It takes quite a while to naturally build a high velvet-genetic merit hind herd so buying 47 hinds from the South Island early last year to add to their herd of 130 was a good increase for the farming partnership, Fraser says.
“We will keep increasing naturally now until we reach 250 hinds.”
Trevor also splashed out on three new breeding stags in 2015, buying two from Netherdale Stud in the South Island and one from Tower Stud in Waikato.
The top Netherdale stag has already proven his worth, winning the Central Region velvet competition after cutting 6.8kg at four years old and placing second at the national competition.
“He was a bit back on the weight but was nice and clean,” Fraser says.
When Country-Wide visited last year, the Lairds were drilling their first fodder beet crop and Fraser reports it was a great success they will be hoping to emulate this year.
“We grew 30 tonnes drymatter per hectare in the crop and grazed it off then lifted 20 tonnes and fed it out to the stags and carted some over to our beef feedlot.”
The remainder was cleaned-up in the paddock by the stags, “who loved it” Fraser says, adding it was great to have because they had a hard winter and really needed to feed out balage with the beet.
This year they are planting 4ha of Enermax beet – 2ha to lift and sell to the deer-farming neighbour and 2ha to retain for their beef or stags and then a further 5ha of Kyros for grazing off in-situ.
Fraser says the beet is great to get the stags putting on weight after the rut and before winter.
“We want to get them as fat as possible before button drop so plan to winter them on fodder beet, balage and grass in a couple of gully paddocks with some protein supplement if we need it to balance the protein.
“That will give them the best chance possible to grow a good head of velvet.”
Fraser and Trevor have been involved in their regional Advance Party programme, and were researching the best winter feeding programme to maximise velvet growth but were let down by the older fencing in their deer block.
“It was a big challenge keeping the mobs apart so we are having to upgrade the fences before we get back into it.”
While the results weren’t so forthcoming last year, Fraser is looking forward to the second round of the Advance Party process, saying that it was a good programme and the farmers in their group got lots out of it.
Trevor, left, and Fraser Laird prepare to velvet a stag.
