July 14, 2026 • 9 mins
Matt Ward looks at winter growth rates in his cattle which are showing big gains.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, the muster on the farm with Southland District Council
working together for a beta South London.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Matt Moore joins us this afternoon, based at Martin Mainz
with sheep and beef down that way. Matt, good afternoon,
it's a it's a reasonably pleasant afternoon, not imagine.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, gets, it's pretty good to be fear with. Not
much to complain about today. We share first thing this morning.
But yeah, as we said, and right now, it's just
your normal typical Southland winter's day, isn't it nice and mild?
Pretty good getting used to these days.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
The stuck above ground on the crops.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah they are, Yeah, no they are. They definitely got
a wee bit pugged up there ten days ago and
we got that good chair come through. But yeah, I
think crops, crops are holding on where sheep are above ground,
and I think utilization has been pretty well through the
roof two changed up my swedes this year and Drick
Drilleden I said, oh laugh, I was sawing to you
(01:00):
and Jesus made a difference. So the bulbs are just
sitting on top of the ground and yeah, there's not
much getting left behind. Just yeah, it's pleasant to see.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
So before, no tell how did you put them on
the ground.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
There's full cultivation, full like plow, pair of hair and
then precision drink drill, precision drill. Sorry, and now this
year I just sprayed in precision drink drilled them and
yeah it's been been chalk and cheese. We I actually
met with my agronomists yesterday and it was I think
we worked out it was like five hundred and fifty
(01:33):
dollars a hectica saving with the precision drink planter. We
probably jupidized a yield a tunnel of yield, but we
were making up for it in the utilization. So for me,
it was a no brainer. And it's just easy. It's
the easier for me. Left contractor is coming up the
driveway and yeah, that's definitely paid its way this year
and that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
So what would you say that every yield will.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Be averaged over the whole all my swedes where it
was fifty ton, normally I'm about sixteen tons, so and
we sort of knew going into it that we were
gonna lose a ton, but we put an extra hit
there in two which in hindsight like it's good to
have that up the sleeve in case we had something
go wrong. But at this stage I went into the
(02:16):
winter with a surplus and I'm just still sitting in
a surplus like I'm opening we use up to try
and need as many swedes as they can, and I'm
still sitting with probably the heicc there and a half
two hickets left over by the time the youth start
coming off onto grass in a couple of weeks time.
But joys of having my kettle and my wondering shed
I can I can let them out onto the swedes
(02:37):
and they can go through on bulbs for the months.
And they don't really enjoy it coming out of the
shed and going on to crop, but at least they're there,
so there's no real pressure to be leaving too much behind.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Less like having a cab on the bike than someone
taking it off in the middle of the winter.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Yeah, and that's I think that's exactly what it is like.
Even this morning I went over there and when we
were having their share of rain, and you turn up
in the tractor and you don't see anything like there's
no kettle there. They're all sitting in this in the shed,
happy airs chilling. They come from yesterday and yeah, you
go chuck them on a swede petic and sort of
sort of makes you realize how lucky I am to
have the shed there for them to be hunkered down
(03:13):
and for for the most of the winter.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So how long since you went to the wintering system?
Just can't pay you a lit an update because it's intriguing.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Uh. Yeah, So we when I first came home, we've
had we've had a wintering shed here for us since
I was a kid, and it used to be so
it's like a six bay by two bay deep lean
to shed with a clay floor and we fill it
up with barkship and then the same size again is
a big concrete while it was a big concrete bunker
and it used to be a south feed solish pit.
(03:43):
And when I first came home sort of done the
measurements in the south feed solish pit. I was only
I wasn't going to be able to get enough kettle
in there for long enough through winter. So we've taken
the bunker down and now I've got it side just
feed feed two bales out in front of the shed
each day and kettle just come through, put the head
through a head bail and have a bit of a
(04:05):
feed and it's worked where it's taken me just my
fourth fourth winter doing it and we're still like, you're
still fine tuning it going away. When I first started
doing it, we're pumping heaps of oats bailage into them,
trying to get heap of protein and it was going
right through them and we couldn't. We could never really
get the bailage right. So now putting in I've got
(04:28):
about fourteen to fifteen he years of hybrid grass with
about ten eleven kilos of clover mixed through it just
to try and get that quality bailage into them. So
they're pretty much on milk and quality bailage right through,
and that's made all the difference. Like they're sitting at
the moment about eight hundred eight hundred grams a day too,
(04:49):
like and talk to that. I've just been weighing in
this morning. They're sitting averaging eight hundred grams a day
on about six and a half kilos of dry meta.
