Timing and attention to detail are part of the winning formula for Waikato bull beef farmer Neil Aicken.
The 2015 Silver Fern Farms Plate to Pasture winner works closely with his staff and steering team to run precise finishing systems, taking the odd calculated risk to get the best returns possible and focusing on clear targets.
Current goals include producing 500kg carcaseweight (CW)/ha over the whole farm, with an economic farm surplus of $1000/ha by next year.
High beef schedules and a lift in production from 400kg to 452kg CW/ha has already helped Waikawa Farms exceed the financial target.
Depending a bit on weather, Neil says that with more fine-tuning and improved pasture management their production goals should also be achievable. Pasture growth needs to lift by two tonnes from the current 10t drymatter (DM)/ha average over the whole farm. Neil says putting weight on bulls is easy with the right set-up.
No other stock classes are farmed at Waikawa and Neil simply enjoys farming Friesian bulls.
“They’re a by-product of the dairy industry and you can’t argue with the figures.”
No special management practices or topping are needed to compensate for the sole stock class. The bulls clean up any rank grass during winter to ensure quality feed when spring growth takes off. Their feed demand is high enough that bulls can control the grass at that peak growth time.
Bulls are sourced from throughout the country and spend nine months on Waikawa before being sent for processing at Silver Fern Farms’ Te Aroha plant.
Bulls arrive in autumn. They are put on to 60-day rounds and are on four-day shifts until August 1.
More than 800 micro troughs are installed around the farm.
Boon to the business
Neil Aicken enjoys seeing people progress and is happy to help people who help themselves. He says the first 12-18 months are about investing time and training into staff. After that it is about reaping the rewards of the time invested.
Farm administrator and technician Haylee Jones has taken a huge workload off Neil in the office. He no longer has to do the technician work and Haylee is handy to have onfarm participating in all parts of the operation.
Second-in-command Chad Tatum and Neil work alternate weekends. Haylee has her own dog, Boon, and Neil is teaching her to do more on the farm. As she learns more about working with bulls, Haylee will join the weekend work rotations.
