HB Today - Ram Catalogue 2022

GENETIC TOOLS ANDTESTSBENEFITSNZ

SHEEPINDUSTRY

ByGeorge Tatham,Director,Beef +LambNewZealand

S

pringishereandtailingwillbegetting underway insomedistricts.

Iknowthenewtailingrequirements, whichcameintoeffectin May2021, continuetocauseconfusionandBeef+ LambNewZealandhasbeenpressingMPI toprovideclearerguidancetofarmersand contractorsthisspring,includinghow-tovideos.

TheGovernment’soriginalproposal wasforanevenlongertail,coveringthe vulva. Workingwithotherindustrygroups, B+LNZmanagedtobringitbacktothe currentlength,butweknowthatmany farmersarestillunhappy.

AnewCodeof Welfarewilllikely becomingoutearlynext yearfor consultation. Thiswillalsoprovidean opportunityforfarmersandB+LNZto providedirectfeedbackonhow thisruleis working.

Withthe warmerweatherjustaroundthe corner,animalhealthissuessuchasFacial Eczemamaketheirpresencefelt.

AB+LNZinitiatedandfunded programmetodevelop ahighthroughput, low-cost FacialEczematolerancetestfor sheepiswellunderway with acommercial testexpectedtobemade availableto laboratories by theendof2023.

Phaseoneandtwooftheprogramme have beencompleted. Thesewere toensureit waspossibletotestfor sporidesmintoxicity(thefungusassociated with FacialEczema)inthelaboratoryand identifythebiomarkersfor FEtoleranceor susceptibility.

Theworknowisprogressingtophases threeandfour whichisfocusingon reducingthenumberofbiomarkers downto amaximumoffourtomakethe developmentof adiagnostictestpossible.

Alotof validationisthenrequiredbefore atestcanbecommercialisedandreadyfor farmerstostarttestingtheiranimals.

Ultimately,B+LNZ wouldliketo produce acommercialFEtolerancetest whichuseseasilycollectedsamples.

Ifthisprogrammeissuccessful,itwillbe agame changerfortheindustryintermsof improvingFEtoleranceinoursheepflocks.

As rambuyingseasongetsunderway,I really wouldencouragefarmerstostartto considerincludinglowmethanegenetics intheirselectioncriteria.

Itistheonlytoolsheepfarmerscurrently have forreducingmethaneemissions on-farmandstudies have shownthatlow emittingsheepgrowslightly more wool, theyareslightlyleanerandmoreresistant toparasites.Selectingforlowmethane doesn’tmean youhavetogiveupthe reproductionorgrowththatisinherentin yourflock.

Lowmethanegeneticsisnottheonly mitigationtoolB+LNZhasbeeninvesting intohelptheredmeatsectormeet itsclimate changeobligations.Others includeanimalhealth,feedplanning, droughtmitigation,forageresearch andthe developmentofefficientfarmsystems.

MILLHOUSE POPULARGUEST DESTINATION

Mill Valley

AaronandAmandaHarrisrun asheep andbeeffarmin Pohokura inEastern Taranaki. Thefarmisadjacenttothe Forgotten WorldHighway andit’sherethat thecouplealsoletouttheirformer,fully restoredfamilyhome,MillHousebuiltin theearly1900s.

MillHouseispopulardestinationfor guestslookingtoescapethehustleand bustleofcitylivingfor afewdaysand enjoytheambienceoffarmlife.Built by theMcCluggagefamily, whooperated sawmillsinthearea,guestcanenjoy exploringtwotunnelsconstructedin 1924toprovideaccesstotimberonthe WhangamomonaSaddle.

Aaronhaslivedintheareaforthe majorityofhislife whileAmanda, who

originallyhailsfromHawke’s Bay, moved to Taranaki when youngwithherparents whowerefarmmanagers. Theynowhave twodaughtersRuby, 10andLucy, 7.

Thecouple boughttheir ownblockin 2016andcurrentlythey own537haand lease1300hfromAaronsparents,of which isabout 800haeffective.Approximately 100haisflat,orcultivable.

Becauseit’saworkingfarmguestswill seelivestock andfriendlysheepandthe coupleassistguestsiftheywishtotake afarm yard walk,althoughcertainareas remainoutofbounds.

Oneguest,concernedatthelookofthe sheep,askedAmandaiftheyweresick. The answer wasnoasthestudstockisafully recorded Wiltshirestudthatarenatural woolshedders!

Farmfacts

•STUDSTOCKfullyrecorded(SIL)

Wiltshirestud -60ewes, 20hogget’s. Recordingsince2012andbreeding since2010.

•Sellingaround20PB Wiltshire ramsa yearwithourfirst ramauctionheldin 2021.

•COMMERCIALSTOCK2500ewes700 hogget,calving225dairy/beefcows including50incalf2yroldheifers.

•STUDSTOCKFullyrecordedShorthorn stud -48cows,sellingR2bulls Amandasaystheyreallylikethe Wiltshireseven thoughtheyweren’t popular whentheyboughtthem.“They’re reallymaternalandalmostlikegoatsreally. Theyhave noproblemdealingwithhard

andhillycountryside.Somepeoplethink they alittleenergetic,buttheyjustliketo dotheir ownthing.

Iratethemhighly.Ifwoolcameback we’dratethemas averygoodterminal crossandevenif wool camebackIdon’t thinkwe’dchange,”shesays.

Wiltshiresarenoshear,nodaggingis necessaryandtheyyieldreallywell4449%yield.

Last year wastheirfirstauctionandthis yeartheywillhave roughly20purebred Wiltshiresupforsaleon11November. Theyseethebenefitinsellingfewer Wiltshiresandkeepingthequalityhigh.

Allareinvitedtotheiropendaywhere therewillberefreshmentsandvisitorscan viewallthestudcattle.“It’sanopeninvite evenif youdon’t want aram!”

RAMSALES ARE COMINGUP

ByDave WarburtonBVSc. VetServicesHastings

Thesheepindustryis evolving,withthe perceptionofstrong wool reaching acrossroadsand manyfarmerslooking toconvertflockstofiner woolandsheddingbreeds.

Therearesome financiallyrewarding opportunitiesfromfiningupthefleeceofa strong woolflock.

However,before changingthegenetics onfarm youneedtodevelop aclearplan about howtoachieve this without losing the‘meatandfertility’of your existent flock. Thegenetics your selecton ram purchasedaywillimpact your farmfor manyyears,usuallyfour years’ worth ofdaughters,andthentheirprogeny (7+years).

Thereismuchtoconsiderandwriting thisdownin aformalgeneticplangives youa clearandobviousdirectionof what thatlookslike. Consider.

1.Whereare younow and whatlevelof performancedo youwanttoachieve with yourflock?

2.Whatdoesthepurchaserof your product want?

3.Whatistheconsumeroftheend productlookingfor?

