HB Today - Ram Catalogue 2025 by NZME.

Welcometothe2025RamCatalogue

Herewegiveyoutheopportunitytolearnabouttheallimportantramsalesandreadaboutwhatsomeofour NewZealandbreedersareupto.

We’veaninterestingselectionofarticleswhichwehope willinform,entertainandprovidefoodforthought.

Takeabreak,relaxandreadthisissueoveracuppa.Feel freetocontactusifyouwishtoadvertiseorifyouhave anystoryideasfornextyear.

FEATURESMANAGER Shirley Randell | shirley.randell@nzme.co.nz

FEATURESWRITER Chrys Ayley | chrys ayley@nzme co nz

CREATIVEDESIGN Carol Hannah

COVERPHOTOGRAPH Courtesy of Arvidson Wiltshires

LowInput HighProfit Genetics

OpenDay Thursday16thOct 10am-4pm

Sale Thursday6thNov 1pmStart

PrivateTreaty tofollow

ALASTAIRREEVES

AlastairReeves

0274573615

waimairomney.co.nz

waimairomney@gmail.com

HighProduction

2025WaimaiSiresAv3268forNZ

MaternalWorth—Top10%inNZ.

WormFECGold

Beatdrenchresistancebyusing wormresistantgeneticsasoneof yourtoolstomitigatewormburdens.

FEGold

39Yearsselectingfortoleranceto facialEczema.Likewinter, it’scoming.

Methane 84%of2025saleramshavenegative ebv’sformethane.

Shapingthe futureoffarming

ByChrysAyley

Backin1990whiledoingstudiesin agriculturaleconomicsatMassey universityDavidArvidsonrealised thattherewasnofutureinwool,thecost ofwoolproductionwasexceedingincome. In1995heboughtsomeWiltshiresthat includedsomewithTexelbloodlines. Nowhehasatopfacialeczemaflockof WiltshiresIthasbeenalongprocessashis FEtestingforsheddingsheepstartedin 2006.HesaysFacialEczemaisa30-year project,sohe’sstillgotanotherfive-10 yearsbeforehisflockare“absolutelybomb proof,buttheyareatthetopofthegame forsheddingsheepourgenelinesareall throughthesheddingsheep,especiallythe NorthIslandones.”

AgriculturalEconomicsisakey componentofArvidson’ssuccess,and hisanalyticalapproachtobusiness.He activelyusestheNZSILsystemtotrackand selectsuperiorgenetics.Hestartedusing AnimalPlanthroughtheAnimalBreeding TrustatMasseybeforeSILwasdeveloped. ClientsbuyArvidson’sWiltshirestosave themselvesthirtyyearsofbreeding development.

In2011hewasthefirstsheddingsheep breedertousetheCarlaSystemtobreed parasitetolerancewhichhadapositive

correlationwithgrowthrates.Hehas gatheredalmost15yearsofdata.

In2017hestartedtobreedformore meat/conditionscoreacrosstheflock becausewhenmilkingtheeweswere milkingtoomuchconditionoff,sohe decidedtoaimforananimalthatheldmore conditionandthathadabitmoremuscle. Theyalsowantedthelambstoputonmore musclewhiletheywereyoung.In2024they startedmusclescanningtohelpachieve thesegoals.

ThisyearArvidsonintroducedoutof seasonlambing.“Basically,Ithinkthat fromsomeoftheperformancefiguresI’ve lookedat,wecanachievebetterprofitby havingsplitflocksandmultiplelambings intheyear.Notoneewelambingmultiple timesbutsplittingtheflockintodifferent lambingdatessowecanbecomealotmore competitivewithdairyfarminganddairy grazingthroughbetterallocationofthe differentlandtypesonanyonefarm.”

“I’mtryingtoconvincesheepfarmers morealongthelinesthattheyareactually inthebusinessofproducingmilk,themilk thengrowstheirlambs.

Thinkingaboutthefutureandwith multiplelambs,farmershavetothinklike adairyfarmerandsay,“I’mnotgoingto

putmycowsupinthehillsandexpectto producegoodquantitiesofmilk.”Heputs his‘drys’upthereandkeepsthebestof thelandforpurelywhentheanimalsare milking.”Hisdreamprojectistohavea demonstrationflockshowinghowtobeas profitableasdairyfarming.

“We’veaveraged47kgaverageweighton lambsatfourmonthsoldsothat’sgiving themover20kgcarcass,sowecanwean themoffandsellstraightaway.Doingthis multipletimesayearwillmaketheincome verycompetitivewithdairyoptions.Their steeperhillcountryincomewouldbebetter aswell.They’llusetheirsteeperareasthe wayadairyfarmerwouldusedrystockto putweightontobematedagain.That’s whatIseeasapossibilityforimproving

incomefromsheepforfarmerswhohave highperforminggroundandsteeperareas.” NowArvidsonisshiftinghisfocusto ensurehisflockcanprettymuchlambat anytimeoftheyear.He’dstillproducethe samelambweightbutsellitonahigher schedule.Atthisstagetheaimistoget animalstonaturallymateatanytimeof theyearwithoutusinghormones.Seventy percentgavebirthinMayandJunejustby naturalmating.

About80ramswillbeforsaleon25 NovemberattheTauposaleyards:14 OruanuiRoad.Theremainderwillbesold onfarm.Theycanoftenbesellingrams throughFebruaryandMarchaswell.

TriplefarmsNewonthescene

TripleFarmsisafamilyownedand operatedfarmrunbyAlanandKerri Blakelocated20minutesnorthof Taumarunui.Theyown730hectaressplit overtwoproperties,with450hectaresin Waimihaand280hectaresinOngarue.The Ongaruefarmissteephillcountrywherethe TripleFarmsstudisbased,whileWaimihais rollinghillcountryandusedasabreedingand finishingblockforcommercialstockonly.Over thesetwopropertiestheyrun3000breeding ewesandreplacementshoggets,aswellas 250breedingcowsandreplacements.They finishalltheirlambsandthemajorityoftheir steers,andnon-replacementsheifersaresold forwardstoreorfinisheddependingonthe season.

OngaruepropertyinJanuary2024.

TripleFarmsCoopworthswerestartedin the1960’sbyDavidHartlesofMaungatoroto bycrossingBorderLeisterandRomneyEwes. Itwasofficiallyregisteredasastudin1974 andhasbecomewidelyknownforitsleading eczematolerantgenetics,coupledwith outstandingfertility,motheringabilityand growthperformance.

TripleFarmsSuftexflockwasoriginally ownedbyPeterCook.In2018Ashgrove Geneticspurchasedtheflock.Theflockwas initiallybasedInKerikeri,itusedtobeRiver RunflockrunalongsidepureSuffolks,and Ashgrovesimplifiedthestudbygoingall Suftex.Nomorethan30%Texelwasaddedto maintainblackness.

