Farming Operations
Taratahi Dairy Unit
The Dairy Unit is situated on our main campus at Cornwall Road, Masterton. The Dairy Unit milks 615 spring calving cows through a 47 aside herringbone shed. The unit also rears 160 replacement heifers, and a further 80 bull calves through to weaning in a modern calf rearing operation. Students learn a full range of dairy management skills covering, calf rearing, stock handling, pasture management, care of young stock and irrigation.
Mangarata, Bideford
Mangarata is a 518 hectare breeding and finishing farm situated eight minutes north east of Masterton. Comprising a mix of rolling to medium hill country and 50 hectars of flat land, the mix of topography allows for a broad range of on-farm learner experiences. Mangarata runs 5000 stock units. In 2009 when the farm was purchased, due to the larger proportion of older ewes, they were all mated to a terminal sire. Scanning resulted in 172% potential lambing. Since November 2009 over 3700 lambs have been sold to the works at an average of 17.5kg carcass weight and a further 1650 lambs sold store. Now heading into our second year at Mangarata , the ewe flock that we built up through purchasing has been replaced by a younger ewe flock sourced from other farms. The policy has changed to a maternal system where replacements will be reared, surplus lambs finished and hoggets will be mated.
Glenside, Gladstone
Glenside is 1076 effective hectares and winters 10,000 stock units. The property is classified as intensive medium hill country and is in a summer dry environment. It has a variety of roles to play for Taratahi. Glensides policies have also transitioned over the last 24 months from supporting the Taratahi dairy farm, providing grazing for replacement heifers and cows (over winter), to a more robust sheep and beef focused policy where ewe numbers have been increased, the change to a maternal breeding system with hoggets mated, and focusing on finishing in excess of 100 R1 stags in the deer block. Glenside currently carries approximately 4800 ewes and 2 tooths, 950 hoggets, 350 MA cows and R2 heifers and 350 Breeding hinds and associated replacement young stock. Summer cropping is a key component with over 7400 lambs finished to the works since 30th November 2009 to 1 May 2010 at 16.4kg carcass weight
average and a further 700 sold store. In addition to this, steers and R1 stags are finished
or traded as feed supply permits.
Koromiko, Gladstone
Koromiko is the amalgamation of two new lease farms that boundary each other between the Kourarau Dam and the Admiral Road. Taratahi commenced these leases in January 2011. Koromiko is 840ha’s consisting of a combination of flat, rolling and steep land crossing over the Maungaraki range with the intension of being run as a traditional breeding unit with hoggets and R2 heifers being mated. When fully stocked, Koromiko will run approximately 4800 MA ewes and 2 tooths, 150-180 cows and replacements. Koromiko also has the advantage of neighbouring Glenside, creating a sizeable 2000ha of land situated in the Gladstone District.
Riverslea, Rangitumau
Taratahi have taken on the role of Contract Milker at Riverslea, a 175 dairy farm, situated 10 minutes north of Masterton. The property has a 50 bale rotary cowshed with automatic cup removers, automatic teat spraying, protract animal identification system, walk over weighing, Total Mixed Ration (TMR) feeding system with 500 cow feed pad, Supreme mixer wagon and in-shed feeding of barley. The farm has a 250kg milk solid per day winter milk quota over May-July. This is made up of 70-80 winter milkers (autumn calvers) and milking late calving spring cows. Approximately 500 cows are expected to calve in spring.
Backvale, Stratford
Taratahi operates Backvale Farms in Taranaki for the farm owners, Backvale Rural Ltd. Backvale Farms comprise of a 94ha dairy farm situated at Midhirst, 17km north east of the Stratford campus and a 600ha drystock and dairy support farm at Tututawa, 25minutes east of the campus
Taratahi contract milks on the dairy unit, which has a herringbone shed milking 280 cows and rears replacement heifers through to weaning. The drystock block, which Taratahi manages, is used to graze replacement heifers and dry cows over winter, finish heifers and steers, as well as running approximately 1,400 ewes with lambs finished and traded as required.
Page last updated on: 02-12-2011
