Because of what was believed to have been a lost wager, Mr Hancox, during the recent field day the couple hosted on Kowai Downs for winning the New Zealand Ewe Hogget Competition, had to stand on the back of a ute and announce that Kowai Downs' lamb drop this year was the lowest of the three properties they own, at 132%, behind Mt Allen on 139% and Wohelo at 150%.
Overall, the lambing percentage over all three properties was 143%, just 4 percentage points back on last year, a tribute to the abilities of the three managers, Nelson and Fiona Hancox, Paul and Leanne Slack at Wohelo, and Julian and Julieanne Kelly at Mt Allen.
Salmonella Brandenberg accounted for 10% fewer lambs on Kowai Downs, and September's storms up to 15%, but those reasons accounted for little compared to the anguish at having to make such a public announcement in what is obviously staunch competition between the three farms.
Mr and Mrs Hancox say they operate a simple system at Kowai Downs, but being heavily stocked at 13.8 stock units a ha, they have to keep a close eye on the property or "things can go pear-shaped" very quickly.
Mrs Hancox said central to that was an easy-care flock of Romdale ewes, a reliable climate, simple stock management, quality staff, a supportive family and work-lifestyle balance.
Stock management is relatively straightforward and Mr Hancox said the key was to be high up the picking order when selecting rams. His come from the North Island, and the third of ewes which have a strong Romney influence are put to a Perendale ram, and the third with a strong Perendale influence to a Romney ram. The final third go to a terminal sire.
He told about 120 people that he looked for sheep with a strong constitution, sound carcass and medium quality fleece. His ewes shear 5kg.
When selecting replacement ewe hoggets the focus is on ewes that successfully rear twin lambs.
He aims to get two-thirds of his hoggets in lamb and sends the third that are dry to grazing. This year, out of 900 in-lamb hoggets, 80 had twins. Hogget lambing had been pushed back to Labour Weekend.
He weans according to ewe hogget condition and feed quality, checking them weekly from seven to eight weeks after lambing. If he has to, he will remove light-conditioned ewe hoggets but leave the lamb in the mob.
Mixed-aged ewes are culled based on udders, and checked three days after weaning to find those with lopsided udders or of poor quality.
The first year he did this, he said the number of lambs reared increased by 4% to 5%.
"We continue to do it with quite good results."
Throughout the year, they regularly score ewes and draft according to their condition.
The first cut of 2000 replacement ewe hoggets are selected in early January, with selection based on ewe lambs out of ewes that have had twins. They are shorn and progressively poor quality ewe lambs are culled each month until they reach a final flock of 1200-400 based on confirmation, carcass and wool quality.
Again, the competitive spirit is at play, with the desire to outperform his managers prompting the critical selection of replacement ewes.
It is a relatively straightforward stock management system.
Ewes are shorn every eight months, with shearing over December, March and July. However, the high survival rates of lambs of pre-lamb shorn ewes during September's storm, is promoting a rethink to an annual shear in June-July.
Lambs are shorn in January and hoggets in early September.
Mr and Mrs Hancox have not made hay, baleage or silage for 13 years but winter mixed-aged ewes on grass and make 25ha-30ha of brassica crop to finish lambs and to winter two-tooth ewes and hoggets.
Because of the abundance of spring growth, paddocks for winter supplement will be shut up this year and the hay sent to the runs.
Late winter and spring was tough for Mr and Mrs Hancox.
Ewes were set stocked for lambing five days earlier than usual because of Salmonella Brandenburg and a feed pinch, meaning 1200 hoggets were sent to grazing and 300 wet-dry ewes were killed.
During the storm, he adopted an open-gate policy, especially on a ridge that ran from west to east, allowing ewes and lambs to find shelter in woodlots, gullies and in scrub.
"I couldn't see the stock but it was a huge job restocking," he said.
But the tactic helped reduce losses.
Since then, feed has taken off, helped by the removal of wet dries and an estimated 600 to 700 fewer lambs lost to the storm.
Mr Hancox said they brought hoggets home from grazing early and had taken on grazing of hoggets from one of the sister properties, which has seen a stocking rate 20% higher than normal as they control the abundant surplus grass growth.
Ewe and lamb weights, which were struggling in early spring, have started recovering.
Mr Hancox said that in general, there was very little exchange of livestock between the sister properties, due in part to a development and regrassing policy which allowed the three properties to finish their own lambs.
Weaning on Kowai Downs is in mid December, and Mr Hancox expects to sell 800-1000 off their mothers.
Lambs are left for three weeks, then drafted every two weeks which gives a mean killing date of mid-February. The average carcass weight is about 18.5kg.
The lambs are set stocked on 40ha blocks at about 25 to the hectare. The poorest paddock is regularly shut off and replaced with a fresh paddock.
Nelson and Fiona Hancox bought Kowai Downs in two blocks - 210ha and 60ha - in 1993.
Seven years later they started leasing a neighbouring block, which they bought in 2008. Two small blocks were also added to give them 460ha effective.
Mr Hancox said he had sown several paddocks in the new AR37 endophyte grass, which is promoted as being resilient to insects and is persistent to drought, but he said stock were not impressed and were keen to leave the paddock when given a chance.
Cattle do play a role on Kowai Downs, and they normally finish 50-60 cattle a year and have taken out bull calves over summer under contract. The shortage of grass due to the late spring meant they did not get any cattle this year, but that may change.
Nelson and Fiona Hancox
Kowai Downs, Tapanui.
• Winner New Zealand Ewe Hogget Competition.
• 460ha, 60% rolling hills, 20% steep, 20% flat.
• Stock wintered 2010:
- 5050 mixed-aged ewes.
- 1200 ewe hoggets.
• 6350 stock units at 13.8su a ha.
• Lambing: ewes 132% (151% in 2009).
• Hoggets: 73% (52% 2009).
Also own:
• Mt Allen Station 900ha carrying 9000 stock units.
• Wohelo Station 1360ha carrying 11,000su.
Average lamb weights 2009-10.
• Kowai Downs 18.3kg.
• Wohelo 18.1kg.
• Mt Allen 17.6kg.
500 lambs sold as store over three properties.