Breeding Program

At Hinewaka we aim to breed functional cattle best suited to our environment and the marketplace. We aim to breed moderate framed cattle, with fleshing and softness , that are able to thrive in the toughest of conditions.

Fertility: The number one trait that will maximise profit in farming operations. To this end, all heifers have been calved as 2 year olds since 1984 and a strict culling programme is in place on the female herd. Any females not returning in calf are culled.

Growth:  All cattle are on Breedplan,  with all the major traits recorded. Calves are all weighed and tagged at birth.

Bulls are regularly weighed from weaning through to 2 years of age. At 18mths they are scanned for muscle, fat and scrotal circumference is measured. Emphasis is aimed to maximise 400 day growth which will produce a killable carcass prior to a second winter.

Heifers are weighed from birth through to 18mths of age, and are also scanned for muscle and fat. They are also weighed for a mature cow weight, with the aim to moderate mature cow frame to produce a more efficient female.

456 Te Wharau Road
Masterton