For the past three years a well-planned, well managed CIDR programme has helped Otapawa Polled Hereford stud get more out of their performance focused AI programme, to generate high value commercially viable stud stock. Stuart Robbie and his wife Maria, along with Stu’s brother Douglas and his wife Dara run the 3,500ha Otapawa family station just out of Pahiatua in the shadow of the Puketoi Range.
Over the past decade the family have focused on getting their stud’s genetics into the top 1% of the breed for traits including carcass yield, intramuscular fat, and overall performance, pushed along by sourcing some of the top overseas genetics possible, including from United States and Australia.
That programme has been accelerated using CIDRs in conjunction with his vet at Pahiatua, using a programme planned out by senior veterinarian Rachel Fouhy.
“The key reason for using CIDRs has been to give us a decent crack at our AI programme where we are bringing in our high-quality genetics, and to tighten up our calving pattern,” says Stu.
Otapawa is no stranger to picking some leading-edge breeding innovations to advance the stud’s genetics, being among the first to use embryo transplants regularly back in the 1980s.
Of the stud’s 220 breeding cows the early calvers will typically be put to CIDRs each spring, totalling about 150 head.
“For us it is not only about getting those genetics into the herd, but it’s also about the country we farm in, we calve a bit later so it’s a short window. We aim to have the majority of the herd calved in six weeks, and all done in eight weeks.”
The CIDRs go in ten days before the planned start of mating and Stuart is reporting conception rates at first heat of 60-65%, good even by dairy industry standards. He appreciates the time saved by having a synchronised CIDR programme at the start of mating.
“When we used to do AI without CIDRs I would have to observe for heats each day and draft them out, it was a lot of work at a time of year that is already busy enough.”
This year the CIDRs will play a vital role in the AI programme, using semen from the Australian bull Mawarra Ultra Star, also a winner in the 2022 Herefords Australia National Show where he took out grand champion award.
He sold at the Wodonga Hereford national sale, fetching a record $130,000 after receiving the award. The Robbies have jointly purchased semen rights to the bull with southern Hereford stud Waiau Herefords from Tuatapere.
“We have 1,000 straws from him, and of course he will be playing a big part in our CIDR AI programme this year. We are pretty happy about this, and to have Rachel running the CIDR programme we are expecting a great outcome from this year’s mating,” says Stu.
Stu emphasises the CIDRs’ success also depends upon good management, with the stud cows put on a rising plane of nutrition to help flush them for mating, and receiving some multi-minerals to boost fertility.
“The returns are definitely worth the planning and effort. This year we sold two-year-olds at our sale that included bulls from the CIDR programme, with a top price of $38,000- the CIDRs are a big plus for us to get more of those genetics out, and out sooner,” says Stu.
