2011 : A New Era

SIMMENTAL MARKET REPORT

Well grown well presented SIMMENTAL cattle are hard to beat in the Sale Ring. GLENANTHONY bred SIMMENTAL cattle with their extra frame size and excellent muscling are giving our clients the edge. Graham Williamson is making a habit of topping the Stortford Lodge Weaner Fair with his 330kg plus steers again selling above $930. Sue and Bruce Wilson also topped the Weaner Fairs in Taranaki with their Glen Anthony sired steers and heifers.
The whole beef market was on a high this Autumn with Glen Anthony weaner bulls at 358kg selling for $930 and weaner heifers at 292kg selling for $642 net on farm. These excellent prices emanate from the very generous meat schedule which operated this Autumn before the rising NZ $ lowered the ‘Bar’.

• Back in April good Glen Anthony Simmental two year heifers brought $1500 from a live weight of 624kg killing out at 325kg and grading L2.

• Four and five year old cows from the 720kg live weight range killed out at 350kg to 370kg carcass weight returning $1400 to $1500 each after grading P2.

• Our Simmental steer entered in the Future Beef NZ Competitions on 15th May weighed 720kg, at 22 months. He killed out at 406kg carcass weight (56%) and returned $1760 net before GST.

The whole point to be emphasized from these results is where the meat schedule rewards excellence in growth—WEIGHT PAYS. That is why Glen Anthony dares to breed size and extra muscle into their cattle. Did you see the bums on our heifers at Beef Expo?

It is true to say that the extra weight and size of Glen Anthony Simmental sired cattle for any given age betters by far the premiums paid for Angus cattle of the same age.

BEEF EXPO 2011

Sadly we were prevented from repeating last years success by the decision of the Simmental Breed Society to cancel altogether the two year bull class and replace it with a bull calf class which we could not support.

The Beef Expo Show committee decided to hold An All Breed Heifer Calf show and sale the night before the bull sale calling it ‘Queen of Hearts’. We decided to support this concept and entered three of our best heifer calves. We did not feature in the show results and it was really sad to see our lovely heifers sold for an average of $2,500. Not a bad price but not a good decision to let our best heifer calves go!

FUTURE BEEF NZ HOOF AND HOOKS - A NEW ERA FOR GLEN ANTHONY

For the first time, we entered a steer in this competition which promotes the involvement of young people in the beef industry. Cattle breeders throughout the country provided steers of many different breeds for young people of all walks of life to experience breaking in and halter training of cattle. Schools, Agricultural Training centres and private individuals entered into this competition.

For some months over the Summer and Autumn they were closely involved with training and feeding rising two year old steers. On Friday 13th May no less than sixty four of these steers arrived at the Manfield Agricultural Events Centre to be weighed, scanned and housed overnight ready for the weekends events which included:-

• Parading the steers before a beef judge on Saturday afternoon, where the steers were judged ‘on the hoof’ for their beef characteristics.
• Parading the steers before a handlers judge on Sunday where the young people were judged for their expertise in handling and preparing cattle.
• Sending the steers to Land Meats in Wanganui where they were processed and then judged ‘on the hook’ for their carcass characteristics.
• Determining prize winners in two weight divisions (light weight and heavy weight) and three breed categories within those divisions. (British, European and Cross breed) steers within these divisions and categories were judged in two sections ‘On the Hoof’ and then ‘On the Hooks’.
• Announcing the Breed Champions, the Light Weight and Heavy Weight Champions, the Grand Champions ‘On the Hoof’ the Grand Champions ‘On the Hook’ and finally the overall Supreme Champion of the show.

Glen Anthony sired steers performed with distinction as did Amy Hoogenboom and Max Tweedie from our show team.

 

A Glen Anthony purebred Simmental steer (AX49) by Yardstick from a Sargent Pepper dam although only coming 2nd On the Hoof dominated the heavy weight carcass competition. At 22 months of age he weighed 720kg, scanned 98sq cm, for his E.M.A. and killed out at 406kg carcass weight grading P2. He was judged Champion Heavy weight Carcass, Reserve Grand Champion carcass, and Champion European Breed steer overall (both Hoof and Hooks).

 

LEFT: Congratulations to Amy Hoogenboom who prepared, trained and led this steer in the competition.

 

 

But wait there is more. Max Tweedie prepared and trained three Simmental-Angus crossbreed steers on his father Andrew Tweedie’s property at Tutira.

