In order for Rauriki to maintain and strengthen our breeding objectives, we are looking at new genetics, not only from New Zealand but also overseas. In 2005, Silver Stream Unichem U27 was purchased from the Silver Stream Bull sale. Unichem is a Silver Stream performer son and is particularly strong in birth weight and calving ease. He was used in the 2005 breeding season, over twenty-five cows.

 

We have also used overseas genetics, in particular, using two bulls from Palgrove Charolais Stud in Australia. Palgrove Yankee, a red factor bull has been used in the 2005 season; Yankie goes back to the very strong Gunndoo Red Baron one of the most used red factor sires in Australia and also out of a very strong red dam, Palgrove Panache 72.

 

Further more from Palgrove Yankee, at this years Palgrove annual sale, Rauriki and High Cliff Charolais stud went and brought Palgrove Zodiac, an eight-month-old bull calf for $22,500. Zodiac is a white Charolais bull and is a Palgrove Valiant son and will be an ‘outcross’ line in New Zealand. Semen has been taken off Zodiac and was used in the 2006 breeding program. He is smooth in his make-up, with a beautifully clean shoulder, great bone, stands wide and square behind and very mobile. Along with Palgrove Yankee they should be a great asset to the Rauriki breeding program.

 

In July 2004, Rauriki V12 was born and looked very promising from day one. Out of Kairua Precious P12 and by Greenwood Park Leon L24 has developed into an outstanding potential stud sire. When scanned on the 15/10/05, he weighed 586kg , and he scanned a rump fat cover of 6mm, rib fat cover of 4mm and EMA of 115 sq sm, - outstanding for his age and at was retained at Rauriki for 2006 breeding season.

 

In 2006 we welcomed the arrival of Rauriki Beaujolais. Beaujolais was by a Canadian sire, Harvey Farms, Mojo. This red bull brought a lot of performance into the heard with a lot of soundness, fertility and a long with a great temperament added longevity into the cow herd. 

 

As part of the Kaitoke dispersal we were able to buy Kaitoke Hawkesby H8 which is a bull that added really good carcass attributes, a sound bull and has been used extensively at Rauriki. 

 

Here at Rauriki we are looking to maintain the traditional Charolais strength of growth, but also breeding cattle of medium frame with softness but still maintaining muscle definition. Structural and fertility dourness is something we have always been particular on, along with a quiet temperament.

 

In recent times, we are starting to pay more attention to breeding Polled cattle which North American and Australian genetics offer. We are looking forward to progeny from Rauriki Nelson N7. A Polled/ Scurred R3 bull by the American sire LT Venture and in the 2019 mating we used a Polled Pouriwai bred son Rauriki Osense 08 to strengthen the Polled female line. 

 

Overseas sires we have used have been SVY Freedom, JWX Downtown, LT Venture and a continuation of using the Red Australian Sire Palgrove Yankee. The overseas genetics have mixed well with our New Zealand genetic lines to produce cattle that fit with our breeding objectives.

 

Herd Trend Graphs:

 

These graphs are from the Charolais BreedPlan Analysis. They compare our Charolais herd's performance against the Charolais breeds genetic trend.