Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Wairere Located in medium to steep hill country northeast of Masterton, Wairere has been breeding rams for 49 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 is the most recognised brand in sheep genetics in New Zealand, producing mainly Romney rams but also o˜ ers composites, terminal sires, facial eczema tolerant and ÿ ne wooled “smart sheep”.
WAIRARAPA
RAM SALES
2017
The motto of “Proven, Predictable and Proÿ table” 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 o˜ the original settler, John Rutherford, had himself 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. Last year Derek was honoured at the Beef & Lamb sheep industry awards for his signiÿ cant
Wairarapa Midweek
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Ram hogget with Wairere ewes at mating time
contribution to the New Zealand sheep industry. The Wairere ram breeding ˛ ocks total some 7000 SIL recorded Romney ewes, a further 4000 Romney ewes in “ multiplier” ˛ ocks. The composite, terminal, facial eczema and smart wool ˛ ocks comprise a further 6000 ewes. The scale of the Wairere ram breeding ˛ ocks is an advantage that clients beneÿ t from. It allows heavy culling of under-performing animals, both ewes and Rams. Less than 25% of all ram lambs 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. Wairere winters an average of 750 kg of live weight per hectare. 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. All ewe hoggets have been mated in every year
since 1966 and are lambed unshepherded. Selection for easy care lambing and against bearings has been applied since the ˜ ock was established in 1966. Since 2001 all ram lambs (up to 7000) are ultrasound scanned for eye muscle area each year. (correlated to meat yield) and this measurement is included into 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 e° ort has gone into improving the saleable meat yield of the Romney ˜ ock. 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 Nov and ram hoggets sold in February. Wairere rams go to all corners of New Zealand and are now enjoying a growing market in both Australia, UK and South America. With hundreds of satisÿ ed clients, Wairere has the scale, passion and vision to ensure that they meet the needs of sheep producers now and into the future.