These Glen Anthony sired steers grew out extremely well and at 20 months of age weighed 600kg live weight with E.M.A. readings ranging from 84 to 91sq cm. Although coming 2nd and 3rd in the show ring judging, these steers showed excellent carcass qualities, being judged 1st and 2nd in the heavy weight cross breed carcass competition.

Prior to the competition Max Tweedie sold one of his steers to his good friend Rowan Sandford. He nicknamed this white faced Simmental cross steer ‘Princess’ because he had such lovely eyelashes. Although the steer that Max had kept for himself won the carcass (On Hook) competition ‘Princess’ had enough points from his seconds in both the ‘Hoof’ and ‘Hook’ sections to edge ahead of Max and win the Champion Cross breed Heavy Weight division.

Princess also had enough points to win the Overall Champion Heavy Weight steer from an excellent Murray Grey from Koromiko Land Co.

The top award of the show, the Supreme Grand Champion Steer Overall, was decided on points between the four top steers who were the Champion and Reserve Champions from the two weight divisions - Light Weight and Heavy Weight.

 

 

LEFT: Great news - Princess the Simmental Angus steer prepared and shown by Rowan Sandford won the Supreme Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Rowan and also congratulations to Andrew and Max Tweedie who bred and reared the winning steer and of course to Glen Anthony for providing the Simmental Sire.

To cap the week off, Max, Amy and Rowan entered the handlers competitions on Sunday 15th May, leading their respective steers.

There were four sections, Novice, Junior, Intermediate and Senior with ages ranging from 10 to 20 years old.

Max won the Intermediate section and Amy came second. Rowan came second in the Senior Section.
Max then came out with the winners of all four sections and went through a complex set of routines to judge the Overall Grand Champion.

While this was going on all second place getters including Amy and Rowan were asked to wait ‘outside’ the judging area, just in case they were needed again.

Just when she thought her show was over imagine the excitement when Amy was called back in to the ring to parade her steer in front of the Championship contestants.

Imagine all our excitement when Max was declared the Grand Champion handler and Amy was declared the runner up. Fantastic result, congratulations to a fantastic group of younger people.
 

2010 –2011 SEASON

What a wet late winter. Our cows came home from being looked after very well through April and May by Ed and Larry White at Barnsdale. Luckily John Bellerby next door had some rough feed in his hills at the back. The cows walked out to this grazing block on top of the ground. When they came back in July they were knee deep in mud in many places.

Wintering on the steep hills made them fit but they did calve down in slightly poorer condition than we hoped for and this impacted on their ability to cycle early after calving.

Calving itself went very well with lovely big calves being delivered without any trouble. The EBV people are going to have a field day. They are not able to factor in easy calving, heavy weight calves at birth. They will make a killing, issuing us with wonderful high EBVs for birth weight.

Post calving the cold wet weather suppressed grass growth and we became heavily dependent on Autumn– Winter saved pasture together with hay and silage.
Rationing the pasture by strip grazing became a nightmare of mud and slush and extreme pugging. Our late Spring soil samples showed that soil compaction is becoming a significant problem on the farm.

When the bulls went out in October we had a good bank of feed on which to start our rotations. Dry weather and the results of Winter pugging took their toll and by the end of November regrowth was down to a mimimum.

Luckily for us excellent off farming grazing was obtained at Matapiro Road off the Napier-Taihape highway. Richard and Allison Bradley have a lovely block of 180 acres which had only been lightly grazed over the Spring. Our cows and calves just loved it and with the ’Summer dry saving rain’ at the end of January, grass growth was so good that the whole herd stayed in place until weaning at the end of March. Thank you Richard and Allison - a good job well done.

Our mating season was far from easy this season with first Newry and then Rupert being affected with back injuries. We left Rupert in his mob as a teaser and used his semen to AI cows as they came on or returned to him. Luckily Scotch Tape was in full swing and we gave him as many of the older cows as possible leaving Westerley to cover all younger females not related to Yardstick.

The overall poor Spring meant that hay and especially silage production throughout Central Hawkes Bay was at an all time low. Through the help of Ken Eade, Sam Moore and his father Tim, and Sue and Norm Wylie we did manage to mostly fill the barns. Our baylage stocks are sadly quite low. We can only hope for a warm winter.