Fromananimalhealthviewpointit’s veryimportanttohave thetraitsoffacial eczemaand wormresistance/resilience on your radar.FacialEczemaandDrench Resistancearenotgoinganywhereand have abigfinancialimpact whentheyrear theiruglyhead.Evenif youthink youare onlyslightlyatriskatthemoment,willthis stillbethecasein 5years’time?

VetServices workcloselywith individualNewZealandbreeders acrosstheEastCoastandoffer arange ofSheepReproductionProgrammesfor theadvancementofsuperiorgeneticsto support your farmingoperations.Someof theseservicesinclude; ramtesting,semen collection,artificialinseminationand embryotransfer. Whatbenefitcouldthese servicesoffer you?

INSURANCE –Losing atop ramwithout hisgeneticsstoredcanbefrustratinganda biglossto yourproduction.

ACCESS –Ifyoucan’tgetthe ramfor naturalusethenusingsemencouldbea viableoption.

MULTIPLYING YOURBESTGENETICS –Allows youtogrowfromthetop rather thantoretainthebottomof your flock.

LINKAGE- Artificialinseminationallows linkagebetweenflocks wherematingdates

aresimilarortransporting rams isn’tviable.

INTRODUCING NEWGENETICS –You mayhaveaccessto newbreedssuchas Wiltshires, AussieWhites, andBeltexandhave the optionofbreedingwith greatgeneticswithfacial eczematolerance, worm resistance,finer wool etc….

MARKETINGSEMEN –Weareabletomarket yoursementoourclients and awideraudience.

MOREPROGENYPER

SIRE –Ifyouhave anelite sire(orjoint ownershipof one),thenA.I.canallow moreprogenypersireand naturaluseaswellforall owners.

If youwouldlike assistancewith your geneticsplan,tofindoutmoreaboutour reproductionservicesorhelpsearching forlocalbreedersand ramsthatmeet your criteriapleasegetintouch.

Contact your local VetServicesclinicor headtoourwebsitetofindoutmore (www.vshb.co.nz)

SIMPLIFYING SIRESELECTION

BySarah Powdrell,Beef +LambNewZealandGenetics

With rambuyingseasonsoonto getunderway,Beef +LambNew ZealandGeneticsencouragesfarmersto makeuseoftheonlinetoolnProve tohelp find ramsthatbestmeettheirbreeding objectives.

Youdon’tneedtoregister.Itisfreely availableatnprove.nzandincludeshelpful tipstogetyoustarted.

We’reoftentold by farmersthat ram buyingisgettingmorecomplicated.It canbedifficultjugglinglotsoffiguresfor arangeoftraitsonsaleday, especially withtheadditionofnewtraitsasscience emerges.

nProve hasbeendesignedtosimplify sourcinggeneticsandtoempowerfarmers tohave valuableconversationswiththeir rambreeders.

Using aseriesofbuttonsandslider scales,farmerscanrefineexactly whatthey needfromtheir ramteamandnProve will showyouthebreedersthatmatchwhat you’relookingfor.

ThebeautyofnProve isthat youcan customisetraitsspecificto your operation. Forexample,if FacialEczemaorParasite Resistanceareimportanttoyou,movethe sliderstoseetheflocksrecordingthose traits.

Narrowdownyourselection by exploringthe rangeofotherbuttonswhich coverregion,breed,sex,andbirth year.

Create your ownshortlist by flagging breedersofinterestas youbrowsethe resultsof your selectedcriteria. Then, when you’re readytocontact the breeder,their detailsareeasilyfound by clickingthe “MoreInfo”button.

nProve deliversthedatain asimple formatthatallowsfarmerstocompare breeeders and animals objectively and annonymously.

Thebreederisbestplacedtounderstand yoourneedsandmatchyoutoanimalsthat fit t your purpose. Takethetimetodiscuss yoouroperatingenvironment, challenges, anndobjectivessothey canhelp you acchieveprogressintheareas youwant.

Finally,whilstfiguresplayalargepartin the rambuyingprocess,itisimportantnot toforgetaboutstructureandsoundness. Thereis abalance.Nomatterhowgood aram’sdatais,ifhecan’tserveaewe thenhecan’tpassthatonallthatgenetic potential you’re investingin.

Once youget your ramhome,settlehim intohisnewsettingwithcare,soheisin

thebestconditiontoserveyouwell.It helpstoask what your ramhasbeenfedon priortoarrival,sohecanbetransitioned onto your ownfeedplan.

Spermproductiontakes6-7weeks,so makesureto checkyour ramteam2-3 monthspriortomating. Theyareoneof yourfarm’sbestassets.Lookafterthemso theycandotheirbestfor you.

MORVENHILLS HAMPSHIRES

K

ay Mckenziehasalwaysbeen fascinatedwiththeHampshire breedandin2020shetookthe plungeandfoundedMorvenHills Hampshires.Heraimistoproducea modern Hampshirefor commercial farmers.

Kay’sfirstpurchase was20ewe lambsfromLa-MacStudnear Christchurch thatwerebred by Ben Butterick.Later,inJune2020she purchased54mixedageewesand sixmaidenewesbred by Michaeland Sheryl Vetteof TuriwaiStud. Towards theendofthe yearshebought a2th ram,affectionatelyknownasBen, fromLa-MacStud whoisout overthe mixedageewes.

Hampshiresareknownforearly maturing,highsurvivalrate,trouble

freelambing,goodlength,quality meatwithquickreturn. Themeatis delicateand sweet,andhassuperior marbling overotherbreeds.

“Iplacegreatemphasison asound 2th ramfitforpurpose,withexcellent constitutionandlongevityas my ewes display,”Kay says.

ThestudislocatednearDannevirke andhas aMangahei/TeUri climate andthestockareputunder commercialconditionstoproducea truehillcountrybredsire.

“Lambsurvivalisalso akey area Iamworkingonaslast yearI scannedforskinthicknessaswell aseyemuscletoidentifythetraits Iamlookingforandhave onoffer tothefarmer.The Hampshireisof thedownbreedandisanextremely

popular choiceof raminAustraliaand Ireland.”

InthelasttwoyearsKayhasshown HampshiresatseveralA&Pshowsand hasbeenthrilledtowin acup,several certificatesandmedals.Shealso exhibited avarietyorlambs,ewes, and aramatherlocalDannevirke &DistrictsA&PShowinthe hopeof promotingthebreedtothepublicand sheepbreeders.

Theinauguralsale washeldin 2021andKaywillbesellingprivately againcommencinginDecember.It’s anticipatedtherewillbe40 ramsfor sale.

To bookthisseasons ramsor comeandview,contactKayon021 1786400oremailglengyle@inspire.

BREED OFNEW ZEALANDORIGIN

H

istoricalrecordssuggestthatsheep have beenknownonArapawa Island intheMarlboroughSoundsforatleast150 years.

AlikelyoriginfortheArapawa sheep isthattheyareescapeesof aflockof mainlyMerinooriginknowntohave been introducedin1867,theoriginalstock havingundoubtedlycomefrom Australia. Butitisnotimpossiblethattheywere introducedearlier by the whalers who werethefirstEuropeanoccupantsofthe Island,oreven by earliervisitors.

