Page 13 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2018
P. 13

choppers from South Pacific Helicopters. It was really, really
          satisfying and we were grateful people made the effort to come
          and buy our bulls under the circumstances,” James says.
            “Every year for the bull sale we  seem  to  have  beautiful
          weather, there was a frost and the bulls were all steaming, and
          then the sun came out, it was unbelievable. People loved the
          chopper ride; a few people even rang back and said it was the
          highlight of their life.
            “We appreciate our commercial buyers that stick by us year
          in and year out.”
            Matariki Hereford Stud  was started  in  1953 by  James’s
          parents, Jim and Ann Murray, with cows purchased from the
          Mangatu Block in Gisborne  that  travelled across the straight
          by boat. Their first sire was a bull called Glynn Park Batchelor,
          who came from England in the uterus of a cow and was born in
          New Zealand. “Jim bought him as a two-year-old and he was
          a magnificent bull. He was a good starting point,” James says.
            The family love the breed for their exceptional temperament,
          kind nature and looks. “They just have a bit of character, and they
          do a good job on our hill country. The bulls that are not in the sale
          for the beef fellas are saleable for the dairy guys,” Jack says.
            “Their constitution is awesome, they’re safe and moderate,
          good cows and generally the temperament is great. They suit
          our country.”


          IRRIGATION KEY
          James  says  their irrigated block, which has  been  under
          irrigation for 20 years, is the heart of the operation and, as
          things can dry off quickly, insures against drought.
            The lease block near Ward complements the home farm
          well and the two properties are run together. Seventy stud
          cows and 1300 to 1400 ewes are at the lease property,
          which has a different climate from Matariki and catches more
          northerly and southerly rain, growing more grass and hanging
          on a bit longer with its heavier, richer soils and limestone.
            Matariki tends to dry out quicker, with mainly clay type
          soil and three-quarters of the farm being south-facing.
            Sheep are an important part of the operation and they
          aim to finish everything. Weaning is in mid-December and
          anything that doesn’t go on the truck to the works is put on
          the irrigated block at Christmas.
            Wool also plays its part and they aim to get both ewe
          and lamb wool into a contact with Merino New Zealand.
          Ewe wool is 25 to 27 microns, with an average clip of
          5.5kg, and hogget wool is 22 to 24 microns. Fat lambs are
          shorn before going to the works and that wool is also sold
          on contract.




          THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Lucy, Sam and Jack Murray
          ready a bull for sale day; Matariki Holy Smoke has been an
          influential bull for the Murrays, and was named in the top
          10 influential sires in Australia; James (left) with his cousin,
          Johnny Murray, from Woodbank Angus. The two studs have
          held their annual on-farm sale together since 1997; Bulls
          offered at the Murray family’s Matariki Hereford Stud on-farm
          sale. Road closures following the Kaikoura earthquake meant
          many buyers were flown in by helicopter for the sale.
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