86 | nzdairy OLIVER'S TRANSPORT PROUDLY WORKING ALONGSIDE NEW ZEALAND GRAZING COMPANY SPECIALIZING IN: LIVESTOCK CARTAGE HAY & SILAGE WOOL GENERAL FREIGHT Phone: 07 873 7772 | DEPOT: MAIN SOUTH ROAD, PO BOX 251 OTOROHANGA For the benefit of the whole industry Helping farmers find a smarter way to grow profitable heifers has been behind the mission and vision of New Zealand Grazing Company for close to four decades. The North Island wide professional grazing management company was founded in 1987 by Ian Wickham. With his practical farming and business experience, he concentrated on developing and building systems and standard operating procedures that ensured levels of performance and a continuous high standard for the benefit of the whole industry. Operations manager Bridget Clark describes the company as the middleman that oversees the grazing of predominantly dairy heifers, but it also has some beef heifer clients as well as providing Jersey service bulls. “I guess the big thing is that we save the heifer owners a lot of time,” Bridget says. New Zealand Grazing Company also has a wider mission than the core services it provides, and its staff are passionate about making a difference for both individual farmers, graziers and the wider industry. Its core service is comprehensive however; both the grower and heifer owner are kept informed throughout a heifer’s grazing and growing journey and every month New Zealand Grazing Company’s weigh technicians visit the grower farm to record growth rates and health treatments. Following this, the owner receives a comprehensive report comparing growth rates to agreed targets. “We keep farmers in the know of what’s happening all the time; including carrying out vaccinations, bull supply at required mating dates, pregnancy testing, everything is thoroughly recorded and traceable for the term of the contract,” Bridget says. “We work in with a lot of other rural professionals from vets, consultants and stock agents to name a few, to keep well informed and provide our top service to our rural communities.” Engaging New Zealand Grazing Company eliminates a whole level of management and stress for farmers while ensuring the performance and growth needed to set a heifer up for a healthy, productive life. “The best set up for a dairy heifer is to get in calf and calve in the first three weeks. That’s the start of their lactating career and if they end up getting in calf late, they probably won’t get in calf the next year. Russell Fredric DAIRY SERVICES » New Zealand Grazing Company “It’s a fixed window of time to get dairy heifers back in calf. It’s a huge wastage so you need to make sure your heifers are well grown to get in calf early and to hold their own while they’re in their first lactation.” With its systems and focus on the health and growth rates, stock are returned to their home herd in great condition, are healthy and, as a result Each animal has its own targets established based on its genetic potential with monthly weighing and reporting, updating performance. more likely to get back in calf during their first lactation, resulting in greatly increased lifetime value. Payments are made for feed consumed during each weigh interval, rewarding growers for actual growth and keeping the focus on the target endweight. The company’s modelled dry matter system calculates actual feed consumed, is regarded as “uniquely fair”, is based on leading industry research and has been validated by Dairy NZ. Each animal has its own targets established based on its genetic potential with monthly weighing and reporting, updating performance. “Our goal is 90% of mature live weight at 22 months of age.” “The closer a heifer is to her mature liveweight
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