AlanandKerristartedaCoopdalestud in2022afterstrugglingtofindtheright geneticstosuittheircommercialfarming systemandbreedinggoals,andthrough thistheydiscoveredtheirpassionfor studbreeding.Inlate2023theytookover theCoopworthandSuftexflocksfrom AshgroveGenetics,whichwasrunbythe ParsonsFamilyandTravisPymminKaipara, Northland.AshgroveGeneticsheldtheirfinal on-farmramsaleon10thNovember2023, andthestudmovedtoAlan’sandKerri’s

Ourbreedingphilosophy

AtTripleFarmswebelieveourstudneeds tobeabletoperformunderstrictcommercial conditions.Ourstudflockisrunalongside ourcommercialewesfromweaningthrough tomating,andanythingthatcan’tperformis culledregardlessoffiguresorbreeding.Low inputandstructuralsoundnessareatthe forefrontofwhatwelookforinsheep,andwe arecommittedtoproducinglowinput-high outputsheepthatperformunderpressure.

NotaSocialistSheep insight...

AtNewhaven,wedon’tbreedanyleft-wing sheep-thosethattakeupyourtime,your moneyandstillwaitatthegateforahandout. Ourgeneticsworkhardandactuallyearntheir keep-andareproventhrough53yearsof selectionforlow-inputtraits. hisisattheheartofeverygeneticdecision wemake.

Alan and Kerri Blake and sons Archie, 8, and Finn, 7

PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE

FULLY SIL RECORDED • ALL RAMS WORMFEC TESTED

Sale Date: 14th November, 1pm

Open day - 31st October 10am-3pm

Bred on hard hill country, our FE Gold Coopworths deliver fertility, growth and resilience under genuine low-input conditions

Hybrid vigour meets lowinput, with fertility, growth and the shiftability to handle tough hill country

Dark faced, hardy rams producing heavy lambs. Bred for muscle, growth and resilience in hard hill country conditions.

BreedingStrategy

•Structureorientedaboveallelse.

•FullyRecordedonSIL.

•Woolweighingasanimportantaspect oftheCoopworthflock.

•Strictnodrenchordippolicyinewes andminimaldrenchinganddippingin lambs.

•Reductiononworkloadbydagscoring andbarebreechingonewesandrams.

•Hoggetsaremated.

•Ewesandewehoggetslambunshepherdedonhillcountry.

•Eweefficiencybyproducingmorefrom less.Lesswork,lessoutputandcost. Lessimpactontheland(65kgeve weaningover150%ewestorams).

Coopworthflockemphasises

•Structurefirst.

•FEandFEC.

•Reproduction.

•Hoggetmating.

•Growthandperformance.

•Eyemusclescanning.

Suftexflockemphasises

•Highyieldingforgrowthandmeat.

•Hardy,fastgrowingsheep.

•Eyemusclescanning.

•Blackfaces.

Coopdaleflockemphasises

•Breedingforhybridvigour.

•Shiftabilityonthehills.

•Barenessdagsandwormtolerance.

TripleFarmsGuarantee

•AlllambsareDNAtestedandaresire anddamverified.

•AllramsareFECtested.

•AllCoopworthsareFEGoldaccredited.

•Allramsarestructurallysound.

FEGold

TripleFarmsCoopworthflockhavebeen testedforFEbyAshgroveGeneticssince 1985andachievedFEGoldstatusin2005. Currentlytestingat0.6mg/kg,withthegoal ofachieving0.7mg/kg.

TriplefarmsCoopdaleshavebeentested since2023andarecurrentlytestingat 0.37mg/kg

TripleFarmsSheepGeneticsisinthe businessofbreedingstudstockthatwill performunderpressure.Weunderstandthe importanceofchoosingtherightgeneticsto fityourfarmingoperation.

Ourgoal

Toproducesheepthatarefacialeczema tolerantandrequirelessdaggingand minimaldrenchingwhilestillmaintainewe efficiency,growthandfertility.

OurPointofDifference

Weprideourselvesonproducinglow input,highoutputsheepbredontrue CentralNorthIslandhillcountry.

Thisyearwillbeoursecondonfarmsale tobeheldonFriday14thNovemberat1pm. Viewingfrom11am.Thesalewillalsobeon bidrandMyLivestock.Wealsohaveanopen dayonFriday31stOctoberfrom10am–3pm.

Thisyearwewillhave70ramsupfor sale,30Coopworths,20Suftexand20 Coopdales.

FullySILrecordedundertrue commercialconditions

Selectedfortopgrowthand muscling,lessdags,parasite tolerance,minimaldrench.Not dippedsince2013

Highperformancewithlowinputs

ExcellentFlystriketolerance

ExcellentWormtolerance

Lesswork.Moreincome

Romaniramsweretop performersinB+LNZGenetics

LowInputProgenyTest

SearchusonBLGNZNProveand seehowwecomparetoyour currentrambreeder

Deliveringhigh performance ramsconsistently

FocusGeneticscontinuestoadvance their50-yearlegacyofstrengthening NewZealandlivestockfarmingthrough genetics.Attheheartoftheirstrategyis breedingsiresforitsfarmingpartnersusing modern,provenandinnovativeprogramme designthatimprovesfarmperformance.

growth,survival,meatyieldandeating quality.

BasedinNapier,thesmallbuttalented teamincludesPhDgeneticists,throughto commerciallivestockprofessionalswith practicalfarmingandindustryexperience. Theteamisrecognisedasbeingatthe leadingedgeofredmeatanimalgenetics andplayasignificantroleindeveloping innovativeadvancementsintraitselection, notonlyfortheirownprogrammesbutby partneringwithindustrytoprovidegenetic developmentopportunitiesforthewider NewZealandflock.

FocusGeneticsofferterminaland maternalbreeds,providingramoptionsfor allfarmingoperations.Theterminalbreeds, FocusPrime®andTexelconsistentlyfeature inmultipletop-tierrankingsforterminal ramsonnProve.Lambsgrowefficiently, deliveringsuperiorweaningweights andmeatyields.Thematernalbreeds, GoudiesRomney,SouthernRomneyand compositeHighlander®providefertility, moderatematureewesizeandfacial eczemaresistanceaswellasincorporating WormFEC,dagscoringandbreechbareness forlowinputsystems.

FocusGeneticsbreedingflocksarelocated aroundNewZealand,providingtheunique opportunitytodevelopspecifictraitssuited andtestedformultipleregionalfarming environments.Afterdecadesofintensive selectiononkeytraits,andwiththelargest geneticpoolintheSouthernHemisphere, FocusGeneticsofferconsistentlyhighperformingramsthatdeliverexceptional

Alongsidetraditionalperformance traits,FocusGeneticsisproudofitslong investmentinbreedingtowardsfacial eczematolerance,parasiteresistanceand improvingmeatyieldandqualitythroughits long-standingjointventureinInnervisions CTscanner.FocusGeneticspartnership inthe‘SheepoftheFuture’programmeis investigatingnoveltraitsincludingimmune competenceandidentifyingmethodsto allowbreedingforheattoleranceand continuingfeedefficiencyandmethane measurements.

