Top breeders heading into town
Murray Grey breeders hanging up their gumboots and retiring
An Ō hau couple who have breeding top-quality cattle for more than 50 years have made the decision to hang up their gumboots and move closer to town.
Trevor and Sue Clarke have now “officially” retired. They’ve sold off most of their prized herd of Murray Grey cattle and will move from the farm to a smaller house near Levin, signalling the end of an era.
They were planning a dispersal sale, but word of mouth meant most of the herd had already been snapped up by breeders New Zealand-wide.
The couple began breeding cattle in 1979, going under Yorkvale Murray Greys. Both had professional careers in the poultry industry at the time, and decided breeding cattle would be an ideal sideline on their 2ha block south of Levin, starting with a solitary Murray Grey cow.
What started as a hobby became a handy sideline business and a labour of love. Over the years purchasing an additional 18.2ha allowed for the herd and their passion to grow, the herd numbering as many as 50 cows at times.
During that time they met other breeders, with Sue serving as secretary of the local breeders association. It allowed them to network and move with technology as all manner of data was collected in an effort to continually improve the line.
While their area of expertise was chickens, it was a case of applying the same basic breeding principles to cows, he said.
“Genetics is genetics, whether it’s feathers or hair.”
That included keeping accurate record of cattle performance in measures like meat quality, calving rates and ease of calving, growth rates and marbling, and comparing data with that of other breeders both in New Zealand an Australia.
That information helped in selecting of a bull each season to cover each cow in the pursuit of improving and balancing the characteristics of the breed.
“It can be a real science. A lot of it is science,” he said.
Trevor said it was simply time to head into town. They weren’t getting any younger and “we walk around after them rather than run around after them”.
“Temperament is another trait you must take into account when breeding. They’re big animals — they weigh up to a tonne in some cases — and you don’t want them smashing you around,” he said.
“And you can’t show them if you can’t handle them.”
That meant the Horowhenua AP&I Show late last month was the last time they would show their cattle. Showing cattle was a way of advertising and showcasing the breed, and they had won a host of ribbons over the years.
Sue said realising it was their very last show was bittersweet. A prized cow and calf placed in the All Breeds section, but it wasn’t all about the ribbons.
“I will miss the show. I won’t miss all the hard work, but will miss the camaraderie,” she said.