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By Dr Clive Dalton Future demand for trained staff The Minister of Primary Industry expects New Zealand agriculture to double export earnings by 2025, which will be in a climate of relentless costs rises, increasing international competition from subsidised farmers, and increasing food safety standards. There were no instructions from the politicians as to how … Read more
By Clive Dalton Oh if he’d only had lessons! Ladies and Gentlemen – Let’s have a few waltzes and reels Some time in the 1950s through old family friends, Jack and Eva Wanlass from Wark, I met Walter Hymers of West Woodburn. Jack and Eva must have told Walter that I was interested in fiddles … Read more
History of NZ Lands & Survey Department Angus & Romney breeding schemes – Part 6 By Dr Clive Dalton & Dr Doug Lang CattleThe momentum and enthusiasm created by the sheep scheme soon spread to the 30,000 Angus cattle run in the Rotorua superintendency. The technical side of the sheep scheme was looked after by … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Albright, J.L.; Arave, C.W.; (1997)The behaviour of cattle.Commonwealth Agricultural BureauISBN 0-85199-196-3 Barrell, G.K. (1984).Beef cattle reproduction.Animal Industries WorkshopISBN 0-86476-002-7 Beef finishing and marketing. (1992). Proceedings of a series of field days for beef producers.New Zealand Meat Board. Codes of Recommendation and Minimum Standards.For the welfare of dairy cattle.Code of animal welfare No.4, … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Identifying top ewes in large populations – Group Breeding Schemes The larger the population – the greater the scope for selection Things really started to develop as interest grew in recording commercial ewes with Sheeplan, and practical ways of doing this got smarter. It became obvious that there was a … Read more
Daft Laddies. Farming Tales of North Tyne and Rede 50 years on.By Clive Dalton Donald Clegg An extract from the book – Daft Laddies. Farming Tales of North Tyne and Rede 50 years on (2003) By Clive Dalton and Donald Clegg. Studying farming is a daft ideaOne thing was for sartain, in the 1950s nee … Read more
Cattle, farming, husbandry, calving, preparation checklist, cow’s view, offering assistance, calf’s view By Dr Clive Dalton Calving well on the way (photo Karen Managh) Your first experience of calvingThe first calving you experience can be both exciting and scary, as the wonder of birth never ceases to be amazing. The best way to avoid problems … Read more
As a daft laddie in the 1950s (see the editor 2nd from right above at Demesne Farm in Bellingham, with l to r Jack & Bob Beattie; the local Sergeant; Willie Potts with Jock; and Ante Dagg), you could count on a fine schooling in the art of the proper farm talk required in the … Read more
History of NZ Lands & Survey Department Angus & Romney breeding schemes – Part 5By Dr Clive Dalton; Dr Doug Lang Political geneticsLike all L&S regions, the Rotorua superintendency had a well established ram and bull buying policy, and a specialist staff member had devoted his whole career to this business. He was known around … Read more
Agriculture, animal husbandry, goats, Angora, Mohair, information, further reading, references By Dr Clive Dalton Further readingARC Report No. 10. (1998).The nutrition of goats. Report of technical committee on responses to nutrients.ISBN 0-85199-216-1. Batten, G. (2002).Simply goats. A guide to making money from your farm with goats.A FITT project funded by New Zealand Woolpro. ISBN 0-473-07077-4. Charlton, … Read more
Practice in New ZealandAbout 20% of New Zealand farmers now put their hoggets to the ram at 8-9 months of age to lamb when they are about a year old. They normally lamb them first as two-tooths at two years old to give the hogget time to grow and mature. But to get more production … Read more
Northumberland, history, Hesleyside Hall, Bellingham, North Tyne By Clive Dalton Hesleyside Hall viewed from the road and the front park – the seat of the North Tyne Charlton grayne (clan) The CharltonsFor more information on the Charltons, and the history of the English- Scottish feuds that they were actively involved in and went on for … Read more
History of NZ Lands & Survey Department Angus & Romney breeding schemes – Part 4By Dr Clive Dalton & Dr Doug Lang Enthusiasm firedThe theory backed by the practice (and vice versa), clearly fired the imagination of three important people – Barry Dawson, the L&S field officer for the blocks around Waihora, and the manager … Read more
Agriculture, farming, animal production, animal breeding, genetics, livestock improvement, basic biology, Mendelism, genetic theory, population genetics, practical application of theory, breeding, selection decisions, breeding methods, breeding practice, breeds, breed structure, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, New Zealand). An Introduction to Practical Animal Breeding By D. C. Dalton (1980) Granada. ISBN 0-246-11194-1 Hardback ISBN 0-246-11351-0 Paperback 2009 … Read more
Can you help? Request from Sandra Lees from Auckland, New Zealand for information about Hodgson Harold Telfer. See her blog http://invokinglibitina.blogspot.com/ Hodgson Harold Telfer was born in Bellingham, Northumberland, and at age 16 joined the family butchering business in Hexham. His father James Telfer was born in 1842 and baptised in Birdhope Craig Presbyterian church. James became … Read more
By Denys McCracken Nee teeth man! Many people used to go for a walk up the valley and when we were clipping some more Americans stopped to watch. They asked if the sheep ever bit the clipper so quick as a flash, Geordie pointed at some rusty old pliers on the wall and said that … Read more
History of NZ Lands & Survey Department Angus & Romney breeding schemes – Part 3By Dr Clive Dalton & Dr Doug Lang Dreams versus realityAlf Tinkham was Superintendent of Land Development for the Rotorua district of L&S at that time, ably supported by Lloyd Bedford. Alf was nearing retirement after many years of loyal service, … Read more
Between 1815 and 1846 the price paid for grain grown by British farmers was protected from foreign competition by tariffs charged for all imported grain (which was cheaper) under what were called “The Corn Laws”. Aerial photography of the kind you can find on Google Earth is a wonderful tool to show where grain (oats, … Read more
By Denys McCracken. Tipsy porker Geordie the hind decided that as he had spare milk from the house cow, he would get a pig to fatten for a bit of home-fed bacon. As the Daft Laddie I was instructed to clean up the old pig sty which had not been used for many a day. … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton & Dr Doug Lang Gene flowThe theory was very simple; if genetic improvement came through selection, then there must be more scope for selection in a large flock or herd than in a small one. There was never any argument on this point. Every student who had been bored to death … Read more