Intheirownprogrammes,morerecent developmentsincludetheintroduction ofmethaneasatrait,allowingforlower methaneemittingsheepwithoutnegatively impactinganimalperformance.There havealsobeenongoingfeedefficiency measurementswhichisahighlyheritable traitwherevariationingeneticextremescan beupto20%.FocusGeneticsisinvestigating opportunitiestouseitsBeefCattlefeed efficiencyandmethanefacilitytoprovide aNorthIslandfacilityforsheep,enabling fasterprogressindevelopingindustry breedingvalues.

Lookingintothefuture,FocusGenetics isexcitedaboutcontinuingtosupplyits farmerswithhighperformingramsand contributingtoindustrycollaborations.Work thatdevelopsthetechnologiesandresearch togivebreederstheabilitytofurther enhancetheirprogrammestoproduce ramswhichimproveperformanceforNew Zealandsheepfarmers.

Breedingsiresthatdeliverresultswhereitmattersmost.

OurFocusPrime™terminalflocksaredesigned tocombinecutting-edgesciencewithpractical on-farmperformance,producingsiresthatdrive profit,fastfinishingandmeatquality.

•Targetinggrowth,lambsurvival,meatyield, andmeatquality(MQ)

•30yearsofCTscanningformeatyieldand MQtestingsince2010–provengainsin IMFandtenderness

ProvenMaternalGenetics

Aproductive,moderate-sizedewewith outstandingfacialeczematoleranceandafocus onsurvival,growth,andresilience.Breeding decisionsaredrivenbyreal-worldperformance andover55yearsofintensiveselection.

HIGHLIGHTS:

•Highfertility&growth

•Hoggetreproductionforfastergeneticgain

•34yearsofbreedingforFEtolerance, currentdoserate0.62mg/kg

•Structurallysound,intensiveselection programmeinplacesince2018.Allewes andsiresstructuralscoredpre-mating. Ramsscoredpre-sales.

•Low-inputfocus:WormFEC,dags

•Selectedforlowmethaneemissions (measuredsince2019)

•Currentsalescohort average intop30%of industryforNZMW+facialeczema.

•ConsistentlyrankedatthetopoftheB+LNZ nProvedatabase.Currentsalescohort averageintop5%ofindustryforNZTW

•Siresbalancedforperformanceandlow-input traits–dagsandbareness

•FocusPrime™ramsareaveraging+2.86kg liveweightatweaningabovetheindustry averageonB+LNZ’snProvedatabase,for born2024animals

Formoreinformation,ortoorder,pleasecontactDigbyPhilip

Goudies Romney

FocusPrime® and Texel

INJECTSOMECONSTITUTION

HereatHildrethGenetics,webreedtoughsheepthatthrivein realNewZealandhillcountryconditions.Ourfocusisontop performance,constitutionandproﬁtforourcommercialfarmers.

HIGHFERTILITYANDSURVIVAL -Strongmotheringabilityand vigorouslambsthathitthegroundrunning.

STRUCTURALSOUNDNESS -Sheepwithgoodfeet,consistency andlongevity.

WORMANDFACIALECZEMATOLERANCE -Bredtohandle wormsandreduceonfarmpopulations.5starFEratedand testingtoover0.6

MEATANDWOOLGROWTH -Selectingfastgrowinghigh yieldinggeneticstogetlambsoutthegatefaster.Woolstill hastocomeoffsoitmayaswellbethebestquality.Yeswe stillholdhopeforwool!

ThereliabilityandgeneticprogressofthehumbleRomneyisa truetestamenttothebreed.Theirabilitytodeliverresultsunder anyconditionsiswhythey’vebeenthebackboneofthesheep industryinNewZealandsincetheearly1900s.

There’sareasontradersarealwaysaftergoodRomney basedlambs.

Ourloyalclientsknowwhatthey’regettingandtheylovereliable andconsistentlyhighperformingstock.

Putthesekeytraitsbackintoyourﬂockandseethedifference!

Apowerfuland profitablepackage

MindaHillsisa320hahillcountry propertyWestofTaihape.Thefarm isrunbyMark,LorraineandKristina Illston.AftercompletinganAgricultural Degree,Kristinaworkedforanagriculture dataservicecompanyandtravelled overseas.Shehasreturnedtothefamily farmandisnowmanagingthepropertywith Mark,withtheviewoftakingoverfromher parentswhentheyretire.

TheIllstons’have2300fullyrecorded SILPerendalecrossewesontheirproperty. Theseanimalsareahardyandprofitablehill countrysheep.

Emphasisisputonmaternal conformation,feetandgoodbonestructure, alongwithhighsurvivability,growthand meatyield.Reproductionisafocus,with selectionfortwinningonlyewesandramsin thebreedingprogram.

Allsheepareassessedphysicallybefore thedataandSILrecordsareconsulted. DavidKitneyhasbeenanintegralpartof thisselectionprocessonMindaHillsfor manyyears.Hisprofoundknowledgeand experienceinthesheepbreedingindustry hasbeenaveryvaluableassettothe operation.

Withtheupsurgeoffacialeczema(FE)in manyareasofNewZealand,theIllstons’ sawtheneedtoinputsomeFEtolerance

intothesheep.FEisalongtermissue, sotoleranceisbestintroducedthrough geneticsfromcertifiedbreeders.MindaHills havebeenFEtestingandselectingforFE since2012.Theyarecurrentlyrated4Star forRamGuardandtestingat0.6mg/kg.

Survivabilityandlongevityarealso takenintoconsideration,asthismakes thisbreedmoreprofitablefortheirclients, manyofwhomfarmonsteephillcountry. Importanceislikewiseputona‘type’of sheepwhichwillmakeauniformline.An advantagefortheirclientswhenselling stockatthesaleyards.

TheIllstonsareproudofbeinghands onfarmersandareveryhappywiththe additionofKristinatotheteam.Sheis aspassionateaboutMindaHillsasMark andLorraine,andbringsabackground ofworkingintheagriculturetechnology industry.Sheisarealassetwithinputting andrecordingdata,whichisalargepartof operatingthestud.

TheIllstonsencouragepeopletocome andvisitMindaHillsandviewtheir sheep.Theyvaluebeingabletodiscuss theindividualneedsoftheirclients’and supplyingsuitablegeneticstosustainthem fornowandthefutureoftheirbusiness operations.

Lorraine, Kristina, David Kitney and Mark Illston.

The Illstons encourage people to come and visit Minda Hills and view their sheep.

PPPSheepJetter

PPPIndustriesLtdwasestablished in1962.Wearealeadingsupplierof agricultureequipmentinNewZealandand PPPalsoexportourproductstoover20 countries.

PPPbeganmanufacturingthesheep jetterintheearly1980’sunderlicencefor HarringtonofAustralia.Thisrelationship continuedforabout15yearsbefore HarrigtonclosedtheirbusinessinAustralia. AtthispointPPPre-brandedthejetterand committedtoR&Dtomakesomechanges tothedippingunit.

In2013PPPlaunchedthenewelectronic eyesheepjetter.Thenewmodelsheep jetterhasprovedtobeverysuccessfulnot onlyinNZbutalsoexportingtoAustralia, SouthAmerica,India,Europe&theUK.