So they're yeah, they're chugging along pretty good. And I
think the biggest key or it is the same with
those sweet like that Utilizationally I reckon, there would be
like nine utilization, Like there's not that much baylage get wasted. Yes,
(05:11):
just because you can control what they're reading.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Basically, it's just exceptional numbers. You gotta be toughed with that.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah, no, it is, it is. I'm I am happy
with him. It's it has been a bit of a
slow burn. Like each year you're slowly getting things better,
and like even this year is better than last year.
I know, I'm starting to your feel bus he dipping
them today because they're just starting to get a wee
bit lousy. That's one thing I'm still learning. Like that,
I dip them on the way in into the shed,
(05:39):
and then about week six a week seven, once it's
worn off, they start getting a bit scratchy again, especially
with these mild winters. Like so, yeah, another dip today,
But I just realized today it's probably the last last
week or ten days of them being lowsies. Just dropped
them away. It drop their growth rates a bit. Yes,
hopefully the next six weeks they'll kick in the gear
(05:59):
again and should be good again, hopefully.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
How did it's scanning go good?
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Good? Now? Everything went through one hundred and ninety eight
percent which is like, it's good, it's sort of what
I well. To be fair, I sort of expect it,
like I don't.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
We have it.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
We've had a good autumn, use went to the ram
in a good condition. They all got flushed, so if
they didn't scan where I would have been scratching my
head the issue, Like I thought of, my goal was
to scan one hundred and eighty percent because anything over
that is more wastage and I'm not a big fan
of wastage. And another goal was sort of runner, is
to keep my tudos within ten percent of the mixed
(06:40):
age US, which tutors went through it one nine four,
so which I achieved that. Now it's just the issue
of got like twenty twenty seven twenty eight percent of
my user triplets. So it's just trying to work out
how to do with the end. Yeah, I know, which
I'm not a fan of. I'm not an intensive lemmo.
Like yes, I was brought up down here, but I
(07:01):
spent ten years up in Wonnaca and we didn't do
a Lemming beat, so that many triplets sort of keep
me awake at night.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
To be fair, not tempted to set up a set
of prat Lea's and have them feeding on an ad
little system or something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeal, I haven't in the past, Andy, to be fair like,
I've turned my nose in it because I think by
the time you put in that milk powder into them
and your time, especially at Lemon, I lamb by myself.
So it's it's the time's probably my most important thing.
I didn't see the margin in it when I could
be getting to weaning time and buying in a store,
Lamb and getting that same margin for not as much work.
(07:37):
But if we're forecasting like two hundred and thirty two
hundred and forty dollars Lamb, I think I should really
be pulling finger and trying to do as much as
I can to keep the little baggers alive come lemmings.
So yeah, I'm just starting to figure out a few
options of whether I get an automatic feeder or just
get some get some cow's milk and just wish them luck. Yeah,
(08:00):
I'm just still trying to work that out.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Just finally, Aiden Dale, you've got Pioneer and the one
semis season's gone quick.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
But you guys will be happy with where you're at.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, we are. We are and we we set a
goal at the start of the year, like we wanted
to have a home semi final, and a couple of
weeks ago we really thought Pioneer had taken that off
us when they beat us at home. So it's nice
that we've we've managed to sneak in. We had a
good training last last night, but I thought, yeah, still
a few things to work on, and we know Pioneer
will be coming. They'd have lost the vikings on on
(08:34):
the weekend, so they'll be coming in pretty red hot
to make that wrong right as well, So it's gonna
be a good game. Really looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
My chance are better of the Bridge version three?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I'd love it? Yeah, I reckon they'd be quite exciting
to be fair and would it would be Yeah, it'd
be good to go down there again and give them
another another challenge. Are a bloody top team like geez
our top side, and they've got a way of winning vials,
which sort of excites us to go down like if
we get the chance to go down there and challenge them.
But yeah, we really got to pull their socks up
(09:07):
for this weekend because we know Pioneer they're pretty sharp,
so You've got a bit of work to do yet,
but hopefully we'll yeah come, we'll thirty on on Saturday.
