Page 7 - Te Mania Angus 2021 Catalogue eBook

THE SISTERS ANGUS OUR GENETIC ADVANTAGE

Angus that bear the originate from a programme committed to producing Angus cattle that will
advance the New Zealand beef industry.

The Te Mania philosophy is to breed very sound, efficient, highly fertile cattle with calving ease, high
growth rates and exceptional carcase quality, which will enable our clients to meet strict market
specifications and optimise value.

All our cattle are run and evaluated in large contemporary groups. We ensure all cattle get equal
opportunity and are measured against each other to give objective comparisons for the economically
important traits of calving ease, growth, fertility and carcase merit.

Te Mania pioneered performance recording of beef cattle in New Zealand and have evaluated and
adopted a selection of technology and tools to further enhance performance. We use a combination
of leading edge performance yearlings and highly accurate specially selected semen sires from
around the globe to optimise the genetic gain of our herd. The programme is backed by Te Mania’s
comprehensive back up service which is second to none. Results from using Te Mania bulls are
highly proven and predictable.
HISTORY

In February 1928, Mr Frank Armstrong of Akitio, Southern Hawke’s Bay gave his daughter Esther, on her
marriage to Edwin Wilding, four top Angus cows and an outstanding bull. These were the founding cows

of the Te Mania herd.

In June of 1928 the five walking wedding presents arrived at Wilanda in Southland in six inches
of snow and they were registered under the Wilanda name. In 1934 the Wilding family, moved to
Conway Flat in North Canterbury to a property named Te Mania and the stud name changed to Te
Mania also.
In 1952 the stud was transferred to Edwin’s son Frank Wilding and his new wife Jo. The herd
consisted of about 30 cows then and it has steadily increased in numbers to over 800 registered
females today. Frank was instrumental in setting the Te Mania herd down the track of its productivity
and performance based program.
In 1962 scales were installed at Te Mania and weaning, yearling and two year weights were recorded
on the cattle. In the early 1960s Frank began mating the Te Mania yearling heifers. This practice was
introduced along with a shortening of the mating period, which has tested the fertility of the herd. In
the late 1970s Frank started using a vet to take and certify scrotal measurements on the bulls.

The Te Mania stud was further extended by the transfer of 58 females and 2 bulls to Andrew and
Mary Gubbins in Victoria, Australia. Mary is Frank Wilding’s sister.

As soon as the Angus breed society allowed Artificial insemination Te Mania embarked on AI
programme. In 1978 Te Mania was involved in a partnership carrying out the first embryo transfer
programme of Angus cattle in Australasia.

In 1982 Tim Wilding took over the Te Mania herd. Tim continued with a performance driven cattle
breeding programme. This resulted in Te Mania being the first New Zealand herd to use Australasia
Group BREEDPLAN.
In the early 1990s the first carcase evaluation techniques were introduced to New Zealand and Te
Mania was quick to uptake this technology. In 2010 Te Mania started using DNA technology - HD50K
to further accelerate genetic gain.

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