The Glen Charolais - Beef Cattle Stud

2009 Spring / 2010 Summer Update

The winter was cold with slow growth with many windy Nor-west days. With each southerly change came snow – 10 falls in all hence a lot of supplementary feed was fed to the stock. Lambing went well with a good percentage drop. Calving was somewhat slower with a big percentage of heifer calves born – a legacy of three years of drought. Spring eventually arrived in late November with many rainy warm days with good pasture growth. Most of the lambs were fattened and gone before Christmas, the later smaller lambs were stored in January as the price dropped for fats. Store prices have been very strong with plenty of grass in the later country.

Many farmers who sold their breeding cows because of the drought are now wishing they still had them. Breeding cows and sheep complement each other for pasture management and even if the cows get a bit thin during a drought, if it is possible to retain them, in a year such as this they are good money earners.

Farmers need to insist that meat from beef animals should be seen as superior to dairy beef meat which at best is only hamburger meat.

Our rising three heifers calved last autumn without assistance and the progeny handled the winter well. We are very pleased with their growth rates and weights. This season’s autumn calving heifers are in excellent condition and are due to calve to The Glen Cassius C34. We await the progeny with great interest.

We have always been very focused on temperament within our herd and endeavor to eliminate any animal – male or female - that show negative signs. All stud breeders of any breed need to be vigilant of this trait as all too often we hear of truck drivers, agents etc getting in strife with angry animals.

New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society AGM

The New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society are holding their AGM in Northland from 24th to 27th March 2010 with excellent registration numbers already and the organizers have an interesting itinerary of stud visits and trips prepared.

We look forward to the 2010 bull selling season and wish our clients well with all their farming activities.

Charolais Beef News Article - Breeding Cows and beef.
By Barrie Ridler NZCCS technical advisor.

Recommendations for breeding cow management when integrating sheep and beef into profitable systems has been around for many years. Strange then that the only part of the message that seems to have got through involves the feed clean-up role to enhance sheep production. This has led to “integration” or combining beef cows in with sheep at times when feed is short and results in severe underfeeding of the cow.

It should be no surprise that sheep and beef not only graze in different ways, but that they also graze to different pasture base levels. Sheep can harvest maintenance levels of feed down to 500 kgDM/ha. The level for beef cows is more 700-800kgDM/ha.
This means that when the two species are combined and compete on a daily basis, the time taken to graze each paddock becomes critical. Sheep can happily continue grazing from 800 down to 500 over a period of some days (or weeks depending on mob and paddock size) while breeding cows reduce bodyweight.
This may be an acceptable result provided the process is monitored. Cow body condition must be very good to begin with and the cow must have access to better feed prior to and post-calving.
Too often however, stock are rotated on the basis of time between shifts rather than when pasture levels fall below maintenance levels. If farm stock numbers (feed demand) are too high, adjust them through sale or (for unusual short term deficits) increase feed supply through supplements.
Many systems now have optimistic stocking rates – or more correctly, feed demand compared to feed supply. This is probably a combination of less fertiliser application and pressure to “produce more” brought on by financial stress.
Breeding cows are seen as the safety valve for this overstocking and when they are combined with sheep over winter and lambing, bear the brunt of any underfeeding.
This in turn has led to a general lack in performance in terms of in-calf rates, longevity and weaning weights for the breeding cow with a consequent decrease in “profitability” and herd number over the past 15 years.
It is now quite difficult to find breeding herds that are managed in a knowledgeable way to enhance both sheep and beef profitability, simple as this management may be.
Cows can be combined with ewes but only when a feed surplus is looming and management decides to use this simple option rather than shuffling ewes.
Separate systems which maximize the attributes of the ewe and the cow are not difficult to manage and result in much greater returns from improved calving rates, weaning weights and lamb slaughter returns.