Thankfully the late January rain averted another dry Summer and rain throughout the Autumn combined with more warm sunny days has meant excellent early Autumn growth. Something we haven’t seen for three years. What a disaster further out at the coast where that freak rain bomb devastated so many coastal properties.

SHOWING

At both the Hastings A&P Show and the Feilding Best of Beef the beef cattle sections are struggling to survive.

By taking about twenty cattle between our stud and Sue Wylie’s Ratalea Stud we are able to put at least four cattle into each class to make it look like a competition.

HASTINGS A&P SHOW - October 2010

Jackie Stewart’s Gelbvieh cattle came all the way from Raglan but they had a very dry Spring up there and for this early show did not mount their usual strong challenge. Glen Anthony Westerley now 2 years of age and weighing in at 900kg won his second Meat and Wool cup, Whitney, our two year old heifer by Rupert, did well in the cow
classes and our yearlings dominated both heifer and bull all breed classes.
FEILDING BEST OF BEEF SHOW March 2011

This years show was sadly overshadowed by the absence of Anne Bell our lovely host from the show committee. Anne’s lovely smile and helpfulness on all issues was greatly missed and we wish her well and a speedy recovery from a neck injury.

At this show we introduced a new member to our show team from out of ‘Left Field.’ Glen Anthony Y-ata (Waiata) is an out of season calf born in February 2010. He was the result of an Embryo Transfer programme where Kerry Nankervis mated Wai iti High Riser to a polled Willow Brook heifer by Tokaweka Handsome. We purchased the four in calf recipients from this flush and were presented with three heifers and a bull calf in February 2010. Y-ata grew into a very compact polled bull with excellent carcass qualities thickness, depth and softness. Even though he was six months younger and 200kg lighter that my Spring born yearlings he caught the ‘Eye’ of the three judges and was given first prize in the Yearling Bull Class and went on to tie for first with Westerley in the Meat and Wool Cup.

But wait there is more, he was then promoted to FIRST by a guest judge’s deciding vote. UNBELIEVEABLE—I felt really sorry for Sue Wylie whose lovely big cow Ratalea Taylor (by Yardstick) missed out on a place in the Meat and Wool Cup ‘Judge Off’ by an error in the points tally.

AUCKLAND ROYAL EASTER SHOW 20th April 2011

We travelled north this year with my small truck plus Kevin Isaccson's truck and trailer. A good team of helpers came north with us. Led by Sue Wylie the team included daughter Kimberley and her husband Mark, Amy Hoogenboom and a very enthusiastic Max Speedie whose father Andrew Speedie buys bull from us for his farm at Tutira.

The Gelbvieh’s from Raglan had picked themselves up since the Spring and with good Summer feeding were able to present a strong team of Females centred on a very god two year old heifer with heifer calf at foot.

Lockwood Smith brought a very strong team of Belgium Blue cattle from Ruawai in the far north. His bull calf weighing in excess of 540kg, his three year old bull, and his mature cow were excellent cattle.

In the Simmental section our yearling bull Glen Anthony Xerox (Rupert Farina) took the judges eye. He weighed 920kg at the show grounds. He won the Champion Bull class ahead of Westerley and went on to win Supereme Champion.

In the all breeds classes spoils were shared pretty evenly between the top three studs.
Cow Performance Class - Gelbvieh 1st. Belgium Blue 2nd.
Heifer Calf Class - Gelbvieh 1st. Belgium Blue 2nd.
Bull Calf Class - Belgium Blue 1st. Sue Wylie Simmental 2nd.
Yearling Heifer Class - Glen Anthony Xena 1st. Gelbvieh 2nd.
Yearling Bull Class - Glen Anthony Xerox 1st. Shorthorn 2nd.
2 year Heifer Class - Gelbvieh 1st. Belgium Blue 2nd.
Mature Cow Class - Belgium Blue 1st. Sue Wylie Ratalie Taylor 2nd.
Mature Bull Class - Belgium Blue 1st. Glen Anthony Westerley 2nd.
Pairs Class - Glen Anthony 1st. Belgium Blue 2nd.
Group of 3 Class - Belgium Blue 1st. Glen Anthony 2nd.

Meat and Wool Cup - Gelbvieh 2 year heifer 1st.
- Glen Anthony Xerox 2nd.

To cap it all off for us, Max Tweedie won the Champion Handler class and Amy won reserve - An excellent result, reversing the placings obtained in the same event in Feilding.