It’s been a bumper season at Shenley Station, a sheep and beef hill country property near Albury in South Canterbury. So good in fact that Kate and John Hughes have just finished making and carting hay — the first time it’s been done on the farm in 20 years.
Author Archives: anguspro
Redefining what’s Possible
When Tom Sanson and Dr Andrew Cribb took on the lease at Whangara in 2021, they knew they had to make rapid changes to bring the objectives of the stud back to fruition.
Three generations of Lane brothers have farmed Whangara, most recently the late Patrick Lane. Patrick had a big focus on using high-growth American Angus genetics that had carcass quality to boot. However, in more recent years, rightly or wrongly, the reputation of their structure had come into question and change was needed.
Cow Herd Efficiency
When you’re looking at efficiency in cattle there are two main aspects. There is profitability — maximum output from minimum input — and there’s environmental — every kilo of input produces methane so reducing input ultimately reduces the total methane emissions.
Neither of these concepts is anything new, however, the addition of the Net Feed Intake EBV on animals registered with Angus Australia has brought efficiency into the spotlight here in New Zealand.
AngusPRO Education Module — 29 May
There’s no time to muck about up here team, this module is jam packed — we’ve got an on farm at the Tongariro Prison in Taupo, a review of theContinue reading “AngusPRO Education Module — 29 May”
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.
Building Blocks of IMF
IMF gives beef its flavour, taste, tenderness and juiciness, and processors are rewarding farmers who deliver it in their cattle because the more there is, the more beef the consumer demands. The process of achieving IMF begins at conception, and there are a number of opportunities throughout the year when the farmer can get things right or wrong.
Prison Delivering Second Chances
In life, everyone and perhaps everything deserves a second chance. At Tongariro Prison in Turangi at the foot of Lake Taupo, the focus is on keeping people safe and giving the prisoners a second chance.
Big production cost savings to be had in breeding more feed-efficient cattle
Sustainability has been a dominant theme across many of the industry seminars conducted on day two at Beef 2024. The role of breeding and genetic improvement within the context ofContinue reading “Big production cost savings to be had in breeding more feed-efficient cattle”
AngusPRO Education Module — 14 May
The bull walks are underway and the sales are just a fortnight away! Do you know what direction you want to take your breeding herd? If your bull breeder isContinue reading “AngusPRO Education Module — 14 May”
A Word on Live Export
In the vibrant landscape of New Zealand’s agriculture industry, live export stands out as one of the most controversial yet integral trades. Almost a year ago, this trade was abruptlyContinue reading “A Word on Live Export”