Thesimplicityofthemachineforend userscoupledwiththestainlesssteel fabricationhasbeentheleadingselling point.Abilitytodipeasily800–1,000 ewesperhourandpricedasthemost competitivelypricedunitonthemarkethas alsobeenafactorinthesuccess.

Asalightweightproductweighing50kg,

RAMSALE

butmanufacturedfromstainlesssteel forstrengththeunitisveryeasytomove aroundorpullupontoatrailer.

Theunitisveryquickandeasytoset up,allhoseshavecamlockfittings.The unitisidealforfarmstafftouseandwith apressuregaugeyoucanvisuallyseethe pressure.

Withtheconfigurationofthenozzleson thejetterandtheabilitytoapply2.5-3litres ofproducttoanadultewegoodsaturation oftheanimalcanbeachieved.Good saturationensureslongevityoftheproduct applied.

KeyFeatures:

•Manufacturedfromstainlesssteel •Goodsaturation

•Ewesandlambscanbedippedatthe sametimeifrequired

•Effectiveforbothflyandlicecontrol •800–1,000ewesperhour •Quickandeasysetup

•Mostcompetitivelypricedjetteronthe market

PPPmanufacturetwomodels,theLincoln andtheSaxon.TypicaltheLincolnisthe standardgotomodelinNZwiththelarger SaxonsoldmoreintoAustraliawithmuch largerbreedingewesandthelikesofthe MiddleEastwithhornedsheep.

PPPselldirecttoendusersorfarmerscan purchasethroughtheirfarmmerchandise stores.

Overthelast20yearsewes(including2ths)havescannedbetween Overthesameperiodweaningweights(adj.100days)have exceeded36kgfromalambing%consistentlyabove150%.

•AllsheepDNAandSILrecorded.

• •Ewehoggetshavebeenmated(toRomneysires)forover20years.

•Breedingprogrammeputsanemphasisonwormresilience-lambsdrenchedonlyonce priortoautumn.FEtoleranceintroducedmorerecently.

•Scoredfordagsandfeetshape.SiresDNAratedforfootrotandcoldtolerance.

•Weare‘handson’breederswithafocusondetailandquality.

•Wetakeanuncompromisingapproach-sheepmustconstantlymeasureup.

Weaimtobreedsu

- Genetics with exceptional

It’s in their DNA: smarter ram selection starts here

By Dayanne Almeida

HildrethWiltshires

Wehavealine-upoftopqualityWiltshirerams availablewith30yearsofstudbreedingbehind them

Weareputtingamassiveemphasisonkeeping onlythebestofthebestandnofaultisacceptable Nobadfeetandnohalf-shedstockarekept.

Thelambsarereceivingonly1-2drenchesforlife, havegoodfacialeczematolerancethroughout, highgrowthratesandhighmeatyield

- Well muscled and great eating lambs - Strong lambs with thick skin that survive and thrive - Good framed lambs to pack lots of

Nodagging Noshearing Noﬂystrike Noworries

Getintouchformore informationortobooka pickofsomecrackingrams

MarcusHildreth 0273530405

Dayanne Almeida - Zoetis North Island Sheep Genetics Area Manager and Technical Lead

Geneticssitsalongsideanimalhealth, nutrition,management,andstructural soundness.DNAtechnologyissimply anothertoolinthetoolbox-onethat leadingbreedersusetoevaluateandpredict geneticpotentialwithgreaterconfidence. AsmorerambreedersadoptDNAparentage andgenomictools,SheepImprovement Limited(SIL)generatesmoreaccurate breedingvalues.Thataccuracyflows throughtocommercialfarmers,helping themmakebetter,fasterram-buying decisions.

There’snoone-size-fits-allapproachto farming-sowhyshouldtherebeforDNA testing?

ZoetisSHEPHERD®takesDNAtesting astepfurtherbyofferingrambreeders

whole-flockDNAparentageidentificationon anannualper-ewescanned-in-lambcharge, ratherthanper-lambsample*.Thatmeans higherlambingpercentagesdon’thaveto meanhigherDNAtestingcosts.Justas importantly,itmakesitaffordabletosample everylambborn—notonlytheonesthat makethedockingchute-givingyouatruer pictureofyourflockandmorepowerful selectiondecisions.

Beyondparentage,theZoetis SHEPHERD®rangeoffersaflexiblesuiteof genomictoolstailoredtothegoalsofNew Zealandstudbreeders,helpingdrivemore profitableandresilientflocks.

WhyZoetisGenetics?

•Singleprovider,end-to-endsupport:

Fromstrategyandsetuptoon-farm support,dataentry,nextstepsandfollowup-oneteam,allthewaythrough.

•Atthetable,intheyards:Zoetisfield extensionmanagersworkalongside breeders-planningtohityourbreeding goalsfaster,settingupsystems,tagging, collectingdata,andhelpingyouinterpret freshresultstomakethebestcalls.

•Turningresultsintoaction:Insightsonly matteriftheychangeoutcomes.Theteam helpsyouapplyresultson-farm,soyousee valuefromyourinvestment.

•Easydatamanagementwith SearchPoint®:Prefertobehands-on? SearchPoint®isZoetis’onlinegenetic informationplatformwithtoolstoanalyse

yourdataandsupportinformeddecisions.

•Backedbygloballeadership:With world-classlabs,processesandadvice, Zoetiskeepsyouatthefrontofthepackas genomicsadvances.

BetterDecisions,EarlierGains

Withtoday’stools,youcanspotsuperior animalsearlier,cutdowncostlyselection mistakes,andreducemanagementdrag. TheZoetisteamisreadytohelp-rightfrom samplingthroughtounderstandingyour results-soyoucanliftflockperformance forseasonstocome.

TalktoZoetisGeneticsabouthow SHEPHERD®canfityoursystemandyour goals.

*Excludinginitialsamplingofsiresanddams.

 Easylambing,selectedforbodyshape&conformation

 Rapidgrowthfromdayone,wefocusonweaning weightsandgrowthrate

 Taggedatbirthforaccuracyofgrowthrate measurement

 Suitedtosummerdryclimates

 Evenlymarked,attractivestorelamblines

 Premiumforfemaleprogenyatweaningvsmaternal breedewelambs

 Soundness;strictcullingforfeetissues&structural soundness THURSDAYNOVEMBER202025

Dayanne discusses DNA testing results with a farmer

Ryan Teutenberg - Zoetis South Island Area Manager Sheep sampling

NZSheepindustry:30yearsofgeneticgains

Beef+LambNewZealand

Since1995,Beef+LambNewZealand (B+LNZ)hastrackedthesheep industry’sgeneticprogressthroughits nationalgeneticevaluation(NZGE),andthe resultshighlightjusthowimpressivethat progresshasbeen.

Despiteadeclineinewenumbers, productivityhassteadilyincreased.The outputofcarcaseweightsoldperewehas doubled,whilethefeedrequiredtogrowa kilogramofcarcaseweighthasreducedfrom36kilogramsofdrymatter(kgDM)to just24kgDM.Lambingperformancehas alsoimproved,withthenumberoflambsper adultewematedrisingfrom100%to137%.

