Rangitikei/Whanganui grass feeds Auckland zoo animals

Marton's Mike Hancock is the joint operations manager for Bruce Gordon Contracting. Photo / supplied

Rangitīkei soils are helping to grow food for some of the world's most stunning and endangered animals.

Earlier this year Bruce Gordon Contracting received a phone call from Auckland Zoo looking for a new supplier of hay and lucerne to feed its Asian elephants, zebras, rhinos, giraffes and nyalas.

"Typically we field calls from farmers or strawberry growers. Getting one from Auckland Zoo was very exciting," agricultural contractor Mike Hancock said.

"Bruce Gordon had a chat with them and after a couple of phone calls and a few emails it was all go."

Auckland Zoo is home to 135 species and more than 1400 animals.

Since April, on a bi-monthly basis, the business has been delivering required quantities of feed sourced from Manawatū, Whanganui and Rangitīkei farms - and Canterbury farms if there is a shortage here.

"We supply them with all their hay and lucerne for their elephants and ungulate species," Hancock said.

"They chew through quite a bit, but they are great to deal with."

This rhinoceros at Auckland Zoo could be eating hay sent from Rangitīkei. Photo / supplied

Auckland Zoo is home to some of the world's most endangered animals. Quality control and biosecurity is a top priority.

The deal isn't Bruce Gordon Contracting's first foray into the Auckland market.

The company supplies 54 truck and trailer loads of straw, within a three-month period, to strawberry growers and mushroom farms.

"We try to do three unit loads a week. We cart as much as we can ourselves, but we also use a local freight company to give us a hand. On a truck and trailer we can usually fit 750 conventional bales, 72 to 78 big square bales or 44 to 50 round bales," Hancock said.

Making hay and baleage is the "bread and butter" of Bruce Gordon Contracting.

The company produces between 6000 and 8000 round bales and 8000 and 12,000 square bales in a typical year.

Hancock started with the company as a casual driver and is in his second season as joint operations manager.

"My role involves driving, speaking with clients, and sourcing work for our team of staff, which can climb to 13 people during the peak," he said.

Bruce Gordon, the owner, takes care of the majority of the administration work.

Hancock, an NZ Young Farmers member, has always had a passion for tractors and big machinery.

He got his learner licence and left school at 15, securing his first job on a sheep, beef and mixed cropping property near Marton.

"I bought a moped and rode that to and from work each day for six months until I got my restricted licence."

Agricultural contracting has given him a chance to travel. He spent a season in Western Australia, seeding crops.

"It was a real eye-opener. It was a great experience and excellent opportunity to learn how other farmers do things differently. Most of the paddocks over there are at least 200ha in size and it's all flat as well."

The sector is facing a shortage of drivers and Hancock urges others to consider agricultural contracting as a career.

"It's a really cool sector to get into. It's a rewarding, attractive career choice and is a fantastic way to see different farms," he said.