Improved genetics key to gain over 20yrs

Well-known stock agent and deer farmer Alf Kinzett has a calm presence.

He’s a big man and when I arrived to interview him, he said: “Phyllis is my business partner, you interview us both.”

Currently, the Kinzett’s are in partnership with their son Bryce and his partner Sophia, farming 300 mixed age stags averaging 8kg of velvet, 220 2-year-old stags averaging 4.7kg of velvet plus 250 spikers averaging 1.5kg. They also have 440 mixed aged hinds; 134 weaner hinds and share farm another 300 mixed aged hinds - all from improved genetics gained over the past 20 years. They also run 100 beef cows and 120 mixed age ewes.

Forty years ago, Alf and Phyllis began farming deer during the infancy of the industry.

“It didn’t take us long,” smiles Alf, “to work out, viable velvet production required better genetics,’ so we imported a core herd of English hinds 20 years ago and a series of well-bred English stags since.

“Good hinds were important for making the genetic gain required to grow velvet. We had to pay big dollars for proven English stock, but it paid off and our deer business has not looked back. We were advised then if you could make $10 a kg for venison and $100 a kg for velvet it is possible to make a living.”

Phyllis explains: “We started out with this small block of land, and we had to do what worked. It's only with off-farm income that we have been able to purchase good breeding stock and cobble together a bigger property to become more viable.”

These days son Bryce and his partner Sophia, sell 10 breeding stags and 150 velvet stags every year. Alf adds: “there’s good demand for surplus stock. We have client orders every year.”

He says Bryce is particularly good at handling deer and his partner Sophie does the books plus a lot of the farm work.

“Our hinds are mated in mobs of 30-40 to a specific sire, we do not keep records for our hinds just who the sire is. Buyers seem happy with the stock we breed.”

Alf says he remains confident in the future of velvet and Phyllis says velvet buyers are still tapping into more markets and investing into research defining sport and health benefits.

Over the years the Kinzett’s have also had a Romney stud and bred unregistered Cheviot Rams, and for a few years they turned their hand to running ‘Beechwoods café.

Alf says proudly: “Phyllis has always been an integral part of our operation. I could not have done any of it without her.”