Researchhasshownthattheindustry’s productivitygainscanbeattributedtoa combinationofgeneticimprovement(51%) andbetteron-farmmanagement(49%).

“Youcan’tdoonewithouttheother,”says JasonArcher,B+LNZ’sHeadofGenetics.

“Ifyoudon’thavethegeneticcapacitythe managementisuseless-andwithoutgood management,youcan’tcapturethevalueof thegeneticimprovements.”

Whiletherateofgeneticgaincontinues toimprove,productivitygainshaveslowed since2013,suggestingthatfarminputsmay notbekeepingpacetofullyexpressgenetic potential.

Theindustryhasalsoshiftedfocusfrom traditionalproductivitytraitstothose supportinghealthandresilience-suchas parasiteresistance,facialeczematolerance,

andbodyconditionscore(BCS),helping farmersoperateinincreasinglychallenging environments.

BCS,introducedasabreedingvalue in2015,hasshownstronggenetic improvement.EweswithhigherBCSare morefertile,producemoremilk,andtheir lambshaveagreaterchanceofsurvivaland higherpre-weaninggrowthrates. Theseewesalsocopebetterwith stressorslikechallengesfrom internalparasites.

Lambsurvivalasatraithasseen slowbutsteadyimprovement.On average,NZflocksrecord15-18% lambmortality,with75%oflosses occurringwithinthreetofivedays oflambing.Recentresearchinto lambsurvivalsuggestsgenetic improvementsledtoanadditional 337,000lambsweanedin2023.

Parasiteresistance(WormFEC) isbecomingincreasinglyimportant inresponsetowidespreaddrench resistance.Progressinthistrait hasaccelerated,allowingfarmers toconfidentlyincludeparasite resistanceintheirramselection criteria.

Recordingtrendsalsoreflect changes.Table2showsmore studbreedersarerecordingtraits likefacialeczematolerance, parasiteresistance,dagscore andBCS-reflectingtheneed

tobreedsheepthatperformwellin challengingenvironmentswithreduced inputs.Meanwhile,wooltraitrecordinghas declined,reflectingmarketchallenges. Archerbelievestheindustryshouldbe incrediblyproudofitsachievementsandis optimisticaboutfutureopportunities.He believesgenetictechnologieswillcontinue

todriveprogress,butadvocatesforgreater collaborationacrossthesupplychainfromfarmersandscientists,throughto processors,marketersandconsumers.

“Ourbreedersandfarmershaveshown theycanadapt,”hesays.“Nowtheindustry needstosupportthemtofullycapturethe valueoftheirinvestmentingenetics.”

TOPQUALITY ROMNEYAND BORDERLEICESTERRAMS

Focus onefficient, profitableproductionandattention todetail arekeyto ourtopperformingsheep, beef and deer breeding/finishingcommercialfamilyfarmingoperationin theWairarapahills.

HerefordYearlingBullsforbeefanddairy matingavailableforsalenow Performancerecordedandregistered

Ross and Ruth Richards.

Aftersomeintense,busyyearsbuilding andbroadeningtheirsheepgenetics business,thepastyearhasbeenone ofconsolidationandfocusforRossand RuthRichardsatRomaniFarms.

Theirabilitytobeattheleadingedgeof sheepbreedingtrendsiswellknown,with RossandRuthspendingthepastfewyears workingharddiversifyingfromtheirproven Coopworthgeneticsastheyrecogniseshifts intheirclients’commercialneeds.

Thathasincludednotshyingawayfrom therealityoflowerwoolvaluesandtaking onthechallengetobreedrobustselfshearingsheep.

ThathasresultedintheirRICHWILTflock rapidlyrisinginnumbersandpopularitywith commercialclients.

TheyhaveappreciatedRossandRuth’s effortstoembedthetraitsofdisease resistance,lowmaintenanceandsoundness thathaveearnedthemsucharespected reputationwiththeirCoopworthflock.

“Soreallythispastyearhasbeena continuationofthiswork,focusingon robustness,cullingonteeth,feetand structuralsoundness.Giventhegoalswe havesetforourselves,it’sprovingharder andhardertofindanimalsrequiringculling,” saysRoss.

Buttheyhaveremainedcommitted tocontinuingtoraisethebaronwhat theyexpectfromtheirflockandthisyear teamedupwithNextGenAgri,agenetics advisorycompanytodrilldownfurtherinto soundnesswithsomespecific,demanding criteria.

“Wegaveallrecordedstockastringent examinationandratedthemonmultiple differentscoreslookingatfootshapeand quality,teeth/jawalignmentandsoon,and

createdbreedingvaluesonallthoseaspects fortheflocks.”

Thefocusonstructureandbonerelated formationshasprovenhighlyeffective, giventhestrongheritabilityoftraitsrelating tothosefeatures.

“Weknowthatsomeoftheissuesthat cancomeuparenotvisiblewhentheanimal isyoung.”explainsRoss.“Doingthismeans weidentifythosesireanddamswhere itcouldultimatelyappear,andcancull progenypreemptively.”

Theircullingrateforstructuralfaultsnow sitsatarelativelysteadyandlowlevel,but Rossisnotinclinedtoeaseupastheflock’s geneticsadvance.

Thosevaluedtraitsarealsocoming throughwellintheRICHWILTflockthat hasrecentlyhadExlanageneticsputinto it.Thesameproductionparametersthey haveappliedtotheCoopworthsapplytothe RICHWILTs,includingdiseasetolerance,FE resistance,soundnessandconstitution.

“Andwearemakinggoodprogress. Wehadencouragingscoringresultsafter scoringonthesameaspects,namelyfeet, teethandstructure.Thescientistwehad helpinguscommentedonhowexceptionally soundtheirfeetwere.

“Wehavebeenpickyonthequalityofthe eweswebought,andreallyparticularwith siresusedfiguringifyoubreedfromfaults, youwillonlybreedmorefaults.”

RossandRuthareconfidenttheyarewell onthepathtohavingtwoofthesoundest sheepflocksinthecountry.Itcomesas farmersaroundthecountryareoften strugglingwithsheddersprovingunableto handlethecountrytheyareon,withfeet andbonestructureinevitablyfailingthem.

RomaniisamemberoftheShedding SheepImprovementGroupthathas17 membersnationally.

Meantimetheyarenotintendingtobring inanymorebreeds,remaininglaserfocused onimprovingfromthegeneticstheyhave

andensuringthereisnobackslidingonfacial eczematoleranceacrosstheflock.

Thisyearprovidedasalutatorylessonin howvolatilefacialeczemaFECsporecounts canbe,jumpingfromverylowtoovera millionandbackagainwithinafewshort weeksoverlatesummer-autumn.

“It’ssomethingthat’snotgoingaway,and withclimatechangeisgettingworse,sowe remaincommittedtotheworkwe’vedone toreallygetthisflockascapableofhandling thoseconditionsaspossible.”