Calving rates of 95%+ with heifers mated at 14 months to calve at 2 years are manageable provided the recommended feeding levels are followed.
In turn, such management allows pastures to respond better and provides a better balance of species (especially clover content) that can be used to advantage for finishing stock.
It seems odd to see growing beef animals in with ewes (whose lambs have been weaned) when the best financial results are achieved from better live-weight gain (LWG).
But here too some reflection on what is really happening needs to be understood.
To increase the LWG obviously requires a higher intake. This higher intake means that fewer animals can be fed from the same feed supply.
If the system already has a higher feed demand than that grown, some extra feed must be introduced to meet the higher demand from faster LWG stock.
You do not get something for nothing despite the best intentions to achieve higher performance. Growing crops takes on the one hand (paddock out of production for crop growth and pasture renewal) and pays back on the other (a chunk of feed at a more appropriate time?). The economics in today’s world however suggest that unless some very cheap, well grown and utilized crops of high quality can be grown for a special premium product, it really is better to reduce stocking rate if you want to increase per animal feeding.
This means over a longer time period that the advantages of faster LWG need to be weighed against the reduced number of stock that will be finished. Some farms may find store stock a more profitable venture for example as more cows can be run to sell more progeny as lighter stores. This may fit the pasture growth pattern better.
Although there is a gain in efficiency with higher LWG (total maintenance is decreased for each kg LWG achieved plus reduced time for stock on the farm), this has to be weighed against the reduction in number. Not an easy calculation to make and one that has been largely ignored by most in the pastoral industry – sheep, beef and even increased milk production/cow in dairy. Hope rather than analysis seems to loom larger with many.

Beef cows are a huge asset to any system.
They improve overall pasture use, quality and feed flow and provide a winter buffer if managed to gain weight as the summer feed surplus is turned into profit rather than wasted. They will make a profit out of feed that ewes and lambs cannot. They provide a drought safety valve to reduce stock numbers if sold a year early as younger stores, effectively selling 2 years progeny in one – but be wary of tax and income gap implications next year. They are less work than ewes and lambs and work well with integrated worm prevention strategies.
Yet much of this potential is being squandered because of misunderstanding (or is it ignorance of) the basic rules of animal production and production economics. Both are required.

The key is to understand the fundamental requirement to equate feed demand and supply as closely as possible. The breeding cow is well suited for this role and will return high profits provided the herd is not used to cover feed shortages brought on by deficiencies in management.

The Glen Charolais Season Update - Feb 2009

The Challenge Continues

The drought drifted on through the autumn. We had a long cold winter, then got 200 mm of rain in a very short time, plus a couple of blasts of snow, where we lost a fairly substantial number of new born lambs.

Spring was a testing time due to the feed supply being tight, but fortunately we were able to get our cull ewes into the works in November. That helped ease the stock numbers but we had to de-stock to meet the feed supplies.

The cows had all been vetted in calf but many were much later then usual – a legacy of the ongoing drought. Despite the climatic conditions the cattle have come through very well with the rising 2 year bulls up to good weights. There are 2 bulls in particular we consider to be stud herd sire prospects – Full French being a draw card.
The autumn-calving 30 month heifers have all tested in calf and are in good condition for calving.

Events in 2008-09

We had 2 Paraguayans visit with the intentions of flushing cows for embryos to export to Paraguay.

2 French students, Kevin and Florent, from Clermont Ferrand Agricultural College visited during the year. When we were in France 3 years ago we met with a group of students from the College and as a result we are a host family for students when they visit New Zealand.

Florian Beuchli and Petra whose family farm Charolais in Switzerland visited on the South Island leg of their New Zealand trip.

Japanese Seek Charolais Grass-Fed Beef Information

A contingent of 25 Japanese representing 17 different Tokyo Meat-Packing Wholesale Co-operatives recently visited North Canterbury.This was in response to a request from the group to the New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society to learn more about Charolais in this country – a first such approach as the Japanese have traditionally sought black skinned cattle.

The purpose of this group was: to study market trends, process of production, safety management, to progress their knowledge through actual site inspection of processing system of New Zealand beef and study the situation of stock breeding.

On 8 February the group visited The Glen Charolais stud of Bill and Geraldine Hassall at Hawarden. The first comments made was about the extremity of the drought in the Hawarden Waikari basin and what assistance did the Government/ Farming body offer. They then had the opportunity of inspecting first calving 30 month heifers, cows with calves at foot and some of the rising 2 year bulls. All met with very favourable comments  about the condition and constitution of the cattle, particularly under the extreme dry.