Hopefully we're on the right side of it.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Good on your Matt, Thanks for chatting.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, I think you and IT will talk you later.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Matt Ward.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Down at Mortem Mainz, you're listening to the MUSSA up
next from Craig's IP Sam Grand
Yeah, the muster on the farm with Southland District Council
working together for a beta South London.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Matt Moore joins us this afternoon, based at Martin Mainz
with sheep and beef down that way. Matt, good afternoon,
it's a it's a reasonably pleasant afternoon, not imagine.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, gets, it's pretty good to be fear with. Not
much to complain about today. We share first thing this morning.
But yeah, as we said, and right now, it's just
your normal typical Southland winter's day, isn't it nice and mild?
Pretty good getting used to these days.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
The stuck above ground on the crops.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah they are, Yeah, no they are. They definitely got
a wee bit pugged up there ten days ago and
we got that good chair come through. But yeah, I
think crops, crops are holding on where sheep are above ground,
and I think utilization has been pretty well through the
roof two changed up my swedes this year and Drick
Drilleden I said, oh laugh, I was sawing to you
(01:00):
and Jesus made a difference. So the bulbs are just
sitting on top of the ground and yeah, there's not
much getting left behind. Just yeah, it's pleasant to see.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
So before, no tell how did you put them on
the ground.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
There's full cultivation, full like plow, pair of hair and
then precision drink drill, precision drill. Sorry, and now this
year I just sprayed in precision drink drilled them and
yeah it's been been chalk and cheese. We I actually
met with my agronomists yesterday and it was I think
we worked out it was like five hundred and fifty
(01:33):
dollars a hectica saving with the precision drink planter. We
probably jupidized a yield a tunnel of yield, but we
were making up for it in the utilization. So for me,
it was a no brainer. And it's just easy. It's
the easier for me. Left contractor is coming up the
driveway and yeah, that's definitely paid its way this year
and that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
So what would you say that every yield will.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Be averaged over the whole all my swedes where it
was fifty ton, normally I'm about sixteen tons, so and
we sort of knew going into it that we were
gonna lose a ton, but we put an extra hit
there in two which in hindsight like it's good to
have that up the sleeve in case we had something
go wrong. But at this stage I went into the
(02:16):
winter with a surplus and I'm just still sitting in
a surplus like I'm opening we use up to try
and need as many swedes as they can, and I'm
still sitting with probably the heicc there and a half
two hickets left over by the time the youth start
coming off onto grass in a couple of weeks time.
But joys of having my kettle and my wondering shed
I can I can let them out onto the swedes
(02:37):
and they can go through on bulbs for the months.
And they don't really enjoy it coming out of the
shed and going on to crop, but at least they're there,
so there's no real pressure to be leaving too much behind.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Less like having a cab on the bike than someone
taking it off in the middle of the winter.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Yeah, and that's I think that's exactly what it is like.
Even this morning I went over there and when we
were having their share of rain, and you turn up
in the tractor and you don't see anything like there's
no kettle there. They're all sitting in this in the shed,
happy airs chilling. They come from yesterday and yeah, you
go chuck them on a swede petic and sort of
sort of makes you realize how lucky I am to
have the shed there for them to be hunkered down
(03:13):
and for for the most of the winter.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So how long since you went to the wintering system?
Just can't pay you a lit an update because it's intriguing.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Uh. Yeah, So we when I first came home, we've
had we've had a wintering shed here for us since
I was a kid, and it used to be so
it's like a six bay by two bay deep lean
to shed with a clay floor and we fill it
up with barkship and then the same size again is
a big concrete while it was a big concrete bunker
and it used to be a south feed solish pit.
(03:43):
And when I first came home sort of done the
measurements in the south feed solish pit. I was only
I wasn't going to be able to get enough kettle
in there for long enough through winter. So we've taken
the bunker down and now I've got it side just
feed feed two bales out in front of the shed
each day and kettle just come through, put the head
through a head bail and have a bit of a
(04:05):
feed and it's worked where it's taken me just my
fourth fourth winter doing it and we're still like, you're
still fine tuning it going away. When I first started
doing it, we're pumping heaps of oats bailage into them,
trying to get heap of protein and it was going
right through them and we couldn't. We could never really
get the bailage right. So now putting in I've got
(04:28):
about fourteen to fifteen he years of hybrid grass with
about ten eleven kilos of clover mixed through it just
to try and get that quality bailage into them. So
they're pretty much on milk and quality bailage right through,
and that's made all the difference. Like they're sitting at
the moment about eight hundred eight hundred grams a day too,
(04:49):
like and talk to that. I've just been weighing in
this morning. They're sitting averaging eight hundred grams a day
on about six and a half kilos of dry meta.