Theirriparianworkalong14kmof waterwaysisnowwellcomplete,and theyareembarkingonapredatorcontrol programmetoknockbackthelocalpest population.

Theyalsoenjoyedthearrivaloftheir firstgrandsonthisyear.Asakeenoverseer ofgrowthrates,Rossnoteswhilehe waslighteratbirth,hehas“grownlikea mushroom”eversince.

KEITHABBOTT, RAGLAN

0274639859|www.waiteikaromneys.co.nz @waiteikaromneys

NikauCoopworthhasconfidenceinavibrantsheepindustry

Efficientproductiveeweswithhighdiseasetoleranceand lowdrenchinputhasbeenthesuccessfulpolicyof Nikau’sbreedingprogramforover40years

TackleFEheadonandreduceewe wastage,increaseweaning

Maximizerefugiaandprotecttheeffective lifeofyourdrenches-topFECgenetics andnodrencheweflock.

47thAnnualRamSale FridayNov7

FranktonSaleyards12:30pm

KateBroadbent NikauCoopworthp.092333230

Increaseefficiencyand reduceinputs

www.nikaucoopworth.co.nz092333230

Patrick Crawshaw, Director, Beef + Lamb New Zealand

ByPatrickCrawshaw,Director, Beef+LambNewZealand.

hatadifferenceayearmakes.After aneconomicallytoughcoupleof years,sheepfarmerswillfinallybe rewardedfortheirhardworkbythestrong productpricesexpectedthisseason.

AccordingtoBeef+LambNewZealand’s recentlyreleasedNewSeasonOutlook, sheepandbeefmarketsperformedstrongly inlate2024–25,despitetariffsandmarket volatility,withpositivepriceindicators continuinginto2025–26.

EasternNorthIslandregionalresults showaliftinfarmprofitability(FarmProfit BeforeTax)acrossallthreefarmclasses forthe2025-26season,toanaverage of$200,800perfarm.Greatnewsaftera tough23-24financialyearforfarmersin ourregionwhere,formany,theaverage farm“profit”was-$31,000.

Thisreturntoprofitabilitygivesfarmers theconfidencetoinvestinfertiliser, genetics,infrastructureandtechnology andwehaveseensomeexcitingnew technologiesondisplayatrecentB+LNZ fielddaysincludingdronesandwearables.

Thepowerofgeneticshasbeen highlightedinthesheepindustry’sgenetic progress,measuredover30yearsthrough thenationalgeneticevaluation(theNZGE).

Whileewenumbershavedeclinedover thepastthirtyyears,productivityhas steadilyincreased.Theoutputofcarcase weightsoldperewehasdoubled,andthe kilogramsofdrymatterrequiredtogrow akilogramofcarcaseweighthasreduced from36kgDM/kgCWto24kgDM/kgCW.

Lambingperformancehasalsoimproved,

withthenumberoflambsperadultewe matedrisingfrom100percentto137 percent.

Whilesomeofthesegainscanbe attributedtoaslightimprovementinthe qualityoftheforagesgrownsincethe mid-eighties,halfoftheseareefficiency gainsareduetogeneticprogress,with thebalancedrivenbyimprovedon-farm managementpracticeswhichhelprealise thesegenetics.

Thesenumbersshowhowourindustry hasrespondedtochangingmarket demands,economicandsocialconditions, farmsystemchanges,climateandanimal healthchallenges–anditwillcontinueto adapt.

Someofthechallengeswearefacing now,suchasdrenchresistance,facial eczemaandfarmlabourcanbe,inpart, addressedbygeneticsandIstrongly encouragefarmerstomakeuseofthe resourcesB+LNZ’shasavailabletohelp commercialbreedersselecttheright geneticsfortheirparticularfarmsystem. TheseincludetherambuyingtoolnProve Sheep.

Thison-linetoolhelpsfarmersfindthe bestanimalsfortheirspecificrequirements. Itisworthgoingonandhavingaplaywith thesliderstoseewhatgeneticsitcomesup with.

Carbonfarmingisasignificantthreat tooursector’slong-termviabilityand accordingtoB+LNZ’srecentStockNumber Survey,thenumberofbreedingewesis down1.9percentonlastyearandthelamb cropisforecasttobe0.6percentlowerthis

season–that’snearly120,000headfewer, ontopofa1.5millionreductioninlambs lastyear,whichisworrying.

Wecannotdoubleexportsifourbest farmlandhasbeenplantedinpinetreesfor entryintotheETS.WhiletheGovernment hasintroducedsomerestrictionsonwholefarmconversions,we’reconcernedthey won’tslowtherateofproductivesheepand beeflandbeinglostfarenough.

ThispointwasmadetoMinisterHoggard, (MinisterforBiosecurityandFoodSafety andAssociateMinisterofAgricultureand fortheEnvironment)byfarmerswhenhe visitedWaipukuraurecently.

Itwasawell-attendedevent,andthe Ministertooktheopportunitytooutline boththeGovernment’sandACT’spolicy

positionsandwheretheydifferentiated. Farmerswelcomedthechancetotalkto MinisterHoggardaboutissuesofconcern, andtheseincludedAfforestation,theGene TechnologyBillandFreshwaterFarmPlans. TheytoldtheMinisterthatthecurrent proposedchangestotheClimateChange Response(EmissionsTradingScheme–ForestryConversion)AmendmentBilldidn’t gofarenoughaswearestillseeinglarge, productivefarmsinourregionbeingsoldfor forestry.

TheGeneTechnologyBillwasalsoa highconcernformanyofthefarmersin attendance,inparticularassuranceswere alsosoughtthatthosefarmersthatchose notuseGEwouldnotbeinadvertently impacted.

While ewe numbers have declined over the past thirty years, productivity has steadily increased

RAMAUCTIONATGLENLANDS SHEEPMASTERSTUD

502thEweswillalsobeavailableunlesssoldprior

Gatesopen12pm–Auction2pm27th November2025 1330StateHighway5,Glengarry,Napier

WhatmakesaSheepMaster?

Sustainability Proﬁtability

StrongSire‘shead& longears=fastgrowth

Longmuzzle=longbody

Moremuscle,lessfat

Perfectbackleg structure,feet andhocks

Strong,broadbrisket 100%sheddingsummer coat.Wintercoatadapts toextremecoldandheat

Strongboneand frontlegstructure

Perfectwidth betweenfrontlegs

SILKY100%SHEDDING

•Fertility

•Feet–walkability

•Productivity

•Easymanage

•Earlymaturity

•Droughttolerant

WhyBud upgradedtoa newRacewellS2 SheepHandler

•Hardy,tickresistant

•Productiveallregions

•Aseasonal

Noshearing|Nocrutching|Notailing|Noflies

epsNames–GeneticsTomSuttor0274469967|Auctioneer–SamWright0272479035

Reps Names– Genetics Tom Suttor 027 446 9967|Auctioneeer –AndrewHolt027 4963311

RepsNames–GeneticsTomSuttor0274469967|Auctioneeer–AndrewHolt0274963311

Dean&AntoinetteMartin|GlenlandsFarm,HawkesBay,NZ

ean&AntoinetteMartin|GlenlandsFarm,HawkesBay,NZ

Ph:+64272502850|E:info@glenlandsfarmconz|wwwglenlandsfarmconz

Availableon

Racewell Sheep Handler, Bud Hewitt in action

BudHewitt,whofarmsnearPahiatua, hasrecentlyupgradedtothenew RacewellS2SheepHandlerandis alreadyseeingthebenefits.

