The bulls are the result of a successful commerical breeding operation.
John McFadzean has been breeding stock in Wairarapa for over 40 years at inland Glenbrae Station and on the coastal Glenburn Station. The properties run 11,000 ewes, 1000 cows and supporting stock.
He built his herd up from scratch to have superieor growth rates and high yields, to the point there is strong demand for his cattle, most notably weaners.
McFadzean weaners have repeatedly achieved top prices not only at Masterton sales but across the country.
Forty yeares ago John looked at cattle performance data from Clay University in America where different breeds were compared over a range of attributes.
The two top-performing breeds were Simmental and Angus.
Over the years while building up the 1000 cow herd John bought cows of various crosses and mated them all with high-performance bulls.
No crosses compared with the Simmental-Angus as calf produceers or maternally in the herd, he found.
“Cows have been farmed on hill country, bred and culled on productivity not pedigree.
“Over 40 years we have invested heavily in top sire bulls, which has meant we are often competing with stud breeders to ensure we get the bulls we are looking for.”
Up to $20,000 has been paid for individual bulls.
Strict criteria have bneen followed.
Sire bulls must have strong constitution and muscle.
Confirmation is paramount with emphasis on eye muscle area, intramuscular fat and correctly shaped rear ends. All bulls must also have very good EBV figures.
“Anyone can buy a bull on figures alone, however, to ensure the bulls do not fail on hill country you cannot compromise on confirmation and constitution,” McFadzean said.
“It is all about getting a well-balanced bull with good data, easier said than done.”
Over the last 10 years or so the McFadzeans have been repeatedly asked by other farmers to put aside bull calves so they can introduce the McFadzean genetics into their herds.
Large-scale ram breeder Derek Daniel has been buying McFadzean bulls for several years with success. Repeat buyers take his Wairere calves each year.
“We are doing what a number of now successful Wairarapa sheep breeders, including Derek, did 50 years ago, screening in ewes from their commercial flocks.”
DNA makes that easiere these days.
The 30 bulls to be sold in September are DNA tested and identified.
“I describe the bulls as hybrid rather than crossbred or composite,” McFadzean said.
“They will appeal to farmers who want to lift the performancve of their herd in one cross without compromising the do-ability of their cows.
The sale bulls are a mix of three-quarters Angus and quarter Simmental and others are three-quarter Simmental and quarter Angus.
“On harder or drier conditions a three-quarter Angus and quarter Simmental bull will have a positive effect on calf size, milk production and muscling without being detrimental to the cow’s constitution.
“On easier land three-quarter Simmental, quarter Angus bulls will have a substantial effect on calf size, gowth and muscling but if replacements are kept the cows will be a little bigger and heavier.
“Recently a visiting Canadian Angus breeder told us that Angus cattle with varying degrees of Simmental in them are fetching premiums across Canada.”
The McFadzean family have decided to call their bulls McFadzean Meatmakers.
“More prime meat is what we have been breeding for.”
The 30 elite McFadzean Meatmaker bulls have been selected from a large herd on performance and shape. Selection is based on sound commercial principles.
“We expect the bulls to be very moderately priced,” McFadzean said.
PGG Wrightson agent Steve Olds believes the McFadzean herd is one of the best in New Zealand and said the bulls will appeal to farmers with limited budgets who want to lift the performance of their cow herds with one cross of McFadzean Meatmaker bulls instead of working away at it with average bulls for 20 years using traditional breeds.
The sale is on September 13.
