September 2024

Spring has definitely sprung in the North this month with a significant lift in soil temperatures from just above 10°C in July to 14.5°C this week in Waikato – coupled with the usual warm, wet and windy then cold changeable conditions in one day. Typical spring conditions!

Some of our growers have started kidding, with most set to start later this month or in October. This is always an exciting time of the year as we see the results of feeding, breeding decisions and new buck genetics coming to fruition – the next generation of superior Hēpara Genetics on the ground.

Remember to have a paddock with a good level of feed and adequate shelter available for kidding, as the does will “park” their kids while off feeding and return to check and feed them.

It was pleasing to hear new growers shearing this year and see the improved fibre quality and quantity coming through, particularly off the hoggets.

We had an interesting day shearing at Caroline Smith’s, Hawkes Bay, with a group of Napier Boys High students who came out for half a day’s shearing. A great way to get over 100 does shorn and expose the next generation of farmers to cashmere goats.

If you still have fibre in the shed, please get in touch about freighting it down to Wellington.

As you will be aware New Zealand Cashmere has partnered with AgFirst to run a Focus Farm Programme, one farm in the North and one farm in the South. The objective is to prove the benefits and ease of integrating goats into NZ sheep and beef farming systems and showcase the results with three field days over two years. Ideally the farm will be centrally located, integrating goats within a beef finishing system of 300ha+. Advertising on social media and through personal networks has bought forward a good number of interested farmers who I have been working through over the past couple months. However, if you, or someone you know could fit the bill, please get in touch.

With a limited number of first cross (F1) or better does available, as growers continue to build their flocks, and farmers wanting to integrate goats, this has necessitated the initiation of a couple of Foundation to Cashmere breeding programmes that will be getting under way this spring utilising coloured, wild or other breeds of goats as foundation animals for their cashmere flocks. I’m looking forward to working through this journey with these new growers.

We are already looking forward towards the events season next autumn with East Coast Farming Expo, Northland Fieldays and Central Districts Fieldays locked in for February and March 2025.  I’m going to change up the sites this year and will be calling on some local growers to share the stand with me over these events, to share their Cashmere goat farming experiences and chat with interested farmers.

On a personal note, as my two boys were both selected in the New Zealand Wakeboarding team this year we are heading to Australia for the WWA World Champs this month and to China for the IWWF World Champs in October.

I will be away on leave (out of the country) September 22nd to October 2nd and then October 20th to 29th. If you need to urgently get hold of me, please ring this week or get hold of Olivia on 021 235 4493 or email olivia@nzcashmere.com.

May you have fine settled weather for kidding!

Cheers

Duncan.