So they're yeah, they're chugging along pretty good. And I
think the biggest key or it is the same with
those sweet like that Utilizationally I reckon, there would be
like nine utilization, Like there's not that much baylage get wasted. Yes,
(05:11):
just because you can control what they're reading.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Basically, it's just exceptional numbers. You gotta be toughed with that.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah, no, it is, it is. I'm I am happy
with him. It's it has been a bit of a
slow burn. Like each year you're slowly getting things better,
and like even this year is better than last year.
I know, I'm starting to your feel bus he dipping
them today because they're just starting to get a wee
bit lousy. That's one thing I'm still learning. Like that,
I dip them on the way in into the shed,
(05:39):
and then about week six a week seven, once it's
worn off, they start getting a bit scratchy again, especially
with these mild winters. Like so, yeah, another dip today,
But I just realized today it's probably the last last
week or ten days of them being lowsies. Just dropped
them away. It drop their growth rates a bit. Yes,
hopefully the next six weeks they'll kick in the gear
(05:59):
again and should be good again, hopefully.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
How did it's scanning go good?
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Good? Now? Everything went through one hundred and ninety eight
percent which is like, it's good, it's sort of what
I well. To be fair, I sort of expect it,
like I don't.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
We have it.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
We've had a good autumn, use went to the ram
in a good condition. They all got flushed, so if
they didn't scan where I would have been scratching my
head the issue, Like I thought of, my goal was
to scan one hundred and eighty percent because anything over
that is more wastage and I'm not a big fan
of wastage. And another goal was sort of runner, is
to keep my tudos within ten percent of the mixed
(06:40):
age US, which tutors went through it one nine four,
so which I achieved that. Now it's just the issue
of got like twenty twenty seven twenty eight percent of
my user triplets. So it's just trying to work out
how to do with the end. Yeah, I know, which
I'm not a fan of. I'm not an intensive lemmo.
Like yes, I was brought up down here, but I
(07:01):
spent ten years up in Wonnaca and we didn't do
a Lemming beat, so that many triplets sort of keep
me awake at night.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
To be fair, not tempted to set up a set
of prat Lea's and have them feeding on an ad
little system or something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeal, I haven't in the past, Andy, to be fair like,
I've turned my nose in it because I think by
the time you put in that milk powder into them
and your time, especially at Lemon, I lamb by myself.
So it's it's the time's probably my most important thing.
I didn't see the margin in it when I could
be getting to weaning time and buying in a store,
Lamb and getting that same margin for not as much work.
(07:37):
But if we're forecasting like two hundred and thirty two
hundred and forty dollars Lamb, I think I should really
be pulling finger and trying to do as much as
I can to keep the little baggers alive come lemmings.
So yeah, I'm just starting to figure out a few
options of whether I get an automatic feeder or just
get some get some cow's milk and just wish them luck. Yeah,
(08:00):
I'm just still trying to work that out.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Just finally, Aiden Dale, you've got Pioneer and the one
semis season's gone quick.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
But you guys will be happy with where you're at.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, we are. We are and we we set a
goal at the start of the year, like we wanted
to have a home semi final, and a couple of
weeks ago we really thought Pioneer had taken that off
us when they beat us at home. So it's nice
that we've we've managed to sneak in. We had a
good training last last night, but I thought, yeah, still
a few things to work on, and we know Pioneer
will be coming. They'd have lost the vikings on on
(08:34):
the weekend, so they'll be coming in pretty red hot
to make that wrong right as well, So it's gonna
be a good game. Really looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
My chance are better of the Bridge version three?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I'd love it? Yeah, I reckon they'd be quite exciting
to be fair and would it would be Yeah, it'd
be good to go down there again and give them
another another challenge. Are a bloody top team like geez
our top side, and they've got a way of winning vials,
which sort of excites us to go down like if
we get the chance to go down there and challenge them.
But yeah, we really got to pull their socks up
(09:07):
for this weekend because we know Pioneer they're pretty sharp,
so You've got a bit of work to do yet,
but hopefully we'll yeah come, we'll thirty on on Saturday.
Hopefully we're on the right side of it.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Good on your Matt, Thanks for chatting.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, I think you and IT will talk you later.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Matt Ward.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Down at Mortem Mainz, you're listening to the MUSSA up
next from Craig's IP Sam Grand
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