To thoseunusedtotheirdistinctive appearance,Arapawa sheepmayatfirst acquaintanceseemungainlyorevenugly, withtheirsomewhathunchedappearance andoften raggedfleece.Certainlythey bearlittleresemblancetotheirmore immediateMerinoancestorsandevenless totheMerinosfamiliartousalltoday.

colouringisallblack–with adepthof blackness whichisparticularlystrikingin thelambs –butArapawasmay oftenhave whitepoints,andon very rareoccasions bepure white. Themoststrikinglycoloured arethose whichare spottedwith white overthe wholebody, and whichare often referredtoas‘cocktail’Arapawas.

ThefleeceoftheArapawa isofMerinolike finenessandisofparticularlyhigh bulk whichmakesitofinteresttotextile manufacturers;italsomakesexcellent waterprooffeltsforheadandfootwear.It has,aswell,greatinsulatingproperties –importantfor asheepinthewild. However,individualfleeceweightsare considerablylessthanthosefoundin commercial woolbreeds,althoughthe naturaltendencyfor thefleecetobeshed,

Arapawasarenotlargesheep,being ratherleanandlight-boned. Theclear narrowfaceandhead,withalertbright eyes,isseton alongneckand topped withslenderears.Ramsmayhavespiralled horns whichcanbe overametreinlength. Theirlightbuild,togetherwiththeir rather longlegs,makesthem averyactive sheep asbefitsanimals whichhadtosurvive formorethan acenturyin verysteepand hostileterrain –not infrequentlyinvaded by equallyhostilehumanhunters.

InreposeArapawascarrytheirheads ratherlow, anditisthistendencycoupled withlow-setlongtails, whichgivesthem ahunchedlook. Theirmostcommon

whichoccursinmostwildsheep,isnot somarkedunderfarmconditions. sheeparealsonaturallymoreresistantto fly-strike,andatAgResear Canterbury tointroducethis

Arapawa

Arapawa lean,andwith muchsought to ownsomedistincti sheep youc your ownfl

Reproducedwith thankstoRare Breeds ConservationSocietyofNew Zealand, www.rarebreeds.co.nz

Arapawa ramsinCanterbury, Trotter/McCullochphoto.

Arapawa

Trotter/McCullochphoto,

Breedingsuperiortolerance TO FACIALECZEMA

HinenuiGeneticsisafamilyrun business ownedbyBrettandLucy Teutenberg, whichissituatedontheEast CoastoftheNorthIslandintheGisborne region.Itiscomprisedoftwoproperties; theoriginalfarm‘Hinenui’ a426hafarm located20kmsouthofGisborne,in Muriwai –managed by sonRyanandhis wifeClaire Teutenbergand‘Makaretu’, a474hafarminRere,40kmNorth-west ofGisborne, whichismanaged by their daughterDeanaandhusbandPhilCook.

HinenuiGeneticsbreedmaternal Coopworth,Romney andRomWorth rams. Thestudfocusesonbreedinghighly productive,structurallysoundsheep withsuperiortolerancetofacialeczema, whichisachievedthroughtheirstrict cullingregime,nildrenchingofewesand nospecialtreatmentduringhighFacial Eczema challenges.

Allsheeparerecordedthrough SIL(SheepImprovementLimited).

SILis adatabaseformed torecord ananimal’sperformanceandgivesa geneticevaluationthatcanbeused by breedersandcommercialfarmers.

HinenuiGeneticsusetheNewZealand

Maternal WorthIndex(NZMW) to identify geneticallysuperior animals to breedfrom.TheNZMWisanindustry standardindexfordualpurposesheep

production.HinenuiGeneticsalsohasa strongfocusonbreedingsheepwith ahigh MeatIndexandexceptionallyhighlevels oftoleranceto FacialEczema.

Togetherthefarmsrun2100fully recordedewesand1400fullyrecorded ewehoggetsallrunundercommercial conditionsandsellaround7002th rams inNovember/December.Theyalsocalve 250cows,takingthrough120steersto18 months.

Bothfarmsaremediumtosteep Gisbornehillcountryblockswith10% flattoeasyland.Hinenuienjoysrelatively mildwintersbutispronetoextremedry summers.Annual rainfallatHinenui is900mm whilethe Makaretublockis 1200mm.

Facialeczematolerancehasbeena strongfocuspointsince1985 whenBrett’s

fatherBillfirstbegantestingforitasa resultoftheextremelyhighsporedesmin levelsintheGisbornearea.Hinenui Geneticshave beenaccreditedFEGOLD statusandhasbeenpartofthiselitegroup ofbreederssinceitsestablishmentin2010.

TheFEGOLDbrandwasdevelopedto protecttheeffortsmade by breeders who have focusedonbreedingsheephighly toleranttofacialeczema over anumber of years.FEGOLDstatusrequires youto meetseveralstrictcriteriaandfarmerscan beassuredthatramspurchasedwiththe FEGoldbrandwillprovidetheirflock with thebestprotectionagainstthiscrippling disease.

HinenuiGeneticshave beenputtinga strongemphasisonincreasingtheMeat Indexintheir rams.Ataround10months ofage aselectionof ramhoggetsfrom

eachsiregroupareEyeMuscleScanned, anultrasoundisperformedtomeasurethe lengthandwidthoftheeyemuscle,and depthoffatbetweentheeyemuscleand theskin. Thiseyemuscleareais adefinite indicatortototalmeatyield.Becauseboth eyemuscleareaandfatdepthare very heritable,significantgainscanbemadein thisarea.

Aselectionof ramhoggetsfromeach siregrouparethensentdowntoLincoln UniversityinChristchurch tobeCT scanned. TheCTscannergivesadetailed cross-sectionimageoftheanimalandis abletodeterminewithaccuracythefatand leanin acarcasswithouthavingtosend theanimaltoslaughter.

AllsheepareDNAtestedatHinenui GeneticsandgivenanEID(Electronic

tissuesampleistakenfromthelambsear whichismatchedwiththeirEIDtagand sentofftoZoetis,usingtheShepherdPlus programme.

HinenuiGeneticshave notedthe growingissueofdrenchresistanceinsheep inNewZealandandarethereforemaking stepstowardsbreeding ramsthatare resistanttoparasites. Theyhave joinedthe WormFecprogram whichinvolvestaking faecalsamplesfromlambsrepresenting allsiresusedthatyear,the aimbeingto identifythosesires whoseoffspringhave lowerfaecaleggcounts.Alongwiththeir ‘nildrenchingofewes’policy, theyfeel theycanmakehugegainsinthisarea.

MCIEXPANDSITS AGRIBUSINESSADVISORYTEAM

TheMCI &AssociatesAgribusinessteamare highlyskilledinAgribusinessAccountingand Advisory.Withdecadesofhands-onexperience workingbothonandin-farmaswellaspositions thatsupporttheindustry,MCI arepassionate aboutthefarmingindustryand wanttoensureits future.

