Group grazing new concept in shoving

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34105, 18 March 1976, Page 20

Group grazing new concept in shoving

The Jlethven Agricultural and Pastoral Association Show has scored a first out of the A. and P. shows in New Zealand. Making a break from traditional showing methods (something A. and P. associations are often criticised for not doing) Meth ven introduced a new class in 1973 which accepts some degree of performance and ob-

jective judging as part of its responsibility.

The class is a steer weight-gain competition or officially the export beef competition — group grazing class. Mr R. C. Todhunter, of Rakaia Gorge, was responsible for its introduction and he recently presented a paper on the subject at a New Zealand Society of Animal and Livestock Production seminar at Lincoln College.

Export beef competitions were a move in'the right direction, he said, as far as getting away from old showing methods. But, while these competitions give exhibitors the opportunity of seeing their cattle

judged on the hoof and then displayed in carcass form, Mr Todhunter felt they did not go far enough. They gave no information about what the cattle had been fed on, their relative growth rates, or anything about how profitable the beasts had been to grow.

Mr Todhunter said the Methven A. and P. recognised the deficiencies of these competitions and after some years of consideration the group grazing class came into being.

The show was fortunate to have the facilities and conditions to run the competition and Mr Todhunter said other A. and P. associations, with a little initiative, could run similar commercial-type competitions. They would not necessarily displace the things. There is more judging on performance; it provides local factual figures more traditional form of

showing but as the new Methven class had pijbved, a lot of interest is generated even in people who have not shown before.;

Members of Methvai A. and P. hope that as their competition develops, byeed societies and group breeding schemes will eater groups of steers. Two societies have already used the results of the competition for promotion purposes.

Mr Todhunter believes the group grazing class achieves a number of on growth rates and carcasses which would pnob-

ably be more acceptable to farmers than figures produced by the very controlled trials from some research stations; and it involves both the A. and P. association and competitors in more than just the one day event — the annual show. In October entries of yearling steers, of any breed or cross in good store condition, begin grazing as one mob from early spring to the show in MidMarch. This is the period of high growth rates around Methven. All steers are sprayed and drenched on arrival at

the grazing property — this year at Mr M. V. i Poff’s property. They are j allowed a week to settle ■ down before weighing but. from then on they are, weighed regularly until the | last weighing just before the show. Four prizes are awarded: at the show to those steers with the highest liveweight gain over the grazing' period. All steers in the competition are eligible for the standard export beef com-| petition so following the show they are killed and; measured as for that com-! petition.