Stan Smith and his wife Betsy have had more than their share of success breeding prize winning Dexter cattle. The Waikato couple have produced the North Island Supreme Champion, North Island Male Champion and North Island Female Champion for the last five years. It’s a classic case of success breeds success.
Stan’s philosophy to producing great cattle is simple. ‘You get out what you put in.’ “A well-fed animal glows from within,” he said. “And we don’t seem to get many animal health problems. We see the vet a couple of times a year for castrations and pregnancies. He reckons he’s never seen cattle like it.”
Stan has been using Clovertone on his pasture for the past three years and he’s more than happy with the results. “We’ve got about 50% more clover now. Right from the first season the clover was thicker and leafier. About a fortnight after application you can see the grass going a darker green – the pasture’s still actively growing now, which isn’t bad for July.”
Stan uses gibberellic acid before applying Clovertone and reports that the slight yellowing of the grass after the gib is applied is soon turned green again by the Clovertone.
Last season Stan decided to give ActiveN a go along with his usual Clovertone treatment and says that they definitely ‘work well together’.
With a waiting list of buyers for this season’s calves, Stan and Betsy Smith won’t be in a hurry to change the way they feed the pasture that feeds their champion Dexters.
