The Glen Charolais - Beef Cattle Stud

Established in 1985 

“The Glen” is a 135 ha property – one of the smallest sole-income, working properties in the area. We carry approximately 1200-1350 stock units, selling a mix of store and prime stock. Sheep are basically Romneys with prime lamb- producing sires used over the 650 ewe flock, and Romney sires for future replacement stock. Wool is 35+ micron and worth very little. Drenching stock is kept to a minimum, carried out only when necessary. The only vaccine used is pulpy kidney/anti tetanus on lambs at tailing time.

“The Glen” is approximately 360 metres (1200 feet) above sea level with annual rainfall of 635-760 mm (25-30 inches) and a lot of nor’west winds and sometimes very dry summers.

We had been using a Charolais bull since 1974, but decided to set up our own stud when we couldn't source the type of Charolais we wanted. With the purchase of a bull "Brookfield Umpire" and an in-calf cow with a heifer at foot The Glen Charolais Stud was registered.

Our 45 cow Charolais Stud, one of the main farming
activities, produces commercial bulls each year, with the odd stud bull sale. Clients are spread over much of Canterbury – some hard hill country, some easier country, with return sales taking almost all the crop. 3 Stud bulls are used with AI for a selection of different bloodlines. Performance Recording is done with Colorado State University via the New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society. Weighing animals, eye appraisal and performance figures are used to select animals for herd replacement.
Full French is our preferred choice of Charolais because of better coat, hardiness, purer blood lines, temperament and bone structure. The Glen is the only exclusively Full French herd in New Zealand, which makes finding new herd sires a challenge There is however some excellent FF bull semen available (eg. Indiana, Impair, Bova Sylvan, etc). Our aim is to breed cross breeding bulls that will increase the profit margins to our clients.

500 round bales of hay are made each year as well as 80 bales of baleage. Green feed brassica crops with new grasses, are sown each year with very little traditional ploughing and cultivation to mainly Glysophate spray then direct drilling with 100 kg per ha of Diammonium phosphate with the seed down separate spouts. We find this works very well with cost savings in fuel and time on steeper country, and is more environmentally friendly by not releasing as much carbon. A maintenance dressing of 100kg per ha of Superphosphate is applied each year.

Extensive shelter belts have been planted around most paddocks to combat the nor’west winds and snow in winter.     

10 hectares of forestry plays a minor part of the farm income at present because of the high New Zealand $ which is affecting all export produce that we sell.

If you would like to learn more about The Glen Charolais
or arrange a tour of the farm please feel free to contact us