Long-term, genetic gain the main aim
Gerald Hargreaves believes looking outside the square is a big part of successful cattle breeding.
Initially he was like a lot of New Zealand stud breeders in believing American bulls were soft and unsuitable for New Zealand conditions. But all this changed following a trip to the United States with Guy Sargent where he got a first-hand look at the quality of American cattle. Hargreaves continues to visit the US each year, and imports semen from the States to artificially inseminate his Kakahu cows.
"I went to America and saw some cattle that had missing ears because of the freezing weather - and they are supposed to be the soft cows! New Zealand cattle see grass 365 days of the year."
He says looking around the US certainly taught him that genetics are more important than anything else - and that's where he puts his emphasis as a breeder.
"The genetic base in the US is 10 times greater than in New Zealand. If we want to breed for more than head, bone and jaw, we must make use of this large genetic pool, which has multiple facets far beyond what we can find in New Zealand.
"Where in New Zealand can you see 1500 bulls in one place, representing all the top sires from around the country? Genetic gain is what you get after years of breeding, not from one cross. In the US, they are 15 to 20 years ahead of us in genetic breeding for carcass. They are breeding for an eating experience."
In New Zealand, everyone is predominantly concerned with head, bone and jaw, he says.
"I'm not saying this is not important, but, at Kakahu, we are more concerned with the genetic merit of cattle so that our clients can make money."
We aim to combine moderate birth weight, above average growth and efficient cows.
"We can do this only with objective measurements. We still have many stud breeders in New Zealand who don't weigh calves and record only two traits."
He says it makes him laugh when he hears comments that American bulls are no good, when so many bulls in New Zealand do not measure up either. There are good and bad across the board, and, in his opinion, it all comes down to careful selection.
"I still make the odd mistake with bull selection, but at least I am trying, and I believe I am making progress.
Hargreaves says Kakahu records all traits in its cattle, keeps full breeding histories, and is the only stud in New Zealand that publishes the number of calves to number of years of both the dam and granddam in its annual sale catalogue. And he says he will buy bulls only if objective information and a clear performance package are available.
The Hargreaves winter their cattle at Clayton Station, in the Fairlie high country, to identify which cows are capable of weathering the harsh winter conditions, rearing a good calf, and getting straight back in calf. They have been mating their yearling heifers for 20 years, and about a quarter of this offspring are good enough to make Kakahu's annual bull sale.
"We have found it is not necessarily New Zealand or American breeding that succumbs to the commercial conditions at Clayton, rather just strains of cattle across the board. We record all of these traits so that we know which cows weather the conditions and which won't."
"A lot of breeders pay lip service to this sort of thing, but do not actually carry out physical tests. We don't get it right all the time, but we at least try to amend the problem. In our industry, we have a lot of angus multipliers, and a few breeders."
