rank well on self-replacement index
Published: 28 Feb 2006
www.southlandtimes.co.nz

TUATAPERE: The Mount Linton angus cattle herd was purchased 13 years ago to enable the station to breed its own bulls to service its commercial herd. Semen and embryos from Australian have since been introduced to the herd.

Mount Linton general manager Ceri Lewis said the recent open day showed the farming public how the genetics worked for Mount Linton on a large scale, both in extensive and intensive situations, sometimes in a harsh climatic environment.

"We usually allow one bull to mate with 50 cows. Our cows winter on the hills with no supplements, only salt blocks, and they can lose up to 100kg in weight during the winter months," Mr Lewis said.

"Our objective is to maximise returns to clients by producing quite structurally and reproductively sound cattle that genetically rank well in the angus self-replacing index."

Meat and Wool New Zealand geneticist Russell Priest said a genetic selection tool called BreedObject, an index system that uses the Breedplan database, was now available in New Zealand and had been adopted by the hereford and angus breeds.

"BreedObject combines genetic information, eg Estimated Breeding Values (EBV's), with financial information, relating to a particular production system-breeding objective and presents this as one figure, which is expressed as dollars per cow mated," Mr Priest said.

Canterbury's Five Star Beef feedlot general manager Jamie Gordon said genetic focus could be segregated into cow efficiency, productivity and meat quality.

"Angus cows must be able to utilise land classes that other stock can't use and still produce a heavy weaner each year," Mr Gordon said. Five Star supplies the high value, quality end of the market to places like Japan and Mount Linton is one of its major steer suppliers.

Mount Linton Station is jointly owned by the McGregor Family and Masfen Farms Ltd. Alastair McGregor said he enjoyed catching up with former staff at the open day.

"It's pleasing to see their efforts haven't been wasted. It's very rewarding for us to be able to put on a day such as this," he said.

Businessman Peter Masfen became involved in the station about four years ago. "I very much support the development that's going on here.

The station's got lots of potential." Mr Masfen was a director of Montana, Marlborough for 30 years and chairman for more than 20 years.

"I usually visit the station about four or five times a years but I would like it to be more.”