William and Karen Oliver run a 1300ha operation near Te Kuiti, where they winter 16,000 stock units in equal proportions of sheep, cattle and deer.
Oliver has always run an equal ratio of deer, sheep and beef in the operation – providing him constant cash flow as well as efficiently controlling all the pasture available on the property.
“I find sheep, beef and deer complement each other by how they graze,” he explains.
“Deer graze the steeper country more efficiently than sheep or cattle and they seem to focus on different species in the pasture.”
However, Oliver says fencing infrastructure on one of the properties is not as good as it could be, requiring extensive maintenance and replacement.
“We are using this as an opportunity to rethink the whole farm and are fencing off the better areas for maize, with 47ha in this summer and targeting 65ha next summer.
“We are creating efficient, reliable infrastructure with a new stock water reticulation, races so the management is not chasing its tail and can be productive, and not reactive which is a horrible place to be.”
Oliver had bought a side-mounted post driver and sought the help of Grant Nutbeam, a full-time fencer, to bring the sheep fencing up to standard.
While the side-mounted post driver was enough for sheep fencing, both Nutbeam and Oliver believed they needed a more manoeuvrable machine to handle the deer fencing. “Previously the fencer had to dig the first 600mm for the strainer then lift it into the hole,” he explained. “When you’re talking about 3.6m strainers it’s hard on the body, it also becomes a potential occupational safety and health issue.”
With the Revolution 180, Oliver says the fencer is able to use the versatility of the machine to drill the hole in rhyolite rock, manoeuvre the mast around to hook the strainer on with a short chain, then lift with the telescopic mast and drop the strainer into its hole.
“You can do more in a day easier; the whole job is easier with that kind of function.”
The post driver has 180 degree radius rotation, side shift capability of 600 mm, across line angle movement of 57 degrees, inline angle movement of 30 degrees and a telescopic mast with a working range of 3.3–5.4 m.
Oliver says this versatility will be handy when Nutbeam does deer fencing along the hills. “It will be great on steeper terrain.”
The farm’s 110hp John Deere 6330 powers the post thumper.
Tel. 09 292 8063
www.revolutionpostdrivers.co.nz