The group then visited Iffley Farm, owned by John and Pauline McGrath in the Waikari Valley. There they saw 14 month Charolais/Angus cross bulls weighing on average 600 kgs, angus cows with Charolais cross calves at foot and The Glen Urson, a rising 6 year old bull used for cross breeding purposes at Iffley. Scott Hassall, manager of Iffley, discussed growth weights and daily weight gains which the visitors found very hard to believe as it takes their traditional cattle nearly three times as long to reach those weights.

Prior to the luncheon provided by Pauline and John, they were treated to a taste test of fillet steak from a Charolais/Lowline cross 14 month steer. Bill and Geraldine have 2 three-quarter Lowline 1 quarter Aryshire cross cows (belonging to their daughter) who were mated to a Glen Charolais bull and calved unassisted at 30 months and this steer was one of the resulting progeny. The visitors were very impressed with the taste and tenderness of the beef – considering they are used to grain fed beef.

Bryce McKenzie NZCCS President from Pomahaka, Gore addressed the group and through the services of the excellent interpreter was able to inform them of the fast maturing Charolais, in comparison to their cattle, the importance of the PH levels and commented on the general quietness of all the cattle they had inspected. Bryce suggested that they lobby their Government to reduce the 40% tariff on imported meat. This was met with great approval. It was a very successful day with excellent results for the New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society.

On 2 March The 41st NZCCS AGM tour is being held in North Canterbury. The tour will visit Iffley farm, The Glen Charolais, and Hemmingsford Stud of Alistair and Sam Holland at Culverden, on to Hanmer for the night, through Molesworth with Rick Stirling’s Mo;lesworth Tours, to Blenheim for Annual Dinner at night and AGM the following morning, to Kaikoura via railcar for a chance to either go fishing or whale watching and arrives back in Christchurch on Thursday.

An open invitation is extended all interested farmers to visit the farms mentioned. Please contact either: The NZCCS Manager, Mrs Pat Mellon, phone 03 358 6117 or Geraldine Hassall, phone 03 314 4282

The Glen Charolais Season Update - 1 May 2008

All the 2 1/2 year heifers have calved unassisted. It is a struggle to keep feed ahead of them with such a dry season.The 2 year old sale bulls have come through very well considering the feed situation and have been behind a wire much of the year. Weights are slightly below normal, but muscling and conformation are satisfactory.

There is a concern of how many beef cows are left out there for cross breeding. Calves are expected from our two new herd sires, Centrewood Sam and Parker. We are looking forward to this. Enquiries from South America and the US for embryos from The Glen cows with bulls of choice is exciting news.

Attention has centered on young stock i.e. heifers coming through and this will benefit them later on as mature cows. The main mob of cows have struggled with the drought and are light enough for autumn. Hopefully the spring will be kind with an abundance of quality grass. Rainfall to date is well below normal.

The Glen Charolais Season Update - 15 Oct 2007

After an unseasonably dry autumn we experienced the driest winter for possibly 50 years. Feeding out started in early April and is continuing into what is now mid-October. Growth is very slow with cold ground temperature. Rain came on 1 October and hasn't stopped, with squally snow showers and thunderstorms all with plenty of welcome moisture. 

The cattle have come through the cold dry looking pretty good, with calving almost finished. Yearling bulls struggled but we know from past experience they will improve quickly with the promise of extra grass growth. We have acquired 2 senior herd sires from the Centrewood Stud of Jamie and Anne Sutherland - Sam and Parker and these two bulls will add strength to our line up and give us more options with our breeding programme.

Calves by the Irish bull Sylvain born this season are comparing well.

Beef prices are holding although beef cow numbers are falling due to the dairy influence. Lamb options are not as bright, but the experts tell us the world needs our protein - be it milk or meat.

What better protein than quality Charolais.

Lowline heifers calved unassisted as 2 year olds to Charolais bull from The Glen Stud. Calved as second calvers to Lowline bull. Calves at foot this season by Charolais bull Vincent of The Glen.

Charolais cross calves by Urson of The Glen out of ex stud mixed age Angus cows. 

The resulting progeny are exceeding all expectations for this bull buyer.

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