BudfirstinvestedinaRacewellabout eightyearsagowithanHD4model.“Our oldRacewellwasgood,anditdidalot ofwork,butaboutsixmonthsagowe upgradedtotheSeries2,mainlybecause oftheaddedfeatures,”saysBud.“Thenew accessflapsmakedaggingaloteasier.I canbellylambsthroughitforthewinter trade,anditalsogivesmetheabilitytodo feetaswell.”

TheRacewellS2automaticallycatches eachsheepinaclamp,allowingBudto crutchquicklywiththesheepstanding.If

asheepisparticularlydirty,hesimplytilts itontoitssideandopenstherearflapfor fullbellyaccess.Theproportionalsidetilt meanshecanstopanywherebetween 0–90degrees,dependingonthejob.

“Drenchingorcrutchinguparaceishard work.Bytheendoftheday,myhipsare givingmegrief,butwiththismachine,I canworkalldayandstillwalkawayfeeling fine,”saysBud.

Bud’soperationcoversfourfarms, runningbreedingewes,winterlambs,and dairybullsacrossamixofhillcountryand finishingblocks.TogettheRacewellfrom onesetofyardstothenext,hechosethe optionaltrailersystem.“Sincewe’vegot fourfarms,thetrailermakesiteasy.We

canjustdrivein,hookuptheRacewell,and besetupinfiveminutes,”heexplains.

TheRacewelltrailersystemisdesigned forquickmobility,featuringaretractable drawbar,removablewheelswith Duratorquesuspension,andafold-down workingplatform.Ahydraulicliftmakes setupsimple,whilethesolidsubframe ensuresstabilityevenonunevenground. Forfarmersneedingtotravelon-road,Te Parialsoofferstrailerupgradestomakeit roadlegal.

Forjobslikedrenching,Budusesthe Racewell’sadjustableeyesensorsto catchsheepfurtherforwardwiththeir headpokingoutthefront,givingeasy accessfordosing.He’salsogotaTe

PariRevolutionAutoDosingGun,which automaticallycalibratesthedosageto eachanimal’sexactweight.“Whenwe’re doinganexpensivefour-waydrench,we runthemthroughtheRacewellandusethe RevolutionGun.It’squiteasavingmoneywise,”saysBud.

Afternearlyadecadeofexperiencewith TeParigear,Bud’sverdictisclear: “Yeah,Iwoulddefinitelyrecommendthe TePariunittoanyfarmerwhowantsto makelifeabiteasier.”

FindoutmoreaboutthenewRacewell S2SheepHandleratwww.tepari.comor calluson0800837274torequestafree on-farmdemonstration.

RacewellSheep HandlerSeries2

Racewell Sheep Handler, Bud Hewitt in action

Racewell Sheep Handler trailer system

Rom Tex ram

Romney rams.

Geneticbreedingforhillcountryperformance

Motu-NuiRamsisapremierNew Zealandsheepstudoperation specialisinginthedevelopmentof high-performanceRomney,crossbred,and terminalsires.Theenterpriseisstrategically locatedonthe1000-hectareKaiTakblockin Waione,TararuaDistrict,andisrecognized foritsrigorousapproachtobreedingsheep thatexcelinthedemandingconditionsof NewZealand’ssummer-dry,winter-wethill country.

Moto-NuiRamswasestablishedby JohnandDianneLeGrovein1982with thepurchaseof215recordedewes,and ram149/79fromJohnDaniellofWairere. TheirsonJasonLeGrovethentookover thestudwhichwassoldtoBenandVebz Morrisonin2021.Today,JasonLeGroveis stillinvolvedasanadviserandliaiseswith clients.

BenMorrisonmanagestheday-to-day operationsoftheKaiTakblock,overseeing stockperformanceundercommercial conditions.Hisfocusonconstitutionand adaptabilityensuresthatonlythemost resilientanimalsareretainedforbreeding. CurrentlyMoto-Nuihas1500recorded ewes.

VebzMorrisonhandlesadministration anddataintegration,managingEID systemsandSILrecordstosupportgenetic selection.

BenLilleyisthestockmanageronthe commercialandfatteningblock.Heand KieranTobin,whoisstockmanageronthe KaiTakblock,coordinatelambing,pasture

rotation,anddatacollection.Theirworkis criticaltomaintainingtheintegrityofthe performancerecordingsystem.

Geneticselectionanddataintegration

Thebreedingprogramisunderpinnedby over40yearsofSILperformancerecording and15yearsofproprietarydatacollection. Thisextensivedatasetenablesprecise selectionfortraitssuchas:

•parasiteresistance(includingfacial eczematolerance)

•dagscorereduction

•maternalability

•constitutionandhardiness

AllanimalsareDNAsampled-recently upgradedfrom16kto50kSNPgenotyping -allowingforhigh-resolutiongenomic selection.Thisenablesbreederstotrace traitheritabilitymoreaccuratelytoeither sireordam,enhancingthepredictivepower ofbreedingdecisions.

Breedingobjectivesandstructuraltraits

ThecorebreedingphilosophyatMotuNuiemphasizesefficiencyandresilience. Ramsareselectedtoproduceewescapable ofweaningtheirownbodyweightinlambs underlow-inputconditions.Structurally, Motu-NuiRomneyramsarebredtobe deeperandwiderthantraditionaltypes, aconformationthatsupportsbetter survivabilityandproductivityinsteep, erosion-proneterrain.

Theflockismob-stockedonsecondclasshillcountry,providingareal-world testingenvironmentforconstitutionand

adaptability.Lambingincludeshoggets,and lambsaretaggedatdocking.Onlytopperformingewesareretained,ensuring generationalimprovementinmothering abilityandlambsurvival. Healthandbiosecuritytraits Motu-Nuihasbeenproactivein addressingemerginghealthchallenges. Forinstance,facialeczema(FE)resistance hasbecomeakeyselectiontraitandrams progenyareevaluatedunderchallenging conditionstoensurerobustness.Those thatdon’tmakethegradeareculled.

Industrycollaborationandgenetic linkages

Motu-Nuiisalong-standingmemberof theWairarapaRomneyImprovementGroup (WRIG),contributingtoandbenefiting fromoneofNewZealand’smostrobust geneticdatabases.WRIG’scollaborative sireevaluationprogramallowsMotu-Nui tobenchmarkitsramsagainstnational standardsformeatyield,growth,and survivability,ensuringthattheirgenetics remaincompetitiveandrelevant.

Cross bred ram

Gettyimage

heymaylooklikeyourusualbundleof flufforlargeLabradorpup,butthese Maremmasheepdogsareabreedof theirown.

