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February 2013
NORTHERN FaRmiNg LiFEsTyLEs
Heritage sheep flourish in by Cynthia Matthews
Grant and Inger Keymer are dedicated breeders of heritage sheep and poultry and Dexter cattle. Their farm in its outstanding setting near Russell fronts the Waikare Inlet. Previous owners bred German Shepherds and ran cattle on the 135 acre property. Over the last ten years Grant and Inger have made new tracks, upgraded others and fenced off water catchments and paddocks. There has been plenty of work for the Keymers’ 1954 Massey Fergusson tractor! 95 acres are in bush cover, containing kiwi, while a further 20 are leased next door.
Bay of Islands
The lower paddocks flank wetlands and host bitterns, herons, and weka. The Pilgrim geese announce visitors arrival. Gotland and Wiltshire sheep are grazing in the house paddocks. Luckily Gotlands are hornless since they are exceptionally friendly, especially when after sheep nuts! Charmaine, the ‘grand old lady’ of the flock is not averse to a head scratch. Her legs and head
are black with a silver/grey variation through the fleece, and as with other feral sheep breeds she is short tailed. The breed originated in the islands off
Wiltshire sheep in high summer
the Swedish coast. Inger describes them as intelligent, easy lambers and excellent mothers. The polled Wiltshire sheep in the adjoining paddock are also ‘good doers’. They have already shed most of their fleece, something the breed is known for and justifiably making Wiltshires favourable to those wanting sheep requiring little shearing and no crutching. Inger recommends them as consistently twinning with lambs which gain weight quickly, even on indifferent pasture. This heritage English sheep breed is hardy and they keep sound feet even through a wet winter. Out from the house the dun Dexter bull grazes the bush margin. (The three Dexter bulls are run with different
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Grant with young Gotland ram
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