Newsletter – 2015
Hi all,
2014/15 Season is proving to be a most challenging season for most of us. We seemed to switch from one type of Redbands to the other. The first three weeks of lambing at Kinrae the weather was exceptional and an excellent lamb drop with good survival. But the weather changed dramatically and went into a sustained wet period nothing like even Dad remembered seeing. With the sheer number of lambs on the ground here at Kinrae we were struggling for feed then low and behold someone flicked a switch in mid-December and while I wouldn’t say it got dry like some parts of the country, we certainly didn’t get a flush of feed when it did warm up. Having a quantity of quality feed continues to be a challenge.
I guess after a spring and early summer like this one you start challenging your management practices as most of you will remember we went back to scanning a couple of years ago but have only been marking singles and multiples. This coming season I will be marking and separating out triplets bearing ewes too. Simply because of the feed demand by triple bearing ewes.
A couple of changes on the farm this year first one the arrival of Clover Root Weevil so I am experiencing the impact of this as some of you already have. Secondly, Bronwyn had decided to go back to working off-farm so I have lost my secretary/financial administrator and extra labour unit. Bronwyn is now working at ACC so if anyone has a good excuse for NOT wearing a helmet on a quad bike then please forward that idea to me as I have used ALL my excuses up.
Outside the farm gate we don’t seem to be getting any closer to consolidation of the meat industry, and with some parts of the country getting very dry there is an issue with space and the schedule dropping frustrating us all considering what a promising season it was talked up leading into Christmas.
This year we plan to have one of our rams in the Central Progeny Test (pictured here). This will enable our genetics to be directly compared with other rams. Something of particular interest will be the results from the high country stations where this year for the first time the CPT will be operating.
Another plan on the agenda is to have our own website. We were hoping to have this done already but have had some technical difficulties. Hence we are back to the default position of sending the newsletter to you considerably later than intended! This plan will enable you all to see what we have to offer and to be updated periodically on what our perspective is on what is happening in the industry. To head this off in the right direction we will start with a page on the SIL Website and a page on the Alpha Group Site. So we at least have a virtual world presence.
We enjoy working with you to select Rams for your farming operation and we look forward to catching up in the next few weeks.
Please feel free to call us, email us or complete the order form below and send back in the enclosed envelope. (Please note our email address has changed to grant.bron@velocitynet.co.nz)
Regards, and here’s hoping for gentle rain and warm sun at your place,
Grant & Bronwyn
