Store sheep country transformed

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33100, 15 December 1972, Page 8

Store sheep country transformed

There are few better-known properties in the store stock reports of “The Press” than Dalethorpe, a run of 5500 acres farmed by Messrs C. W. and J. R. Reed, of Annat, near Springfield.

Dalethorpe has one distinctive geographical feature. It includes the large bell or pyramid-shaped hill which can be seen from the Main West highway, and which is known locally as Bell Hill.

With a solid background of pastoral development, the run proved to be an ideal place for a Federated Farmers’ field day last week.

Dalethorpe has been in the Reed family since 1920, having been taken up by the Reed brothers’ father. The brothers took over the property in 1935. Since then, but mainly after the wool boom of the 19505, there has been a continuous programme of improvement. As on many other hill properties, a breeding cow herd has been established, but it remains very much a sheep property.

Dalethorpe runs to 3080 ft, and of the 5500 acres, 600 acres — most of it front country—have been cultivated. It has a 43in rainfall, and is by no means warm country, which no doubt accounts for the shifting qualities of the annual draft ewes and store calves.

From 3300 head in 1935, the ewe flock has risen to 5200. Ewe hoggets for replacements have risen from 1200 to 1800. and rams from 80 to 200, giving an over-all increase from 4580 to 7200. The over-all lamb-

ing percentage has risen from 85 to 100, and wool production from 100 to 195 bales. No cattle were run on Dalethorpe in 1935, but to-

day the herd consists of 320 mature breeding cows with calves at foot, 60 heifers calved at two years of age, 60 yearling heifers, and 30 steers, a tally of 470. The Dalethorpe flock has for many years been halfbred, but during the last six years Corriedale rams have been used. Mr C. W. Reed told the visitors that years ago the Corriedale could not stand up to the conditions, but now that there had been consider-

able pastoral improvement, he expected them to prove a satisfactory proposition, although he did not know whether they would be better than the halfbred. Each year Dalethorpe sends 800 to 900 cast-for-age ewes to the Sheffield fair, and they are keenly sought. Last autumn the

top cut of four-year-olds topped the fine-wool station lines at $5.80. Last year the top pen of four-year-olds, out of a line of 835, made $6.40. With the dramatic recovery in wool and meat prices in recent months, these prices now appear fairly modest, but considering the economic climate at the time, and the very dry conditions in most down-country districts, they were very satisfactory. In years gone by, Reed Brothers were regular vendors in the store lamb pens, but today, all the wether lambs go off the property fat, and an interesting point is that the best of them come off the hill blocks.

Shearing is done mainly in summer, but two seasons ago it was decided to prelamb shear the two-tooths. This was done to reduce mismothering, particularly at shearing. Mr John Reed explained that when the ewes were brought down from the tussock for shearing, the lambs never mothered up properly again until they got back to the tussock.

Now that the two-tooths are pre-lamb shorn, there is only one period of mismothering—at tailing. The cattle policy on Dalethorpe turned out to be a strong talking point at the field day. The herd is straight Angus, and last year the heifers were mated

at 15 months. They duly gave a better percentage of calves than the cows, but Mr C. W. Reed said this was attributed to the cows being on the hill blocks, where the percentage was influenced by “touring” bulls and non-working bulls.

It was suggested that Reed Brothers should try crossbreeding in their herd, but the brothers are adamant about their preferences. “We are on the black cattle. We like them, and I can’t see us changing,” said Mr C. W. Reed. Financially, the cattie have been highly satisfactory. One hundred and forty - eight Dalethorpe calves, offered at the second Coalgate calf sale last autumn brought from $7l to $B7, for an average of more than $BO, while 72 heifer calves ranged from $63.50 to $Bl to average $72.

For wintering purposes, 80 to 100 acres of the arable country are put into turnips. In addition 15,000 bales of hay are made, although last year, the total rose to 20,000 bales.

Both the turnips and hay are kept principally for the sheep. After the ewes have been brought in off tussock, the cattle are put on two to three blocks. The decision to maintain them on tussock, rather than on paddocks, was prompted by the fact that they eat hay

very quickly, and having disposed of it. they do not bother to forage further, but wait about for the hay waggon next day. Some heavy hay crops have been made on Dalethorpe. Yields of 120 bales to the acre are common, and red clover thrives so well that when lifted it will reach a man’s armpits.

The standard pasture mixture on the arable country is perennial ryegrass, with white clover, Montgomery red clover, and frequently some Timothy or cocksfoot. Topdressing is done by lorry at the rate of 2 cwt an acre a year.

Aerial topdressing has been a major factor in hill country improvement. Each year 150 tons of sulphursuper are flown on, this being sufficient for half the area. The whole of the hill country is thus topdressed every two years.

Oversowing has been tried, but the response was not considered satisfactory, and it is not continued today. Pasture improvement on the hill blocks has been accompanied by a fencing programme. Large blocks have been subdivided into smaller blocks of 300 to 500 acres, and with modern equipment it is no longer a time-consuming job.

Earlier this year a twomile fence was erected in

a matter ot days by using a crawler tractor to tow a smaller wheeled tractor, equipped with post-driver. Railway iron is being used extensively for posts, and greater use is also being made of 6in square netting. Many fences have a permanent electric wire for keeping cattle confined.

Sizable areas of matagouri have been cleared in recent years. The practice has been to close up a block, allowing the matagouri and the ground cover to thicken. Then when it has frosted off, it is set alight. The objective has been to provide conditions conducive to a strong burn. Dalethorpe has some erosion, a factor dating back to the heavy flood of 1951. Two deep guts occurred at a fairly high level on Bell Hill.

Among the visitors was Mr R. M. D. Johnson, of

Mount Torlesse, whose work on catchment matters is well known. He invited the Reed Brothers to avail themselves of the Catchment Board’s services.

According to Mr R. L. Bennetts, advisory officer with the Department of Agriculture at Darfield, Dalethorpe and the surrounding country has a pH of 5.S to 5.7. It has responded well to sulphate. phosphates and molybdenum, and been transformed from store country to fattening country. If the pH was lifted to 6.3, Mr Bennetts expects it would grow ryegrasses. Machinery on Dalethorpe is kept to a minimum. There are two large tractors, one small tractor, plus cultivation and haymaking equipment.

Labour consists of the two owners, assisted by two sons.