Steve and Robyn Snelgar want to live the Good Life.

Steve Snelgar with Pohutukawa Gianni. Photo: Wayne Martin.

“We want to eventually give up work and live off the land,” Steve told Rural Living.

When you visit their 30 acre property on the outskirts of Clevedon it is quickly obvious, he is  not kidding.

Steve and Robyn breed Dexters, German Shepherds, and chickens – with the odd cat, duck, duckling, goose and Neopolitan Mastiff thrown in for good measure. 

“We’ve just started with the chickens – we’ve got Shavers, Black Orpingtons, Lavender Orpintons, Sussex and a few Bantams and anything that is pretty we’ll breed but we want to be able to sell both chickens and fertile eggs to breeders and free-range eggs for eating.”

At the moment, the focus is primarily on the Dexters.  The couple brought their first Dexter in from Australia in 2000 and it wasn’t long before they realised they were going to need a few more animals if they were to be serious about the breed. 

They had the first cow flushed and were eventually able to implant several embryos into their Angus cows.

They got five bulls and two cows from these first embryos and still have the cows along with three of the bulls. With the purchase of several other imports they have been increased the gene pool within the herd.

And it is the bulls that are the stars at Pohutukawa Stud.

Knee-high to grasshoppers - many of the Pohutukawa Stud calves are named after chocolate. Photo: Wayne Martin.

The group of three bulls has now grown to a herd of around 20 which are leased out to other breeders for breeding.

“We breed for their nature and good conformation,” Robyn said. 

“It has taken 7 years but we have been able to reduce the overall size to cows being about 40 inches and bulls around 42-43 inches at the hip.”

Most of the people who use Robyn and Steve’s bulls are looking for quiet animals but they are also used to standardise size.

“We can either bring the size up or down,” said Steve.

The bulls on Pohutukawa Stud are kept together and Robyn has found they are more sociable that way.

“They work out the pecking order.  When one goes away and comes back they have to work it out again, but it usually only takes five minutes.”

Top dog – or rather top bull - at the farm is Pohutukawa Shaun – pictured on our cover with Robyn – a six year old bull who has a certain local fame from regularly leading the annual Great Animal March up Queen Street.

“The first time we did it, he wouldn’t stay at the back of the parade, and he just made his way up to the front by the brass band.  Now he’s always there,” said Robyn with a grin.

One of the original Dexters on the stud, Shaun has also walked away with the Supreme Champion title from the Royal Show.

“You can take him into a crowded room and know he’ll be good as gold.”

Until recently Robyn and Steve only had 20 acres but this year bought a neighbouring ten acre block which they have been clearing for use. “The bulls break it in first. They are very good for cleaning up scrub country,  then we go over with the scrub cutter – it’s great  and you really feel as though you have achieved something.”

People are often astounded at the size of the miniature breed and wonder why they have been weaned so early.

“They see a group of cows with these tiny calves and ask why we take the calves away so young.  They think the cows are calves – they don’t realise they are the mothers. Newborn calves often weigh as little as 20kg.”

Robyn, who aims to eventually trace her animals back to the original Dexter Herd book from 1890 visits the bulls in their paddocks each day, walking amongst them, patting them and feeding them bread.

“I just get on better with the bulls.”