Hill herd of 800 cows

Press, 23 June 1978, Page 17

Hill herd of 800 cows

With a run herd of 800 cows, the Mendip Hills station at Parnassus has the largest commercial beef breeding herd in the Cheviot district. As well, it has a stud herd, established mainly for producing its own run bulls.

The stud herd was founded in the mid 1960 s writh cows from Bluedale (Williams) and Haka (Holms) studs, a number of them being by Upland Trojan, a sire which had a strong influence in establishing a line of good quality stock. The Mendip Hills breeding herd runs on fairly steep, broken country, requiring active, self-sup-porting cows, with sound feet and of good physique. The stud built up to more than 100 cows in the early 19705, then was cut back to 37. Last year 70 cows were put ot the bull.

The stud sire, Taurau Valley Oberon, has had a strong influence on the stock, especially in good hindquarters. Use of artificial insemination has made a number of good bulls available, outstanding among these being Clachanburn Toby. One of his sons, Mendip Tobias, is now being used after having topped the Canterbury performance test, and having been selected for progeny testing. The lona stud, owned byMr Paul Bush, was established in 1959 with Okawa females and Nithdale bulls. Later Lonsdale females were added, and Lonsdale bulls have been used extensively. Th? only outcross recently has been Strathavon Jason which has combined well with the Lonsdale blood. The lona herd has been recorded for growth rate since 1967, and has performed consistently in outside trials. At the Dairy Board trials in 1972, two lona bulls were fourth and fourteenth respectively in the performance test, and

third equal in the progeny test. Twenty-seven animals were in the trials.

The following year, an lona bull was first equal in the performance test and second in the progeny test. Twenty-eight bulls were in these trials. lona Emblem 278 was recently granted the “Seal of Approval” by the New Zealand Hereford Society. The stud comprises 120 registered cows and as well as its current sires — Strathavon • Jason, lona Jason 315, ‘ Lonsdale- Domino .112 and 113 — has bred to leading sires with the use of artificial insemination. The Winchenden 'Poll Hereford stud of Messrs Calder and Son was established in 1967 with females front Waihuka. Others since added have come froth Heathstock, Hillsview, Woodfield and Nenthorn. This year 70 cows and three-year-old heifers were bought from the Coldstream stud , of Springston. Bushend Gun Wale was the sire with most influence in the stud’s earlier years, imparting soundness and quality. He

was well regarded as a high performance sire. The principal herd sire at Winchenden is Nithdale Baraboo ,by Nithdale Tarzan, a son of Wynyard Kitchener. The Winchenden herd has been performance tested since its establishment. There are 120 females in the herd at present. The Blytheburn Angus stud was founded in 1960 by Mr R. S. Latter with the purchase Of 20 cows, most of them from the Ellerton stud, of Kekerengu, and one bull, Essex of Tataramoa. The original cows cost an average of 90gns ($189) a head. The stud grew to more than 90 cows by 1971, and dliring this time, mainly Waiterenui sires had been used. Mr D. S. Latter took over the farm in 1972, and a year later reduced the stud herd to 50 cows. He believes this duly led to an improvement in the standard of bull offered for sale.

Run on hill country under natural conditions, the Blytheburn bulls shift, well to hill country herds in other areas.