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www.age.co.nz Thursday, September 12, 2019
Wairere WAIRARAPA
RAM
SALES 2019
Located in medium to steep hill country northeast of Masterton, Wairere has been breeding rams for 53 years. Operating in a challenging, winter wet and summer dry class one wind zone environment, Wairere produces sheep with strong constitution that are accustomed to mob stocking at high commercial stocking rates. Wairere winters an average of 750 kg of live weight per hectare. Wairere is the most recognised brand in sheep genetics in New Zealand, producing mainly Romney rams but also offers composites, terminal sires, facial eczema tolerant and fine woolled “smart sheep”. The motto of “Proven, Predictable and Profitable” captures the essence of what Wairere Rams achieve for those who use them. Rams have been bred at Wairere since 1967 when John Daniell began performance recording ewes on what was regarded as second class hill country.
John’s father Len, who had purchased Wairere from the original settler, John Rutherford, had been breeding rams at Akura on the outskirts of Masterton since 1929. Derek and Christine Daniell are the current owners and third generation of the family to operate the property. Throughout the generations, the Daniell family have displayed a passion for sheep breeding and have been pioneers and innovators in their farming and sheep breeding activities. Derek has been honoured for his significant contribution to the New Zealand sheep industry. The Wairere ram breeding flocks total some 7000 SIL recorded Romney ewes and a further 3000 Romney ewes in “multiplier” flocks.
born are sold as rams meaning that culling and selection pressures are intense. With all sheep at Wairere being mob stocked and rotationally grazed throughout the year, apart from lambing time, Wairere is a rigorous testing ground, ensuring that Wairere sheep have great “shifting ability” and a reputation for being able to recover condition rapidly after tough seasons. Key selection criteria include: • The requirement for all ewe hoggets retained to be scanned in-lamb, (this ensures early maturity and high fertility). • For adult sheep to perform without any drench and young sheep to thrive and grow under a minimal drenching regime.
The composite, terminal, facial eczema and smart wool flocks comprise a further 5000 ewes.
• All ewe hoggets have been mated in every year since 1966 andarelambedunshepherded.
The scale of the Wairere ram breeding flocks is an advantage that clients benefit from. It allows heavy culling of underperforming animals, both ewes and Rams.
• Selection for easy care lambing and against bearings has been applied since the flock was established in 1966.
Less than 25% of all ram lambs
• Since 2001 all ram lambs (up to 7000) are ultrasound scanned for eye muscle area each year. (correlated to meat
Lamb survival is the secret Justin and Deanna McCarthy farm northwest of Taihape at Tiriraukawa. They run 2000 Wairere Romney ewes and 100 MA Angus cows. “Ten years ago we were topping out with 120% lambing and no lambs prime oš mum. Today we expect 150 to 155% survival to sale, with a weaning weight in the early thirties and up to 800 POM. This is set up by a very low 12.5% wastage from scanning. We are also mating our hoggets and lambing at 90% from mating with weaning weights similar to the MA ewes. All our ewes and hoggets are completely unshepherded. The ability of our ewes to lose weight during lambing and lactation and then bounce back always surprises me, especially at weaning, when most are back at mating weight.”
“They are such good mothers I had to get pet lambs from the neighbour”.
www.wairererams.co.nz | 0800 924 7373
yield) and this measurement is included in the SIL index. • Wairere culls heavily for other “non-productive” traits that increase work. Dags, feet and poor structure are regarded as priorities for culling. • As members of the Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group, considerable effort has gone into improving the saleable meat yield of the Romney flock. With large scale progeny testing having been undertaken from 1994 until 2013. Wairere sells all Rams by private treaty and operates a “price bracket” system whereby clients choose the price they wish to pay and Wairere guarantee that all those purchasing at that price are treated equally, thus allowing the introduction of new clients without any disadvantage relative to existing and long term buyers. Two tooth Rams are sold in November and ram hoggets sold in February. Wairere Rams go to all corners of New Zealand and are now enjoying a growing market in Australia, UK and South America. With hundreds of satisfied clients, Wairere has the scale, passion and vision to ensure that they meet the needs of sheep producers now and into the future. For more information visit wairererams.co.nz and or free phone 0800 9247 373.
Andrew Puddy Wairere Ram Sales 06 377 0660 021 222 5100
Derek Daniell Wairere 0800 122 077