Theteamoffer afocusonfamily &corporate governance,businessstrategy,intergenerational transition/businesssuccession,RedMeatFarm systems,dealstructuring, raisingcapitaland formationofequitypartnerships,advisoryand compliance.

MCIbelievesthatprivately owned New ZealandAgribusinessesarecurrentlyfacinga tidal wave of forcedregulation.Assuch,thereis aneedforgreaterindependentadvisoryskillsto supportthesebusinessestomakegoodstrategic decisions.

Theybelievethemixofadvisoryand accountancyworkperfectlytogetherandare excitedtosharethattheMCIAdvisory Teamhas seenrecentgrowthwiththeupcomingaddition of JedMurphytothe team. Jedisanexperienced AgriBanker whoalsohasextensive historyin businesshavingrun anumberofscalableSheep andBeefbusinesses.

JedhasanagriculturaldegreefromMassey University;hehasservedas aSmedleyCadet, andhecurrentlyfarmswithhiswifeAnnaand theirfour childrenin Pongoroa.

JedcommenceshisnewrolewithMCIon October17andwillspecialiseinfarmsystems, supportingcustomerswithbankingproposals andagri-businessstrategy.Hewill workclosely withSeanStaffordasMCIexpandsourBusiness Advisoryfunctioninthe TararuaRegion.

Jedwillbeabletoofferassistancewithfarm systemsintheareasof:

•Developingpoliciestooptimisethepasture andforagegrowninyourfarmbusiness

oLookingattheproperty’sobjectives. Identifying whatthepropertyneedsin termsofcropsandareasofintensification -currentperformancevshowitlooks remodelled.

•Developinglivestockpoliciestooptimisethe performanceof yourfarm

oHow dopoliciescomparecurrently,and dotheylineupwiththefarms’contour, location, rainfall,topography?Aswellas dataanalysistoseethefarms’potential.

•Farmsystemsmodellingusing Farmax,Cash Manager,Farm Focus, FiguredandXero

oUsingsoftwaretoinvestigatehowa property’scurrentpolicystacksupagainst whatthedatatellsus,aswellas working through arangeofdifferentscenarios. WithourAccountingsoftwaretools,we canidentifyandreportontrendsfor yearon-yearexpensesandprofits.

•SupportingRedMeat Farmers toimprove thephysicalandfinancialperformanceof thebusinessthroughbenchmarkingbusiness performanceaswellassupportinganycapital requirementstobring aventureuptospeed.

•FarmSupervision

oAssistingbusinesseswithadviceon budgetingandpoliciesonanongoing basis.

ContacttheMCIAgriAdvisory Teamoneither 063747059or063767476,or sean@mcia.co.nz

SeanStaffordwill work closelywithnewrecruit JedMurphywhenhejoins MCIinOctober.

HARDYBREED -KAAHUWHITESHEDDING

“They aremoreproductiveandhalfthe workofourpreviously ownedFE GoldSIL recorded Coopworthstudsheepflock.”

Murray,Wayneand TashSargentare the ownersofKaahuGeneticslocatedat WhakamaruneartheKaahuRange40km North Westof Taupoonthefringeofthe

KingCountry.HeretheybreedKaahu White wool/hairsheddingmaternalsheep.

Murray and Waynemakethebreeding decisionsand Tashlooksaftertheirtwo young childrenandoftenhelpsonthe farm.

Farmfacts

Propertysize460haplus70halease land.

Soiltypeis volcanicpumiceash. Thecontourisrollingtosteep Rainfall900-1200mm ayear Summersarenormallyhotanddryand wintersarewetandcoldoccasionallywith alightdustingofsnow.

Theautumncreatesgreat challengesfor thesheep: a.facialeczema abigproblemaswecan getsporecountsof over1million b. worm challenges c.wetlushgrassto challengetheirfeet.

TheWiltshiresheddingsheepstud was foundedin2017,butnowisexclusively KaahuWhites.Murray hasbeenstud breedingallhisadultlifeforalmost50 years.Hehascreatednumeroussheep studsinthattimeincludingDrysdales, Coopworths, WiltshiresandKaahuWhites. Heis afirmbelieverinnationalrecording systems whichrecordpedigreesand productionandhealthtraits.

We had averysuccessfulFEGold CoopworthStuduntilrecentlybutfeltthey werenolongertheanswerbecauseof the workload.So,in2017wepurchased Wiltshireewesand ramsfromDavid Arvidson’sBloodlines.Heishighly respectedas aWiltshirestudbreederwith alargefullySILrecordedFlock.Murray wantedthebest Wiltshiregeneticsforfacial eczematoleranceand wormFECparasite tolerance,pedigreeandperformance

We decidedtocreateourKaahuWhite breedbecausewe wanted averylow input,highoutputbreedofsheepthat iscalmerandmoreuserfriendlythan Wiltshire.

Murray and Wayne wantedtoselectfor betteranimalbehaviour,superiorhogget lambingpercentagesandlambsurvival, bettergrowth ratesandmoremeat.“We wanted amoredocilesheepthat wasfaster maturingwith agreatcarcassandsuperb eatingqualities.”

Thedecision wasmadetopioneer anew breedofsheep“KaahuWhite”(Australian White XWiltshire).

InSeptember2018KaahuGenetics purchasedfromthe Tattykeelstud, 4rams and43ewes.Murray purchasedatauction thetoppriced AustralianWhitestud ram for$28,000 AUD. Hewentontopurchase afurther 3stud ramstotallingalmost $100,000 AUD.

Eventhoughtheplan wastocrossthe AustralianWhite ramswithour Wiltshire ewesandcreatethe“KaahuWhite”they wentontopurchase afurther43pure AustralianWhite Tattykeelmaiden 2tooth ewesat$2000AUDeach.

“The KaahuWhitesheeparehighly productivewithverylow inputsrequired.”

KaahuGeneticsarethefirsttoimport into AustralianWhitesheepintoNew Zealandfromthefoundationstud Tattykeel. It wasoneofthelargestlive sheepimports, everflownintoNewZealandfrom Australia. TheywentintoquarantineforMurray,left,and WayneSargent.

SHEEP

Februarythenext year.Special wooden crateswerebuilttoholdthesheepinthe airplanefortheflighttoNZat atotalcost of$250,000includingquarantine,air travelfreightand vetfees.

TheAustralianWhitebreedistaking Australia by stormandthetopprice Tattykeel rammade$165,000AUDat auctionlast year.

AustralianWhiteisan Australianbreed ofmeatsheep.Itderivesfromselective breedingofWhiteDorper,Van Rooy, PollDorsetand Texelsheep. Theyarea mediumsizesheep, whitefleecedsheep withsheddinghair/woolcoat.

AustraliaWhitekeyattributes:

1.lowinputhighlyproductive hair/wool shedding

2.polyestrous –canbreedoutofseason

3.meaty –Tenderhighyielding carcass withsuperbeatingqualities

4.calmtemperamentandflocking together

5.hardy

6.‘MargraLamb’ispure AustralianWhite lambmarketedthroughoutthe world.

