Hawkes Bay Advance Party fifth on-farm
meeting
Wednesday 22 October 2014
Karen Middelberg and Richard Hilson
“Jedburgh Farm Partnership”
78 Paget Road, Takapau
Agenda:
Meet at the deer shed initially. It is unlikely that bikes will be necessary (we
will email or call the day before if that changes).
11.00: Plan for the morning and the rest of the day followed by a quick look at deer
shed and facility. Tony Pearse from DINZ and Hamish Best from Agricom are
also attending.
11.15: Drive over the Estate to get members feedback on riparian issues and
fencing. Also view deer and explain feeding systems with a view to discussion
on lactation performance of R2 hinds in particular.
12.00 Return to house for lunch and brief discussion
12.50 Travel to Maranoa.
Jedburgh stock numbers for winter 2014:
Stock class
Total area
Effective area
Deer fenced area
Effective deer fenced
area
Jedburgh
220 ha
208 ha
117 ha
110 ha
su
MA hinds (in fawn)
R2 hinds RWS
R1 hinds
R1 stags
R2 stags
R2 stags venison
R3 stags
MA stags
Sire stags
Mesopotamian fallow
deer
250
46
130
131
21
2.4
1.9
1.7
1.7
2.5
2.5
3.2
3.5
3.5
1.5
MA cows
R1 bulls
R2 heifers
R2 bulls
R2 steers
R3 steers
cattle
41
5
23
646
40
2
12.6 deer su/deer ha
5.5
4.5
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.5
42
MA and 2T ewes (sil)
Lambs and hoggets
Rams
sheep
650
173
22
845
Total
1533
Total su
2466 su
11.9 su/eff ha
600
87
221
223
53
144
18
35
1381
220
11
231
1.1
0.7
0.8
715
121
18
854
2466
NB: stock units based on DINZ for European red deer and on BLNZ
information for sheep and cattle
After leasing 78 hectares from Richard’s grandparents and developing it for deer, the
original block was purchased in 1999. An opportunity to buy 38 hectares on the
northern boundary came up when the Nikora family purchased Dunlee, and this was
deer fenced. Shortly after that, after some negotiation, the balance of the Nelson
family farm was purchased in partnership with Karen’s parents, Bert and Kay
Middelberg.
Richard was share farming deer with his father, Robin, with most bloodlines based
on Maranoa stags and hinds. Further purchases were made to stock the farm,
mainly from Pampas Ridge and Jim Sanson.
The herd has been fully recorded since 1997 with hinds and fawns paired..
Stock policy and performance:
Sheep
Ewes are composites based on 3/8 Texel 3/8 Finn ¼ Romney rams from One Stop
Ram Shop. An earlier five year ewe terminal policy was dropped when ewe prices
went past $100 and now the whole flock has been bred here. Five year scanning
averages 189% for MA ewes, 169% for two tooths and 126% for hoggets. Combined
lambing for two tooth and MA ewes is 147% and hoggets lamb 101%.
Just under half the ewes go to terminal sires and as many lambs are killed at
weaning as possible- usually about 45%. Remaining lambs are finished on lucerne
or plantain. Lucerne is direct-grazed by ewes and lambs from early to mid
September. Ewes winter on crops.
Cattle:
Act as the “out” option for droughts. Have been buying weaner dairy cross heifers
and finishing them at two years of age. Looking at buying beef weaners instead to
simplify summer grazing as the young dairy calves create more work without doing
any pasture management.
Deer:
Focus is on venison as the main income earner but retaining an emphasis on velvet
through a fully recorded herd (recorded since 1997). Two lines of animals are run
with English stags used over most hinds and European stags used over about 60-70
european hinds.
Until last year most yearling stags are killed in spring at about 52-54kg ccw and the
balance killed in December and February (most spare spikers are now sold into a
local velvet herd). However 20-25 of those with the best breeding records or
promising antler development are retained for velveting as two year olds and about
half of those will enter the small velvet herd.
Two year old stags averaged 2.94kg last year and the retained two year stags
3.13kg. Three year olds averaged 4.60kg and MA stags (4+) averaged 6.27kg.
An occasional stag is sold as a trophy but most cull velvet stags are killed.
Current sire stags are from various sources- home bred, Stanfield, Windermere,
Wilkins.
Yearling hinds are selected in December based on body weight (English over 85 kg
and European over 90kg) and temperament only. Most of the balance are sold for
breeding and the smaller ones are either killed pre-rut or wintered for spring trade.
R2 hind scanning (mated by two year stags) averages 93.4% last five years and MA
hinds (single sire mated) averages 94.8%.
Identified issues for Jedburgh...



Riparian fencing and the “loss” of grazing land for deer
Drought/summer dry and the effect on lactating hinds, especially R2 hinds- what
to feed?
What is the next level, especially for velvet production? What to do with all the
recorded data? DeerSelect visit with Sharon McIntyre may assist with that.
Identified group member issues at 2013 meeting...
Ru, Hugh, Ben:





Completed AP on-farm meeting 10 April 2014
Identifying late born small fawns to their dams so dams can be culled
Adding terminal sires into the breeding programme
Improved weaner growth rates
Use of crops for R1 deer in particular
Developing a firm long term direction- venison and/or velvet?
Grant, George and Matt:

Improving velvet production through DNA or use of a spotting scopecost/benefit and use of data
John and Matt:

Weight loss in stags over autumn- management (feed, space) or science
Matt and Paula:



Karen:



Completed AP on-farm meeting 4 September
Feeding two year olds at pinch periods and effects on lifetime performance
Improving velvet production through DNA or use of a spotting scopecost/benefit and use of data
Weight loss in stags over autumn- management (feed, space) or science
Completed AP on-farm meeting 31 July
Better lactation performance from hinds- wean better weaners
Improve weaner weight gain in autumn
Start a velvet stag herd
Karen and Richard:

Improved weaner weights and continually improved velvet production
Evan and Linda:


Completed AP on-farm meeting 2 July 2014
“Blank canvas”- any input on development plans welcome
Want to hold hind numbers but develop a plan to utilise the extra deer fenced
area- velvet, improved feeding
 Do things “better”- feeding, genetics source and pairing up hinds/fawns
 How to best tap into potential genetic gains