Page 7 - Ngaputahi 2021 Catalogue eBook

Ensuring quality meat
and a positive team culture is what makes everything tick, and it’s
an area that Tim has put a lot of focus on getting right over the years. Marbling, fat colour and pH are some of the key carcass traits Tim
“What we expect of our staff now has changed a lot as the and his team are focusing on. Marbling, in particular, is a function
business has grown and developed. Back in the day, it was about of genetics, nutrition and carcass weight but Tim says management
if you could ride a horse and had a few dogs. Now we really focus is just as crucial to the formula.
on having formal training, and we will run tailored sessions and When finishing cattle, he and his team have a few fundamental
bring in the right people to run those for us. things that need to happen to get the marbling, fat colour and pH
“It's important to teach clear principals so that, if staff move on, just right. First and foremost, cattle have to be quiet, which starts
they can take those principals and apply them anywhere.” from the very beginning. Cattle are handled a lot as calves and are
The Angus advantage yard weaned to get them used to humans and minimise stress.
“In the old days, we'd pick the steepest hill paddock, put the
Tim can scarcely remember a time when the hills have been
cows on one side, and calves on the other and leave them to it. The
home to anything other than a majority of Angus cattle. Their
calves would be toey for the first 12 months. Our calves are quiet
hardiness, 'can-do' attitudes and good earnings make them a winner
by the time they are weaned.”
on the Wi Pere farms, and the quality of the herd speaks for itself
There are strict rules around the use of dogs with the cattle; all
through its achievements.
handling must be done in a gentle, calm manner. These handling
In the early days of Tim's career on Wi Pere, the farms focused
rules are in place for all classes of stock, but even more so for
heavily on selling store steers, for which there was a premium for
finishing stock. Reducing stress means lower lactic acid levels
Angus or Angus-crosses. Once introduced, they never left.
which affect meat pH.
“When we got into finishing, which really started to kick things
The motto 'every day is a growing day' is commonly used on the
along for us, we started buying bulls from Forbes Cameron of
finishing farm and provides the foundation for the cattle's nutrition
Ngaputahi Station. He's done some good work around carcass
management.
quality and marbling which is holding us in good stead now that
“You can't park them up like we used to, you have to keep them
we are part of the Alliance Handpicked programme.”
growing. If you're going for marbling, it's really important to keep
The Cameron family have had many successes in their farming
them growing. The data we're getting back from the programme
career and their quality genetics speak for themselves with their
suggests that if you get them onto a high legume, high-quality
2015 win of the Beef + Lamb NZ Steak of Origin grand final and
pasture in those last few months before slaughter it helps with
providing genetics that are popular throughout the country.
marbling.”
“What I like about Ngaputahi cattle is that they are farmed in
While getting good quality legumes onto hill country paddocks
a commercial environment, harder than what we farm our cattle,
provides some challenges, Wi Pere has teamed up with AgResearch
so if they can perform there, they will perform with us. We can go
who have developed a way of getting legumes into some steeper
through a drought, and they bounce back really fast.”
hill country.
Selecting the right genetics to insert into the herd is important
“It's almost a solid block of clover, and we think it's having a
to maintain and improve quality in the herd so that they are
really big impact on the marbling. But I would say that for any of
consistently producing animals that are meeting and exceeding
the carcass traits, but marbling especially, it's not any one thing
market expectations. With the help of consultant Jamie Gordon,
that gets you on target. You have to have those genetics there and
who Tim says has helped give him and the wider team a better
then provide the right environment for them to express those
understanding of genetics, they have a set range for different
genetics.”
EBVs that they focus on. Top of the list is EMA, rib and rump, fats,
birthweights and 600/400-day growth rates. Handpicked programme
Come sale time, armed with the Ngaputahi Station catalogue, Wi Pere is 12-months into being part of the Pure South
Tim sits down and highlights bulls that have EBVs within the range Handpicked programme by Alliance. The programme uses an
he's after. On sale day, he goes and checks those bulls for phenotype internationally credible assessment system to measure eating
and temperament. quality with the qualifying beef exported to markets willing to
“When we're looking at them we’re looking at phenotype: pay a premium.
making sure their feet are right, general structure is there, and “The premiums farmers get is what initially piqued our interest.
they look the part. We wouldn't select a bull purely on phenotype We'd been part of other programmes in the past, and they worked
or genotype; it's a combination of both.” out okay, but this one looked easy to take part in, and because of
By focusing on breeding a moderate-sized cow that will have the work we've been doing on the genetics front for carcass traits,
a calf every year, that also has a sound structure, moderate birth it was an opportunity to get a premium for doing things we were
weights and positive fats to handle drier seasons, the Wi Pere already doing.”
breeding herd is flourishing. In their first year in the programme, Wi Pere achieved a 97
“We've always aimed for that moderately sized animal that is per cent pass on the marbling component score – a testament to
a good overall performer. In the last five years, we've had a really the thought and care that's been put into selecting genetics and
big push on carcass qualities. Before we were more focused on managing stock.
growth, survivability and maternal performance, while those are A few hundred steers went into the handpicked programme last
still key parts to the overall picture, carcass quality is front of mind, season, and the first lot have recently gone on the truck for this
especially in today's market.” season. While still in their infancy in the programme, Tim says the
feedback they get has been useful in being able to track what they

2021 Ngaputahi Angus Bull Sale Vision Integrity Passion 5