FARM FACTS • Broadlands Station owned by the Akers family. • 17km north-east of Palmerston North. POHANGINA • Dissected by the Pohangina River and the Saddle Road. • 1650ha (1400ha effective). • 250ha fenced-off native bush and steep Manuka sidlings. • Sheep and cattle breeding and finishing. • Specialises in breeding yearling Hereford bulls for dairy farmers.
“I’m not interested in bulls with extremely low birthweight estimated breeding values (EBVs) ‘cos they tend to leave calves with poor growth. I like to see a birth weight EBV around 4 but no greater than 5.” He prefers bulls with moderate EBVs avoiding any with extremes. Generally 8-10 bulls will be selected from each catalogue based entirely on their genetic information. “Now that I’ve done my genetic selection I can head off to the sales feeling a lot more relaxed knowing that I only have to inspect a few bulls rather than the whole lot.” On sale day the bulls genetically pre-selected are inspected for structural soundness, conformation, eye pigmentation and colour markings. Bulls are ranked on their overall assessment leaving Willie in a better frame of mind to make rational decisions when bidding. The only decision he has to make now is what will be his final bid for a particular bull. And he’s not afraid to open his wallet for a good bull paying up to $10,000 for the right animal while
averaging about $7500. Willie tries to buy bulls with different genetic bloodlines so as to minimise the effects of inbreeding. Ex-PGG Wrightson stud stock agent Ray Moss from Feilding has assisted in buying many of Broadlands’ herd sires and was often seen at the Hereford National Bull Sale conversing with Willie’s father Hugh. Although he has largely retired from this role, Ray continues to be Willie’s mentor and is generally only a phone call away if he needs some wise council for which he is extremely grateful. Heifers are vaccinated against bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) before mating. Bullout date for the two-year-old heifers is November 1 (calving starts on August 13) and mixed age (MA) cows December 1 (calving September 13). Mating of the MA cows takes place on the hills where cows are in three mobs, each mob serviced by three bulls. After each cycle the bulls are moved to a different mob. The 100 twoyear heifers are run with three bulls on the home block. A close eye is kept on the bulls to ensure they are working and to identify any injuries early. These are not
ANGUS
BU LL S AL E
THURSDAY 3RD JUNE 2021 AT 4.30PM Bull Sale Venue: 303 River Road, SH 43, Taumarunui
Alan & Catherine Donaldson p: (07) 896 6714 e: agcsdonaldson@gmail.com www.pukenuiangus.co.nz
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32 Bulls
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Country-Wide Beef
May 2021