AlargeItalianbreedusedtoguard livestockfrompredatorsincludingwolves, they’reincreasinglybeingusedbyNew Zealandfarmerstohelpprotecttheirstock frompests,likeroamingdogs.

CarolineTimminsfarms165hajustout ofOkaihauinNorthland.

Likemanyintheregion,includingthose inneighbouringfarms,she’shadthe “horrible”experienceofhavingtodealwith multipleattacksonherstockfromroaming andwilddogs.

“Wegotsmashedwiththisgroupofdogs thatwascomingthroughthepropertyand tearingoursheepapart.”

Shemovedtheremainderofher100 sheeptothehousepaddock,butwith limitedoptions--farmerscanonlyshoot dogscaughtintheactofworryingstock-shealsostartedlookingforothermeasures toprotectherflock.

Hersearchfirstledhertodonkeysbefore shelearnedaboutlivestockguardiandogs liketheMaremmasheepdog,whichshe thoughtwasthe“perfectsolution”.

“Ihadabsolutelynoexperiencewiththe livestockguardiandogs.

“Ididn’tevenreallyknowaboutthemat all.”

Shebought18-month-oldIslaovera yearago.

“She’sawesome,justareal,realsweet dog.”

Timminshadfoundthebreedtobe incredibly“loyal”and“clever”.

Islahadprovenanaturalguardianon thefarmandhadevendevelopedafew favouritesheep.

Shepatrolstheflockandwatchesthem dayandnight.

Four-month-oldpupIndyfollowedIsla earlierthisyear,andTimminshopestoget twomoreofthebreedtohelpprotecther stock.

Shesaiditwasimportanttogetmultiple dogstopreventonefromburningout.

DespiteIndy’syoungage,shehas alreadystartedlearningtheropesfromIsla andhelpskeepaneyeonthesheepwhen Islaisresting.

Timminssaidthebreedisentirely differenttoherworkingdogswhomshe wouldneverletroamfree,andshehashad tolearntotrustthemtodotheirjob.

ANorthland-basedbreederofAnatolian

shepherds,anotherlivestockguardian breed,saidshehadseenanincreasein interestfollowingrecentdogattacks.

It’snotjustlivestockfarmerswhohave foundthebreeduseful.

WairarapaEcoFarm’sJosjeNeerincx andFrankvanSteensel,whoTimmins purchasedherdogsfrom,saythedogshelp deterpestsfromeatingtheircrops.

Hesaidthatwithoutthedogs,itwas costingthemabout$1500amonthincrop damagefrompestslikehares,possums andpukeko.

ThecouplehavehadMaremmafor severalyearsnowthoughtheystruggledto findabreederandthemselvesstartedwith amixed-breed.

Theysaynotmuchisknownaboutthe dogortheirpurposesinNewZealand.

“Theyareananswertomanyquestions

thatmanyfarmersandruralpeoplehave,” vanSteenselsaid.

Hesaidthedogscanbeusedfora varietyofpurposes,makingthemsuited tothepermacultureprinciplesfollowedon theirorganicfarm.

Maremmamakegoodguarddogs, thoughtheirgentlenaturemeanstheycan alsomakegoodtherapydogs.

Hesaiditwasimportantforpeople tounderstandthebreedanddotheir research.

“Peopledonotrealisehowdifferentthe Maremmaisfromthenormalpetdogsand farmdogs,liketheherdingdogs.”

Neerincxsaidshewould“neverbe withoutMaremmasnow”,andshewas “neveradogpersonwhenIgrewup”.

ThisarticleoriginallyappearedinThe Countryon10/4/2025

Gettyimage

AdvancedRomneydesignergenetics

ManyNewZealandsheepfarmers arefacingchallengessuchastriple drenchresistance,facialeczema andinternalparasitesandsomedon’tfully realisehowtheyareimpacted.“Oneofthe challengeswefaceisgettingthatmessage toindustryabouttheimportanceofgenetics toprotecttheirfutureflock,”sayJenny Savannah,memberofARDG.

AdvancedRomneyDesignerGenetics (ARDG)isacollectiveofRomneyram breedersthathasbeenoperatingfor 57yearsandisleadingthechargein developing,structurallysoundandhigh performancesheepwithnaturalresistance tobothfacialeczemaandinternal parasites.Jennysaysthat60percentof NorthIslandfarmsmaynowbebattling tripledrenchresistanceeveniftheydon’t knowit.

“Farmersaredrenchingbutthedrench mightnotbeworking,yetmostfarmers arenotcheckingefficacyanddon’trealise. Manyfarmersroutinedrenchbuttheymay notnecessarilyneedto,addingtodrench resistance.Geneticsreallyistheonlylongtermsustainableoptionfarmershave.”

ARDGhasbeenattheforefrontof geneticselectionsince1968,whenit wasformedastheAucklandRomney DevelopmentGroup.Theorganisation beganseriousfacialeczematestingin 1979andaddedparasitetestingin2000, workingalongsideAgResearchandother scientificpartners.

Thegroup’ssuccessstemsfrom workingwiththepioneerscientistsbehind researchingthesehealthchallengesand thehighheritabilityofdiseaseresistance traits.Wormresistancehasaheritability

of30percentandfacialeczematolerance reaches38percent.ARDGbeganFE testingramsin1984at0.1andnowdose over100ramsat0.7.

AsFEGoldmembersARDGneedtomeet specificcriteriaincludingdoserates,years oftestingandtestingallsires.Jennysays theimportanceofthisworkcannotbe overstated.Researchhasshownthatfacial eczemaspores,foundcountrywide,can reduceproductivityby25percenteven whensheepshownovisiblesymptoms.

FEisanoftenoverlookedproblem butabigissueforNewZealandfarmers affectinglambingpercentages,growth rates,andlongevity.Researchalsoshows thatfacialeczemaincreasessusceptibility toparasites.

ARDGhasbeenwormfecaltestingfor 22years,andaremembersofWormFec

1.CrossbreedingwithLincolncanincreasewool productionbyupto23%inonecross.

2.Bringwoolproductionbacktoarespectable levelinonecrossoveranybreedinoneyear. Ten+yearsquickerthananycomparative woolbreed.“Guaranteed”

3.RamsavailableinCentralHawke’sBay,trucked toanypartofNZwithonephonecall.

Gold,agroupoflikemindedbreederswho arebreedingforresistance.Theyconduct faecaleggcountsacrossflocksand individuallytest80%oftheirramhoggets. Thisinformationfeedsintothenational database,providinggeneticrankings includingFEC.Thegroupfocusison cutting-edgetechnology,genomicsandthe NZMWrankingsystem,whichcompares animalsacrossallmaternaltraitsplus facialeczemaandwormresistanceand growthrates.

ARDGcontinuestoworkwithother prominentstudstoensureconnectedness acrossthenationalflock.However,the ARDGgroupemphasisesthatgenetic improvementrequireslong-term commitmentfromfarmers.It’salongtermprocess,andwewantfarmerstohave thatcommitmenttotheirflock.