FEBRUARY 2010 News Letter   (Click on title to download)

Breedplan Australia

In 2001 there were a group of NZ Breeders joined the Australian Breedplan recording scheme.  These were the Rotokawa, Te Maewa, Te Wai-iti, Woodlands and our own Tapuwae herd.
In August 2002 we had our first group analysis done.  Our herd had 80 cows, 45 heifer calves and 34 bull calves analysed.  Because we had in the past used common AI sires the accuracy of EBV’s were reasonably high at 60 to 70 % Even with this accuracy there has been movements in EBV’s as the accuracy % has increased.  You also get a printout of the average for the breed and your herd on the traits analysed, birth, 200 day milk, 200 day growth, 400 day growth, and 600 day growth.
After our day with Russell Priest on 29th November 2009, I have found these averaging figures far more useful than before.  Not only does this tell you where your herd compares to the rest of the Australian Herd but is a useful tool for future use.
As an example – Breed average birth weight 2008 was 1.7.  If I were to mate a bull and cow with a birth weight EBV of 1.7 you could expect the offspring to be average weight at birth.  Any increase in the EBV for birth you would expect to compromise our easy calving claims.  200 & 400 day weights are an indicator of the animal to grow at an early age.  These are also very important for our breed as an indicator of early maturity.
600 day weight is also an indicator of early growth but also has a relationship to the animal’s mature size.  This EBV would be of more importance if you wish to breed Terminal Sires, than if you are breeding a Maternal Dam Herd.  (Read more)

AUGUST 2009 News Letter   (Click on title to download)

Hi Folks,

Thanks to all of you who were able to make our AGM at the Towai Tavern.  We may not have the membership of the past years but what we lack in numbers we make up for with enthusiasm.  I found the meeting most positive and I thank you all for that.  We have a good team spirit.

The following weekend we attended the Association AGM at Matakawau.  One of the most noticeable observations was the lack of members who have been breeding Devons for any length of time.  Only about 6 members who would have been Devon Breeders pre 2000 were present.

There are going to be major changes to the way our Assn. is heading.  I wish the council that are charged with making these changes all the best.  These councillors need all the support of not only Assn. Members but also our Club Members, some who have been breeding Devons for 40 plus years.

We are enjoying a good spell of weather for the last week or so.  This has made feeding out a lot easier, also a lot less wastage.  For the last week the cows have been able to wander off the feed pad after been locked on there since weaning in the middle of June.  As usual they have put weight on.  56 cows being fed 1 ½ or 2 bales of baleage and 75litres of molasses a day.  I intend to continue to feed them until most have calved.  Calving starting 2^nd week of September.

Let's hope you all have a good calving, the paddocks green up and the sun shines for you.

Arthur

Hand out visitors received when at Arthur's club visit.

TAPUWAE RED DEVON STUD

MATAURI BAY

Sunday 19^th April 2009

This first paddock was sown late spring/early summer 2008 with a mixture of Plantain, Warrior Rye & White Clover; it also received 1 ton lime & 80kgs N per Ha.  It was cut and rolled up into 23big rounds in early April.  Since then it has been dressed with 1-ton Lime & 500kgs pasture zeal per Ha. 

Our next stop will be the 36 acres that was sown in end October 2008 with Chicory, Plantain, Pasja Warrior Rye (annual), & Red Clover.  This was supposed to provide fodder for 130 lambs to Ha for 1 month.

Ask the Boss how this experiment went!

Though the fence you will find this next paddock which was sown in spring 2003 with Red Clover, Chicory, & Plantain.  In the second autumn being 2005, Matrix was drilled in.  There have been a couple of cuts of hay off it, it fattened stock, and it is still going. 

Now down this hill we come into broken shoulder country.  It was worked up and sown in spring 2006 with Pasja, Chicory, Plantain& Red Clover.  This has just been grazed. 

On the way back we will stop and see a paddock that was under sown with Warrior Rye then cut for baieage.

ME - Food Value Quality of these crops:-

After lunch we will visit Paul Shepherd who has a selection different grasses to what we have sown. We will have the Balance Rep on site to give the rundown on fertility requirements of different crops

Hope you enjoyed your day with Team Tapuwae

Thanks for coming and have a safe journey home. 

REPORT ON THE N.Z. RED DEVON CATTLE BREEDERS A.G.M.

A beautiful sunny day dawned to start the NZ Assn AGM weekend held at the Presbyterian Church hall and camp site on the Awhitu Peninsular, South Auckland.  From the end of the peninsular you can see the sky tower across the harbour and the city lights at night makes an attractive sight.

There were 23 people present and after the business was dealt with the local ladies served lunch in the room out the back as a fundraiser.

Time allowed for all of us to drive out to the Manukau heads lighthouse to admire the fantastic view.

We then made our way to the Aspin farm, the home of Tinopai Red Devons, where we started off at the yards viewing heifers and a talk given by a representative of Progressive Enterprises.

We then moved on to see the cows and then the bulls.

Wayne had set up his "For Sale" heifers and bulls as a Silent Auction where bids are placed on a board and at the cut off time the last bid wins the auction.

When everyone had finished viewing, we made our way up to the house for a delicious afternoon tea.  Trish displayed her book she had recently written and published on "Maioro to Manukau Heads" A botanical journey through Awhitu Peninsular.  Copies could be purchased from her.

