Wakefield Ayrshires

From the beginning Wakefield has been a family operated business. Brian’s grandfather started registering Ayrshire’s in 1932. They originated on the same farm they’re on today, starting back in the 1890s where the stock was Herefords and Milking Shorthorns. Brian’s dad, Ronald, had a passion for Ayrshires and they’ve stuck around ever since. He used a lot of Ingleside and Lakeview bulls in his breeding program. Ronald started the family in showing and supported a lot of the local shows, getting a few champions for the Wakefield stud along the way. Brian was a certified judge and has been around the country judging plenty of shows. 

The farm has clay soil which can create a wet non-draining mess over the winter, so over the dry period the cows get grazed off the farm and go to sand soil only a few minutes down the road. This means the herd is 100% spring calving. This year they will rear around 160 calves all up, 45 of those being replacements and the rest reared as beef. The 180 cow herd is mainly Ayrshire with a few Friesians. In the past each breed has been bred back to their respective breeds, but going forward they are planning to AI with 100% Ayrshire semen over all the cows, following up with Hereford bulls for natural matings.

When Brian was in charge of breeding he chose bulls based on their maternal line while using BW and PW as a guide. The Ayrshire bulls used in recent times have been the NZ Sire Proving bulls with some Scandanavian genetics involved also. They find this breeding pattern works on their low input system. All feed gets grown on their own farms. The cows can get up to 3kg of grain per day through in-shed feeding and baleage is fed out as needed.

Brian has enjoyed seeing his kids, Charlotte and Mitchell, taking more interest in the farm. Charlotte and her partner, Cody, have moved back home to look after the farm. Charlotte, a certified vet, has a passion for the Ayrshire breed and has high expectations for the Wakefield herd.