There are 277 identifiable cattle breeds throughout the world, 18 as draft breeds, 39 as meat/draft, 54 as meat/dairy, 21 as dairy/draft, 61 as meat/dairy/draft, 51 as dairy, and 33 are generally classified as beef breeds.Charolais cattle are primarily grown because of its aptitude to produce meat. In 1733, Claude Mathieu, from Oyé in the Saone-and-Loire region of France, established a herd in Anzely in Nievre, breeding for a mixed type meat and work animal, selecting towards a muscular animal with less fat. Many imitators followed.
By the 1920's the Charolais was becoming an animal bred exclusively for slaughter and today the breed is well established in 68 countries on five continents, and under all climatic conditions. There are now an estimated 4.5 million Charolais cows in France, the superior size, rate of gain, and heavy muscling of the pure french charolais and the hybrid vigour accruing from the crossing of nonrelated breeds, ensures the increasing popularity of the breed.
Registered breeders in New Zealand number about 100 carrying 3,000 cows, not all however are active breeders. The New Zealand Charolais Cattle Society (NZCCS) are holding their AGM in Greymouth this year and are incorporating an extensive tour of the region that includes visits to Paratiho Farm, Wantwood Farm, the Enterprise Cattle Company, Phoenix Meat Works at Kokiri, Lake Station, and Merridale Charolais, near Tapawera.
Stuart and Joanne Bryant, of Merridale Charolais stud have been breeding Charolais for 3 years, after taking over from his father who began breeding these fantastic beasts in 1971, and they are currently the largest and longest established breeders in the top of the south island. They own and manage a 186 hectare property and a neighbouring leased block of 112 hectares, and also run 2,000 ewes which they buy in, together with a number of dairy grazers and fattening bulls, but the main income stream is the charolais stud. This year being the 30th anniversary of the stud, is another reason for being included as part of the NZCCS tour.
"The Charolais are probably the biggest breed of cattle in the world," Stuart Bryant explained, "certainly the heaviest, and they are used as a terminal sire much like a black faced ram. We provide growers with Charolais bulls to put over their crossbred cows, and with hybrid vigour and the Charolais size, you tend to get big weaners - which predominantly in the last couple of years, have topped all the sales around the country. They are renowned for their growth and we've had them here grow four pounds a day in the past. In America on grain they expect four pounds a day," he said.
Merridale Charolais began the stud using pure bred bulls over Friesian cows, and grading up towards pure breds, some of which were under contract through Wrightsons and went to Australia. Having seen how well they performed they commenced a grading programme that took ten years. The late 70's and early 80's saw the purchasing of a number of pure bred cows from around the country, taking advantage of a beef crash, and as the speculators jumped out, they jumped in, establishing a full french herd that they maintain to this day.
"Which meant limited bloodlines, which have been a bit restrictive," Stuart commented, "so last year we bought a polled sire, and are moving away from trying so much to be strictly full french, to breed a more New Zealand type of Charolais."
The Bryants presently have 50 pure bred Charolais cows, predominantly with full french ancestry, and usually sell 15-20 bulls a year, but they hope to increase the number of cows kept to 70-100 in the foreseeable future. "Because for the last two years we haven't been able to meet the demand for bulls, which is a trend pretty much nationwide," he said.
Since the NZCS began performance recording in 1996 the Bryants' have been above breed average for all traits recorded, from birth weight through to 200, 400 and 600 day growth and are on a steady upward climb.
"I'd have to admit I'm a Charolais enthusiast. When we started I was 12 so I've really grown up with charolais. At certain times we've tried other breeds but nothing matches them for growth. The only thing that's beats a pure breed Charolais for growth is a crossbred Charolais, because of the hybrid vigour," Stuart remarked.