To end this lovely day, dinner was held at the local Golf Club where guests were entertained by a couple of musicians and singers.

Sunday morning brought another fine day albeit a little windy.  We set off for the McConnell's hilltop farm "Hau Hiwi" red Devons, at the end of North Road and at the top of the world!

A magnificent view awaited us and we had morning tea while the new Council finished their meeting.

We then donned our hats and coats and gumboots and ventured outside to see the Devons.

A very welcome cup of hot soup greeted us when we returned and after lots of discussions about Devon's and where the Association is going, we gradually departed for our homes.

Many thanks go to Wayne & Trish and Greg & Louise for putting on a splendid weekend.

Sue & David Dreadon.

Hi Team,

Always start off about the weather but I guess the weather and farming go hand in hand.  We had it very wet a few months back, and things where not looking to bright.  Four weeks ago we had very little rain for 3 weeks, (this suited the gumboot guys as they had started calving).  Last weekend we got 35ml rain and thought ‘here we go our turn to start calving and the weather does its norm on us beef guys'.  But the last week hasn't been too bad a lot warmer and the clover is coming away, grass is starring to move, is this going to be an early spring?  If so, are we in for a dry summer.

Past Events.  Club AGM Towai Tavern 7/6/09.

A good turn out and plenty of discussions and views, which will shape the club well for going forward in the future years.

We have a happy team inside the club at the moment, (a bit like the good old days) and are all working together to promote the Devons.

The Association AGM Matakawau 13/6/09.

Good to hear a team from the North took the road south and supported our Devon breeders from further south.

The NZ Red Devon Association has voted to move to a new recording system from beef plan to ABRI and PBB.

This will help our Devon breeders to keep up with all the new information available, which in the long term will be of great help to Devon cattle buyers to be able to select Devon cattle using an individual's EBVs to get the relevant traits, genetic gain, and financial information against other Devons from different herds.

Coming Evens

Our calendar is filling up with some interesting events for the coming year, but we are always open to new ideas...

When calving is over and we have time to get both feet back on the ground (about October), will send another N/L out with the date of our 1^st event to start off the year ahead

Pleasing to hear that we have had some sales from the Field days and other advertising the club members have been doing resulting in sales.

Devons at Home in 2010. 

Sue passed on this info from UK, sure looks interesting and should be a great Devon trip, be in early on this one as I have heard there is a lot of interest

Regards,

George.

Devons at Home in 2010

17^th July 2009

The Devon Cattle Breeders Society of the UK have decided, following the wonderful tour arranged by our Australian cousins for the World Conference, to provide an interim tour of Devon Cattle to those who would wish to see Devon Cattle in their original homeland.  The tour will start with a gathering in a London Hotel on Saturday 5^th June where we will group up.  The following morning the travelling and herd visits will start by heading north towards Huntingdon, in the East of the Country where you will have the opportunity to see some amazing animals from one of the biggest herds of Devon cattle in the UK.  After visiting two herds we will settle into a hotel in the Cotswolds for three nights.  The Monday and Tuesday herds in the locality will be viewed as well as some of the attractions in the area.

On Wednesday 9^th June we will travel South going through Somerset and Devon to get within striking distance of The Royal Cornwall Show.  We will drop in on a couple of farms on route to see some more Devon Cattle.

One of the highlights of the tour will be a visit to the Royal Cornwall Show.  This is a major 3 day show, showing off the very best in Agriculture from Cattle to Machinery.  We will be at the Royal Cornwall Show early to see the judging of the Devons on the Thursday.  This is a large show and we shall hope to get towards 100 Devons to the show.  We will be returning to the same hotel for a second night.

The Friday will see us travelling right down to Lands End at the bottom of Cornwall where we shall see more cattle before returning to the county of Devon for the next three nights for a luxury stay in a top class hotel with a swimming pool, Golf Course and Health Club.

A wonderful weekend of visiting some of the best Devon Cattle in Devon will follow.  A few hand picked herds will be on show and we will be joined by many members of the society for a long and enjoyable weekend.

Monday and Tuesday will involve herds in Somerset and Dorset along with other places of interest before returning to London later on the Tuesday for the completion of the tour.

The aim is to show variety and type.  This will be borne out by the various cattle systems in operation from Commercial Beef herds to Pedigree Female sales, As well as Organic, Traditional and Conventional Farming practices.  It is hoped that some facts and figures relating to digestibility of grasses will be available and publications of research material will also be available for comment.

This is not about a World conference, more of a Holiday and to see Devon Cattle for those that cannot wait until 2012 for the World congress in Brazil.

To try and make the tour enjoyable and relaxing at least two nights will be spent in each hotel.  A luxury air conditioned coach will be used throughout.  Virtually all meals will be included in the package, however an odd evening off would allow a visitors to do your own thing.

We appreciate this is almost a year away, but are conscious that good hotels get booked up early and we do want to be able to give a trip to be remembered for all the good reasons.

At this stage it would be helpful to have an indication of interest and then we shall then move towards prices and booking by the end of the year.

Please respond to Gavin Hunter at stationhunters@freeuk.com
or Lisa Roper at Lisa@fordeabbey.co.uk with any questions or queries.

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