Author Archives: anguspro

Structural Soundness

While many producers have successfully managed the structural soundness of their animals using different selection strategies, such as culling of animals with unacceptable structure, Claw Set, Foot Angle and Leg Angle EBVs provide a useful tool that breeders can use in association with existing management and culling strategies to further improve the foot and leg structure of their animals.

Angus bring growth and flexibility

While the 980ha hill country farm on the outskirts of Waimate has been home to the Studholme family for generations, it is their ability to adapt to ever-changing market demands, economic environments and weather patterns that have enabled them to remain productive and profitable.

Henry Studholme is at the helm of Te Waimate, which he farms alongside his parents Mike and Jan. Three years ago, in response to two consecutive years of extremely dry weather, the family made the decision to build more flexibility and safety valves into their farm system.

Viewpoint: Genomics prove worth in Cow Selection

It is often said that beef cows are the hardest working, least loved animal on any farm, and The Wandle is no exception. We have high expectations of them; that they wean one calf a year, eat an endless amount of rank feed and don’t melt under pressure. This is the reality of our breeding and finishing operation, where we have many priority mobs, and the cows more often than not play a supporting role. My husband Gus and I manage this 2550ha farm at Middlemarch, under the umbrella of the Lone Star Farms group. Across the three Lone Star properties that have breeding cattle, the company has been taking steps to improve the genetic merit of the Angus cow herds, with 240 head here at The Wandle.

Using TACE percentiles in animal selection

Angus bulls sold within New Zealand are registered in two different databases — Angus Australia and Angus NZ. The TACE percentiles in sale catalogues are only relevant to the population they are compared against, meaning you can compare one AngusPRO animal against another, but these percentiles can’t be compared across different breed societies i.e. animals registered with Angus NZ.

An efficient path to Profitability

It was a bold move for 24-year-old Will Wilding to ditch his job in Canada’s oil fields and move home to the family farm. He was tasked with taking on a different kind of black gold ‒ the four-legged, fast growing and well-eating kind that roams the rugged hills of Te Mania in Conway Flat, North Canterbury.

Will was the stock manager back in 2014, working under the guidance of the late Lindsay Haugh. The stud was very similar then to what it looks like now, with a lot of technology and commercial farming practices in use, however, Will’s innovative mind wouldn’t rest and he was determined to take things to a new level.

Using Angus SaleSELECT

The Angus SaleSELECT tool enables Angus breeders to search and sort the registered Angus animals that are currently available for sale and identify those animals that are most aligned with their breeding goals and objectives.

This modern, intuitive interface makes it easier for breeders to search, sort and compare animals, to pinpoint the exact genetics that are of interest to their enterprise.