Pre-sale visit to herds

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32636, 18 June 1971, Page 14

Pre-sale visit to herds

In spite of a very wet day, more than 100 farmers accepted a general invitation to visit beef studs in the Kaikoura area earlier this month. This was the second year that the five vendors represented at the annual Kaikoura bull sale had organised a “bull walk,” and it was very pleasing to see the interest shown. It is only rarely that prospective purchasers of bulls have the opportunity to inspect, not only the bulls to be offered, but the herd sires, cows and calves some months before the sale, and on an organised tour supplemented by informative comment on the herds from the studmasters. A feature of the five studs visited was the fact that no cattle to be offered for sale or retained in the studs had had their feet trimmed. This undoubtedly instills confidence in intending purchasers.

The tour began on the property of the estate of T. Davies (Charwell) where 17 Poll Hereford bulls were inspected, also the herd

sires, cows and calves. The visitors then went to Mr J. Ross Murray’s Woodbank Stud, where 20 wellgrown Angus bulls, in individual sire groups, were in-

spected. The stud’s breeding cows, herd sires, and ' calves were also on hand. Twelve homed and eight Poll Hereford bulls were on , show at Mr J. G. Murray’s Matariki Hereford Stud. Among the female cattle for inspection was one of the best line-ups of three-year-old in-calf homed Herefords that one could wish to find. Arriving at the estate of W. N. Masefield (the Ellerton Stud), the visitors transferred to utility vehicles to get over a hill and inspect the herd. Conditions were extremely wet when the 36 sale bulls were seen. The final call was made at Mr Simon Chaffey’s Homai Hereford Stud at Kekerengu. His 20 sale bulls were the subject of much favourable comment. The tour attracted beef producers from Blenheim to Banks Peninsula. This year’s combined breeders’ sale at Kaikoura will be held on t August 30.

The accompanying item on a recent msit to beef . herds in the Kalkgtap dis- . Met was contrigsted by S.W.A.