Ithas amicromarbledfinishanda low-fatmeltingpointof28–35degrees Celsius,creatingandunprecedented delicatemeatthatisincredibly succulent.

TheTattykeelstudhas wonnumerous awardswiththeir AustralianWhitesheep. AttheSydneyRoyalFinefoodshow ‘Margralamb’receivedagoldmedalfor eatingquality.Mostofthe toprestaurants ontheeastcoastof Australiahave ‘Margra Lamb’ontheirmenu.Currentlyweare

indiscussionwith acompanyabout marketingourKaahu Whitebrandofmeat.

Breedingprogram

Murray and Wayneare veryparticular, andrigorous, whenselectingtheirkeeper studsires. Therearemanyimportanttraits toselectfor.Ramsneedtobestructurally soundandshowexceptionalconformation andtypeaswellasbeingoutstandingfor alltheproductionandhealthtraits.As wellastheirloinscan,theseelitekeeper ramswillbesentfor aCTscantomore accuratelyassesstotalcarcassmeatyield andthenonlythe verybestwillbeused.

Allthe ramlambshave FECsamples takentocalculatetheirabilitytoresist worms. Theyarealsothesecondhighest sheddingflockfor Facialeczema RamGuardtestingat0.37.

All ramhoggetsareloinscannedto measuretheamountofmuscleasa predictorfor overallmuscularity.

Facts

Farmsize530ha

Stocknumbers1000KaahuWhitesheep

Production

FUNANDEDUCATION AT

Competitorsbetweenages5 and18 yearsfromacross theNorthIslandgatheredin Hawke’sBay on the17September totakepartintheBeef +Lamb NewZealandFutureSheep competition.

Thecompetitionincludedstock judging,educationalandhandsonmodules,teambuilding,an ambassadorprogramme,public speaking,andplentyoffun. The FutureSheepCompetition was createdtoreshapeandreignite theNewZealandsheepindustry’s youthinvolvement,at anational level whileprovidingopportunity for youthtolearnaboutthe differentcareerpathwaysonoffer.

“It wasgreattoseethe competitorsreallygetstuckinto allsixmodules. Youcouldsee howpassionateandinterested theyareinthesheepindustry. We aresothankfultoourfamily ofsponsorsthathelptomake thispossible,Beef +LambNZ, BoehringerIngelheim, Kelso Genetics, WoolsNZ,Gallagher, Allflex,Anlamb,HainHerefords &Romney,AtkinsRanchand KenhardtAngus,”B+LNZFuture SheepNZCoordinatorSamantha Greenesays.

To learnmoreaboutthe competitionheadtotheofficial Facebookpage“FutureSheep NewZealand.”

Petlambcompetition:fromlefttorightKatieBibby,

PROFIT

Foundedandfirstregisteredin1961

TyaneeSuffolks wasformed by Robert Kyle whooriginatedfrom asmallvillagein Irelandcalled Tyanee. Thestud wastaken overandexpanded by hisson John Kylein 1980in Waipukurau.

John’sson Scott KyleisnowtheDirector ofRapaki FarmingCompanyLimitedandis excitedtobethethirdgenerationfarming TyaneeSuffolkswithhispartner,Sarah. ScottandSaraharehumbledtobeableto continuethisjourneyandtocontinuethe legacywithaprovenformulaforsuccess, guaranteeinghugegeneticgains.

TheTyaneeSuffolkflockarea modern,heavy-boned ram,with ahardy constitution,fitforthecommercialNew Zealandfarmingenvironment: asuperior animal.

Tyanee’sgoalistokeepperforming growth ratesandmakingsuretheydon’t loseanystructuralsoundnessandkeep themtruetobreed.

It’snow easierwithcomputersand technologyfordatacollection,SILfortrait analysis,sirereferencingandeyemuscle scanningare afewofthetoolsusedin conjunctionwithkeystudpolicies,to produceproductive commercialsiresthat have theabilitytoenhancegeneticgains.

TyaneeSuffolksstartselling ramsinearly Decemberwith101 ramsonofferthis season.

TheseSuffolksarehighperformance Rams. TrustTYANEESUFFOLKS you won’tbedisappointed.

TOUGHPERENDALES AT HAUTERE

JohnHenricksenandhissonCareybreed toughsheepontoughcountryonthe easternsideofthePuketoiRange…with powerfulresults.

ThreequartersoftheHautere Perendale ramssoldlastseasonwereinthetopfive percentoftheMaternal Worthindexin SheepImprovementLtd’s(SIL)across-flock analysis.

Allthe ramswereinthetop20percent. Thatmeant a2600indexand2125index respectively.Toensuregeneticgaininboth his ownflockand clients’flocks, John says onlytwo-toothewesand ramswiththe NewZealandMaternal WorthPlusMeat indexabove 2000onSIL’s acrossflock analysisareretainedorofferedforsale. Thisconstantgeneticimprovementmeans

thestudiscontinuously raisingthebar,he says. Thestudhasalwaystrackedabove the breed averageforalltraitsrecordedonSIL’s genetictrendgraphs,includinggrowth, wool,reproductionandsurvivability.

Thesurvivabilityaspecthastestedthem this year,withhundredsoflambsbeing borninto waterasthedistrictexperiences anextremelywetspring.Annual rainfall atHenricksen’shouse averages1650 millimetres;they’dreceivedthatwithstill threemonthstogoforthe year.

Someofthelambsontheground thisseasonaretheprogenyofthe Henricksens’bigpurchaseattheannual Gore ramfairearlierthis year –theywon aspiritedbiddingfighttopay$15,500for SnowdonE73/20fromSnowdonStation

inCanterbury’sRakaiaGorge. Theram wasdescribedasexceptionalexampleof thebreedinbothappearanceandgenetic merit. John explains,“Hehadtheright balanceofbeingstructurallysoundand carryingtopproductionfigures;hisindex wasover4000. I’ve neverseen aramsold with ahigherindex.”

TheHenricksenssellapproximately200 ramson-farminDecemberwithclients travellingfromaroundtheNorthIsland, including Taumarunui, Taranaki,Gisborne and Wairarapa.Hautereis759haof mediumtosteephillcountryincludingan 80harunoffblock“downthebottom”of KororaRd(20kmwestof Pongaroa), aQEII National Trustcovenantedbushblock,and severaltreeplantationsforshelterand

erosioncontrol. Thehomefarmis569ha effective,runningeightstockunitsto the hectareincluding60Angusbreedingcows and2200 Perendaleewes –onethirdstud andtwothirdscommercial. Theewesare runtogethermostofthe yearwithstud ewespulledoutfortuppingandlambing. Ewelambsarealsorunasonemobuntil theirfirsttupping.

