Field Day Held At West Wanaka

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30348, 25 January 1964, Page 6

Field Day Held At West Wanaka

' r pH'E interest of runholders -*■ in high-country improvement was once again demonstrated ait the recent field day organised by the high country sub-section of the Upper Clutha branch of Federated Farmers, in conjunction with the Farm Advisory Division of the Department of Agriculture, Alexandra. This, the fifth annual field day, was held at West Wanaka station, the property of Messrs R. M. and G. S. Scaife. There was an attendance of about 250. West Wanaka station, which is situated on the western side of Lake Wanaka, covers 46,000 acres, of which 40,000 acres are utilised. The homestead is 1000 ft above sea-level and the country runs up to 8000 ft. The rainfall at lake level is about 35 inches.

Stock wintered on the property last year comprised 3500 ewes, 2500 wethers, 1900 hoggets, 300 rams and killers, giving a total of 8200. Cattle wintered numbered 614, including 280 cows, and 240 calves have been marked. Halfbreds have been run previously, but between 1947 and 1951 a change was made to Merinos. Whereas the halfbreds had averaged arinually 5411 b wool, the Merinos were averaging 8 to 841 b. The lambing percentage which was 80 per cent with the halfbreds, is now down a little but there is a better survival rate and as a result 600 more sheep a year are being produced with the Merino. Keas used to be a serious problem, particularly because of deaths through blood poisoning, but inoculation has reduced losses considerably. Calving percentages have risen from 66 in 1956 to 90 in 1962. This is attributed by the Scaife brothers to the combined results of control of rabbits, vaccination against

contagious abortion, the culling of dry cows, the use of the Hereford, and topdressing and oversowing. Seven hundred acres have been improved with the aeroplane and this method has proved particularly successful in handling the brackenfern country which was previously useless. One cwt of sulphur super with clover, coating £23 a ton to fly on,

has produced striking results. Calves are now fed hay on the blocks improved from the fern. The trampling lets the sheep through and the clover comes away as light gets in. Cattle are sold as two-year-olds (40 are kept each year) and 30 cull cows are sold each year. Five hundred fat wethers go to the works annually, and 400 old ewes and up to 300 store lambs are also sold. Transport of a fat wether to Burnside costs 7s and the Scaffes would naturally welcome the establishment of the long-hoped-for freezing works in Central Otago. Rabbits were previously a serious pest on this property. Prior to the formation of the rabbit board in 1949, some 27,000 rabbits were taken annually off the river flats. In 1962 six rabbits were taken and in 1963 ten rabbits consisting of two families. The Scaifes consider that the £3OO a year paid in rabbit rates is good insurance, and they consider that extermination must be the only aim.

Deer are not a serious menace at present because there is easy access for meatshooters who were taking about 400 carcases a year. Footrot was brought on to the property seven years ago by imported rams, but this disease is almost completely under control as the result of the practice of putting every sheep on the property over the board once or twice a year. This spring, out of 4000 wethers and hoggets only three cases of foot rot were detected. Dusting has given very good control of external parasites, and sheep, including lambs, are dusted after shearing. When the lambs are weaned in January they are dusted again. In the autumn every sheep kept for the winter is dusted so that all sheep are dusted twice and lambs three times.