50 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Tahora Stud: Dean & Jo Geddes Pub ‘great venue’ for Tahora Stud sale Dean Geddes’ Tahora Stud held a 70 head stock sale at the Tai Tapu pub. Sue Russell “I try to pick out the best I can at the time. I look carefully at conformation and every animal has been taught to lead by the time of the sale. It will be quite an occasion and all the animals will be presented as though they were going to be judged at a show. We had our rst sale at the Tai Tapu pub in 2006.” +2793 TPI +1211 lbsMilk +48+0.00%Fat +45 +0.03%Protein +2.86 PTA+2.91 UDC 0800 357 164 | 3/123 IngramRoad RD2 Rukuhia Hamilton 3282 The preferred milking systems partner for Dairy Farmers Ph 0800 577 583 | www.morrisonagri.co.nz Proud to support Dean & Jo Geddes Tahora Stud, situated some 18km south-west of Christchurch at Tai Tapu, is a fourth-generation Holstein stud. The Geddes family has been showing stud Holsteins at the Christchurch A&P Show for 110 years and counting. Success showing at the event tracks back to 1921 when Dean’s great grandfather achieved Champion Cow. Dean took over the farm as a 21 year old in 1987 from parents Jim and Judith and today milks 360 cows, mostly Holstein with a sprinkle of Jersey in the mix. The farm now extends over 160 ha, with Dean purchasing the neighbouring farm and an additional 50ha’s is leased for the heifers and to grow supplements. Along with Jo and Dean actively involved on the farm, two full-time staff are employed. “I do everything. Milkings, irrigation, feeding the young stock. We don’t really operate with xed jobs for the team and it works well,” says Dean. This year Dean is taking on a lower-order sharemilker. And after such a long association with the breed, Dean’s passion is still very much about breeding a strong cow that will last the distance. “With breeding you never reach the end goal. You’re continually striving to improve form, constitution and capability. Getting the genetics right and then crossing them the right way is a big part of how you achieve genetic gain.” A wintering barn, built 7 years ago, is popular with the cows. They stay in the barn all winter. This avoids damaging pasture and pugging, given some parts of the farm are low-lying. “They do enjoy getting out on fresh pasture when its spring.” The farm has always been a town-milk supplier. Back when Dean rst left school his parents milked 60 cows through the winter. The barn has substantially increased this number. With a winter milking contract, the farm operates a split herd. Calving commences mid-March through to rst week of June and then again from the last week of July through to late October. “If you prepare them well though there’s very little problem. We change their feed near calving with more bre, minerals and grain. They get hay and silage and I can watch them through the night on the TV screen inside.” On 29th April, Dean and Jo held their rst ownsale since 2012. While was cause for celebration, the location of the sale is probably the most intriguing part of the day. On the day 70 head of stock were displayed, in all their glory, at the Tai Tapu pub. Ranging in age from just a few months to six year old, the sale included 20 R1 and yearling cows, 20 R2 and the rest milking cows. “I picked out the best I could at the time. I look carefully at conformation and every animal has been taught to lead by the time of the sale. It was quite an occasion and all the animals were presented as though they were going to be judged at a show. We had our rst sale at the Tai Tapu pub in 2006.” Dean and Jo say they were very pleased with the turnout, with hundred of locals supporting them. “We even had several ex-staff members come along to help which we were very grateful for.” About one-third of the sales were through Bedr and the price was slightly higher than their previous sale. “It wasn’t much under the Australasian record. The two top-priced animals were standouts, although it was a pleasant surprise to get $13k for our rst ever Speckle Park calf,” says Jo. Key to successful breeding is having the right philosophy. “I breed a dairy cow rst and foremost and the other attributes then come. Cows that will last producing milk, capable of walking long distances, with good udders and conformation.”
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