LambingisinthemiddleofSeptember withthe ramsputoutinmid-April. The ewes, across thestudandcommercial, average130percentlambing,with John sayingtheyfarmthem“fairlytight”.His aimistobreedgood Perendalesthatwill gooutaroundthecountryand“do what they’resupposedtodo”.

Twinning2th ewesonthehillsatHautere.

JohnHenricksen,right,withhissonCarey.

BREEDING BETTERBLOODLINES

PiquetHill Farmsis a1600hahill countrysheepandbeef operationinthe heartof Te Akau -CoastalNorth Waikato. Wintering20,000stockunits,PiquetHill Farmsis abusystudbreedingoperation withRomney,Composite,Suffolkand SheddingCompositeflocksalongwitha newlyestablishedAngusstud.

Will Jackson,hispartnerNicola,and theirteamarefocussedonproducingstud stockthatperformin variouscommercial environmentsthroughoutthecountry.

Peter JacksonfoundedPiquetHillStud in1966with astrongemphasisonfacial eczematesting. Thestudwas amember oftheoriginalRomneyDevelopment Group,screeningmorethan100,000 eweswhich formed astronggeneticbase fortheinitialbreedingprogramme. The sheepstudnow comprisesofRomney,

MaternalComposite,SuffolkandShedding Compositeflocks; andtherehasbeenno let-uponapplyingadditionaltechnologies toprogresstheadvantageofeachflock today.

Thelonghistoryoffacialeczema selectionmeans asingleuseof aPiquet HillRomneyorCompositesirewill produce animalswith agoodlevelof facialeczematolerance froma naiveflock. CurrentlyRomneysaretestedat0.72mg perkgoflive weight,MaternalComposites at0.68mgperkgoflive weightand Suffolk’s and Shedding Composites at 0.27 mgperkgoflive weight.AllRomneyand MaternalComposites ramshave alifetime guaranteeagainstFEand a2-yearstructural guarantee.

Intheautumn when worm challenge isatitshighestallstud ramhoggetsare

faecaleggcountedforthe WormFEC programmerun by Techion. Theresultsare thencollatedandinputtedintoSILandrun intoPiquetHillsmain overallperformance index whichtakesinmaternal worthFE, wormresistancebodyconditionanddag score. Willbelievesmorecommercial buyersshouldbelookingforan overall packageofperformance whenpurchasing rams ratherthanfrontloading raw production.

“Essentiallywearetryingtobreeda mediumframed,hardylow inputsheep thatproduces above breed average performanceoutput,”hesays.

ThePiquetHillsheddingcomposite (Sheddmaster)is anewoffering whichhas beendevelopedusing amethodcalled introgressive breeding, wherehaired andsheddingbreedshave beenfused

with amaternalcompositebase.It was developedusinganoutcrosstoselected sheddingbreedstointroducethistraitto theflock, whichwasthenbackcrossed totheestablishedcompositelineusing populationgeneticswithaheavyselection onsheddingabilitytoformthebasisofthis flock.

Theoutcomeis asheepthatdoesn’t requireshearing whilestillholdingonto theperformanceattributesofthematernal compositethathasbeendeveloped over the last20years.

PiquetHillisopenforinspection by appointmentatanytime. Alltwo-tooth rams aresoldprivatelyat Te Akauin JanuarywithRamHogget’savailablein March.Saleis by privatetreatyandall rams comeforwardinabsolutelynatural conditionoffhillcountry.

REDUCE, REUSE,REPOST

Afarmerwith aneedfor cheapfence postshascreated anewbusiness reducingviticulture waste whilesaving farmersmoney.

Thatbusiness,Repost,hasalready repurposedmorethan150,000posts, mainlyfromMarlboroughvineyards.Itis lookingtomove intootherwineregions ofthecountry,suchasHawke’sBay andGisborne,tobetterserveexisting customers,aswellascontinuingtogrow.

Repostgradestheoldposts,removes anynails,cutsthemtosizeandcanrepointtheendssofarmerscaneasilyput themstraightintotheground.Reposthas deliveredpostsfromBlufftoGisborne,and themajorityofpostsarequarter-roundand half-round1.6-metreandquarter-round 1.8mlengths,andstartfrom$3.25perpost (www.repost.co.nz).

Thecompanystarted whenGregCoppell wasworkingouthowtosubdividethe paddocksonhisfamily’s500-hectaresheep andbeeffarm.Hefarms1000 Perendale ewesandhoggetsand100mixed-aged AnguscowsintheHoward Valley,St Arnaud.HisdadAllanhadbeenusing discardedvineyardpostsfordecadesand theyknewthereweretonnesmorebeing thrownintolandfillevery year –whichwas suchawaste.

“Afterfinding astockpileat alocal vineyard,wedecidedtousethemacross

ourfarmtohelpsave abitofmoneyas wellasre-usingsomething. Thatsaving wentstraightontoourbottomline.”

Abuilder by trade,Coppellsawhow wellit workedandstartedtothinkabout howhecoulddevelop abusinessaround theidea.WhenCovid-19hitinMarch 2020,hissister-in-lawGabbyBrunton endedupinNelsonforlockdownandit didn’ttakelongfor afew“brainstorms over smoko”toleadto afullyformedbusiness idea. TheytooktheideatoStuDudley, thenviticulturalistfor VillaMaria, whowas keentojumponboardtoo.

“I’ve beenintheindustryfor14 years andhave agoodunderstandingofCCA timber wasteissues,”Dudleyexplained.“I knowthisisoneoftheviticultureindustry’s biggest wasteproblems,andwe very quicklyrealisedre-usingvineyardposts wassomethingwe wantedto worktogether tosolve–wedecidedtocreate aprocess thatturnsasmanydiscardedpostsas possibleintofencepostsandotheruseful resourcesforKiwis.”

“Itdidn’ttakelongbeforewecameup withthenameRepost;itencompassed whatwe’retryingtodoandtwoyearsin, we’rereallyexcitedthatwe’ve helped fence over1,125kmoffarmsacrossNew Zealandanddiverted1,200tonnesof wastefromlandfill,”Brunton said.

“Foreverypostused,it’sonenewpost that’snotneeded. Withrecentmaterial

shortageswereallyseethisas adouble win.”

OneoftheirNorthIslandcustomersis Gisborne’sWaipuraStation.MattandLou Maclaurinaredevelopingtheir840hahill countrysheepandbeeffarm,usingRepost fencepoststosubdividetheirpaddocksfor bettergrazingmanagement –abouttwo kilometresoffencingsofar.The couple saidaswellasbeing acheaperoption, usingrecycledpostshelpedreducethe farm’senvironmentalimpact.

“We’ve alsopassedonthepoststosix otherlocalfarmersandhopeotherfarms inour Waimatacatchmentwillbekeento jumponboardwithusingReposttoo.”

Coppellsaidthecompanywas working with afewcatchmentgroupstooffer savingsforriparianfencingandplanting projects.

“It’sagoodway todoitbecause your dollarjustgoes ahellof alotfurther.”

