeding side of the business, explains. Calving this season went very well and Michael says having an extra person on deck makes a big difference. “We make sure we have a good work routine established through calving. It just means there’s certainty that someone is always near the herd as calves arrive.” Another change has been that the family’s youngest child has reached school-age, with the eldest attending Otorohanga College. The school bus now picks up the children and the days are a little more open for the couple. Bringing a herd, used to the flatness of Canterbury, through to the hills south of Otorohanga took some training and patience. “The topography tested their feet and legs and now that we have had most of the herd born here it’s much easier.” Michael says that regrassing presents with challenges and the heavier stock are kept on the flatter land. A focus on under-sowing has been a priority. “Dealing with the weeds that keep coming through the grass is an ongoing challenge. When we first moved here we didn’t see what was growing under the grass. Every year there seems to be a new weed,” says Susie. Helping them settle well into their new farm have been several very good local rural farm supply reps who have been in the area many years and understand the challenges the environment brings. “Everything grows well here. You don’t get the harsh winter to knock off the weeds. Soil preservation and removing the cows when it is really wet are important.” Due to the decision to mate the herd earlier, the milking season will end mid-May. One thing that is very satisfying, now the Woodward’s have been in the district a while, is that they can now see a clear future and where they want to get to. Moving into a district and getting to feel part of it takes time. “We’re past all those early days. One of the things we wanted from this move was to have the kids involved in our farm and its wonderful to get to know others in the district. It has not taken us long to get to know some awesome families here,” says Susie. Automatic cup-removers have been installed in the 27 aside herringbone milk shed to avoid the Alan & Catherine Donaldson p: (07) 896 6714 e: agcsdonaldson@gmail.com www.pukenuiangus.co.nz A N G U S 2 YR BULL SALE 2 FIND US ON FACEBOOK Bull Sale Venue: 303 River Road, SH 43, Taumarunui CALVING EASE YEARLING BULL SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY IN OCTOBER 2024 JUNE 4TH 2024 AT 4.00PM need for a second person working in the shed. Mating has been to a mixed-bag of breeds in the early days as they have settled into seeing which breeds perform best given the conditions. Another priority is planting more trees with 150 Poplars planted last year and plans ahead to establish a similar number again this year. “They are good for animal welfare offering them shade and shelter. We intend to retire more of our steeper land as well.”
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