Bruntonsaysithasbeenhardgraft,but theteamisdedicatedtomakingRepost work.“Repostis afamilybusiness,striving torun apositive andimpactfulbusinessfor NewZealandfarmers,vineyardsandthe environment.”Coppellagreed.

“We’restillintheearlystagesand working hardtomakethebusiness successful, whichwillcomeintime. For now, it’sgoodfortheenvironmentandit’s goodforfarmers. We’rehopefullymakinga difference.”

WaipuraStation’sMattMaclaurinshowing whereRepostshave beenusedforRepostco-founderGregCoppell,left,withviticulturistandbusinesspartnerStuDudleriparianfencing. y.

Repost’smobileplantat workontheedgeof Yealandsvineyard.

ASKFIRST WHAT YOUR STUDDOESN’TDO!

Whenasked whyNewhavengenetics areincreasingindemandallaround NewZealand –the answerissimpleand unexpected“It’swhatwedon’t do.”

“It’sactually whatwedon’t dothat makesthedifferencetoourclients –we don’tdrenchany adultstock(andhaven’t for over30years),the ramswesellaresold withouteverhaving adrenchintheirlives, wedon’trunourstudsheepseparately,we don’tshepherdoursheepatlambing(we simplyruninandtagthe2,500studlambs thedaytheyarebornthenleave them toit),wedon’tcontractoutourgenetic decisionstosomeoneelseorrun asatellite stud,andwedon’tleaseout ramhoggets duetothebiosecurityrisktoboththestud andourclients.”

Their600stud ramhoggetsarerunin onelargeflockduringtheirlongwinter onthe1100hectareNewhavenhillblock at600metresabove sealevel -agenuine caseofsurvivalof thefittest.“We expect alotfromtheseboys,butit’sourrole to challengethem -everysheephasto performandpullitsweight.”BlairSmith says.

NewhavenalsoproducerobustRomdale rams -drivenbydemandfromfarmers that wantedthetoughnessof alow-input NewhavenPerendaleinfusedintoanopenfacedRomney,bredforhardhillcountry conditions.

“Justlikeour Perendaleclients,Romdale flocks wanttough,low-input genetics thatcan‘hackit’ andperforminharsh conditions”Blairsays.“Ourclientsare

reportingthatduringthis2022lambing, theyhave seentheresiliencecometo thefore –eveninthemost challenging ofconditions. Thelow-input Perendale influencegivesthemaspringintheirstep and awilltolive.”

Theyfinditunbelievablethatmanystuds stillhave aheavydrenchingprogrammein place.

Breeding ahighresiliencetointernal parasite challenge overthreedecades hasmeantthatmanyNewhavenclients arenowabletoimplement alow-input, nildrenchregimeintheir ownflocks–coupledwithfurtherresiliencethrough twodecadesofDNAtestingforbothcold tolerance(lambsurvival)andfootscore.

“Ournildrenchregime wasn’t developed30 yearsagotosave money,but

tobreedresilience”says Jane, “Althoughit is aconvenientcostsaving,asweonlybuy a20litreof cheaplevamisoledrenchevery coupleof yearsfor afewsurpluslambs.” Blairisquicktoadd,“Wemay nothavea freeoilskinjacketorsteakknivesbutwe dohave zerodrenchresistance whichis somethingthatmoneycan’tbuy,anda resiliencebenefitthatwecanpassontoour ramclients”.

TheNewhaventeamtakeordersin NovemberandDecemberfortheir NewhavenPerendale,Romdaleand Perendale-Texel rams –withtheirselling seasoncommencingearly February2023. Contactthemon

newhavenperendales@gmail.com togetontheirnewslettermailinglist.

TREASURETROVE

Hereis asmallselectionofimagesrelatingtothesheepindustryinHawke’s

sourcedfrom awonderfullocalresource TheHawke’sBay KnowledgeBank. TheKnowledgeBankis adigitalrecordofHawke’sBay anditspeople whichcontinues togrowasmoreresidentsdonatematerialfromtimespasttobedigitisedanduploaded tothepublicwebsitehttps://knowledgebank.org.nz/.80-plus volunteers areinvolvedin therecording,digitisinganduploadingofmaterial.

Maraekakaho Station,back ofgarden paddock, Wenley collection. LincolnRam Maraekakaho Station, about1902, McCormack collection.

SHEPHERDING USINGDNATECHNOLOGY

ByDayanneAlmeida

NorthIslandSheepGenetics

AreaManager &TechnicalLead forZoetis

Workingwithstudbreederstoselect animalsforDNAtesting andhelping toimplementandutilise theinformation intheirselectionprogramsistheservice Zoetisoffers. Thisincludesgenemarkers, DNAparentageandgenomics(DNA

influencedbreedingvalues).

AreaManagersintheNorthandSouth Islandsforsheep,plus aCattleManager forNZwearmanyhatsintheirroles. From sampling animals on farm, keeping an eye onordersthroughthelabsystemand then workingwiththeZoetisteamtocompile anyreportingbacktothe farmer. Thereare manydiscussionsonthebest fit ofproducts withineachoperationandgeneral educationaswellasaroundbreeding policies,newtechnologies,products and selectioncriteria.Ourteamalso workwith otherparties,suchasbureaustoensure breedersgetthebestresultstheycan from DNA.

Marketingandhelpingbreeders communicateto rambuyers whatDNA technologyisandhowitadds valueisalso partoftheservice.

DNAofbothsheepandcattleisprofiled from asmalltissuesampletakenfrom theear.Itrequiresperfect anddiligent recordingoftheanimal’sidentification matchedtoitsDNAprofile. TheGenetics Managersareespeciallybusyonfarm aroundtailingtimeastheyhelpaccurately recordthenewlybornanimals. Thisis equallycriticalwhensamplingsiresand dams,usuallyaroundmatingtimeifnot alreadydoneatbirth.

Genemarkersforspecificgenetic conditionsthatareeitherbeneficialorto beeliminatedfromthe flock/herdinclude fertilitygenesforInverdale,Boorolaand GDF9(LambMAX). Theblindgene inthe Texelbreedand yellowfatpredominantly

seeninthe Perendalecanalsobe identified.LoinMAXpredominantly seen in the Poll Dorset breedplusthe meatgene GDF8(MyoMAX)areallidentifiable.

ShepherdingwithDNAforparentage simplifymating,saveautumnpasture and switchesoutthemanualrecording oflambstotheirsiresanddamsatbirth. Instead,lambs arematchedtotheir parents viaDNAfromthetissuesampleusually takenattailing. Thisincreasesnotonlythe accuracyofpedigreerecordingbutalso lambsurvival.

Genomicsistheothertechnologyto helpstudbreedersadvancetheirbreeding programs. AdetailedDNA mapofan

animalenhancestheparent average for traitsinthecalculationof abreeding value (geneticcomponentofananimalthatcan bepassedontoitsprogeny). Thisincreases theaccuracyofananimal’spredicted performance,especiallyin younganimals thatdonothave progenyrecorded yetto prove themselves.

Zoetishas awide rangeofproduct optionsforbreederstoutiliseandtwo DNAprogramsthatincorporatethose productsinto awholeflockcontextfor thebestreturnofinvestment.Shepherding usingDNAtechnologyisattheheart of whatZoetisGeneticsofferstheir customers.

DayanneAlmeidaat work.

Dayannediscussesthe resultswith acustomer.

HISLATESTBOOK

Poetandwriter TimSaunders’has pennedanotherbookaboutlifeon hisManawatsheepandbeeffarm.

“Under aBigSky: Facingthe Elementson aNewZealand Farm,” looksatSaunders’farmthrough alens of Fire,Air,WaterandEarth.

It wasadifferentapproachtohisfirst book“This FarmingLife,”whichwasall abouttheseasons,hetold TheCountry’s JamieMackay.

“Thisoneismoreabouthowthe elementsaffectfarmingandhow farming basically affects the elements.”

Saunderssaidhelookedateach element“physically,emotionallyand metaphorically”inhisbookand wove hisstoryaroundthem.

TheSaunders’sheepandbeeffarm atGlenOroua,near PalmerstonNorth, goesbackfive generations.

Pastandpresentfamilymembers playalargerolein“Under aBig Sky,” especiallySaunders’farmingfather.

“Dad’s82now andhe’sbeenonthe farmallhislife...sohe’sfullofwisdom andstories.

“He’sseenfarming change overthe yearsreallysoit’sreallygoodtohave himas aresourcehere.”

SaundersSenior wasalso asourceof comicrelief,hesaid.

“He’sveryfunnyaswell -hecomes outwiththemosthilariouslinesaround -he’sareallygood character.”

Regenerative agriculturefeaturedin “Under aBigSky,”and, whileSaunders wasn’tagainstthepractice,hesaid research intohowitcouldmitigate climate change wasinitsinfancy.

“Inthisbook, Italk alittlebitabout howperhapsit’snot amagicbullet againstclimate changethatwe’reall beingtoldthatitis.

“Theresearch isnowjuststartingon howregenerative farmingisgoingto affecttheclimate.”

Saunders’said“Under aBigSky” touchedontheoriginsofthepractice.

“Italk alittlebitinthisbookabout thehistoryofregenerative farmingand howitcameoutoftheDustBowlof America.

“It wasoriginallytoregenerate thetopsoilthattheyhadcompletely obliteratedintheir owncountry.”

Kiwifarmerswere“along,long waydownthetrack”withadopting newmethodsoffarming,including regenerative agriculture,hesaid.

“Wetakeonnewtechnology methods,it’ssomethingwe’re verygood athere.”

ThebookalsoexploreshowTim and hiswifeKathrintryto workwiththe land ratherthanagainstit.

KathrinisoriginallyfromGermany buttooktofarminglifeinNewZealand, Saunderssaid.

“Shelovesanimals andshedoesa lotofanimalmedicineand...herbal medicine.

“She’salsotriesto...craftwith wool -she’stryingtoputthe valuebackin wool -she’sreally,reallylovingithere.”

Saunders wasn’talwaysafarmer anddidn’tknowwhathe wantedtodo whenheleftschool.

Hespenttimedriving atourbus aroundNewZealand,(wherehefirst metKathrin)andtriedhishandata fewotherjobsbeforehewentoutand “experiencedthe world”.

HelivedinGermanyfortwoyears withKathrinbutstartedtofeel apull backtoNewZealandfarminglife.

Thecouplehad adiscussionaboutit anddecidedtomakethemove,hesaid.

“It waswhile Iwas overseasthatI reallygot acallingbacktothelandhere andbacktothewideopenspaces.”

“Under aBig Sky: Facingthe ElementsonaNewZealandfarm,”is outinbookstoresnow.

GlenOrouasheepandbeeffarmer

HELPPROTECTINDUSTRY FROM EXOTICDISEASES

S

heepfarmersarebeingencouragedto playtheir partinprotectingthe industry fromexoticdiseases by signinguptothe newonlineportalMyOSPRI.

Over1,000sheepfarmershave already ditchedpaper-basedAnimalStatus Declarations(ASDs)andarenowusing MyOSPRItosendbothfarm-to-farmand farm-to-meatprocessorelectronicAnimal StatusDeclarations(eASDs).

TheeASDsprovideaccurate,reliable andreadilyaccessibledataabout movementsofsheepmobsand where farmsandotherplacesanimalshave been orarelocated.

Goodanimalmovementrecordswill allowforfasttrackingandtracingof adisease,improvingthelikelihoodof eliminating it quickly

Kevin Forward,HeadofTraceabilityat OSPRIsaysthattheMyOSPRIsystemwill vastlyimprove thesector’sabilitytolaunch aneffective responseintheeventofa diseaseoutbreak.

“Intheunlikelyeventofanoutbreak suchasFoot-and-MouthDisease(FMD),it’s extremelyimportanttokeep trackingand tracingofanimalsaccuratelyrecordedand uptodate.

“Thisisparticularlycriticalfor movementsofmobsofsheep, which unlikecattleanddeerarenotcovered by theNationalAnimalIdentification Tracing programme. Thebest waytodothatis throughMyOSPRI.

“Notonlywillsheepfarmersbenefit fromusingMyOSPRI,butwe’llhave

abetterpictureofalllocations where cattle,deerandsheepmove betweenfor aresponseteamtouseintheeventofa diseaseoutbreak.

“Movementsrecordedusingpaper-based ASDsarenotkeptin acentraliseddatabase and wouldslowourabilitytotracea rapidlymovingdiseasesuchasFMD.”

PaperASDswillstillneed tobe usedfor saleyards,hesays.

AndrewMorrison,ChairmanofBeef+ LambNewZealand,saysthat whilethe riskof Foot andMouthDiseasearrivingin NewZealandisstillconsideredtobevery low, everyoneneedstoplaytheirpartin helpingpreventFMDenteringthecountry andspreading.

“Iencouragesheepfarmerstosignup toMyOSPRIanduseelectronicASDs sotheindustrycanmove quicklyinthe unlikelyeventof adiseaseoutbreak.I have personallyfoundusingtheelectronic systemismucheasierandfaster. It also givesmeconfidencethat Iamdoing everything Icantoprotect my farm, my neighbourandtheindustry.”

MyOSPRIisOSPRI’snewonline customerportalthatwill,in time,enable farmerstoaccessOSPRI’sintegrated animaldiseaseandtraceabilitysystem.It hasreplacedtheeASDsystemandinthe futurewillbringtogether NAITanddisease managementinformationintoonesystem, sofarmerscanviewdiseaseinformation andmanagelivestockmovementseasily online,andinoneplace.

SourceBeef+LambNew Zealand

Photo:GettyImages

A4WD TOUR OF ALIFETIME

The mystiqueofNewZealand’s highcountryis,inpart,duetoits remotenessbutalsoto aruggedbeauty whichiscelebratedaroundthe world. Traditionallythepreserveofthose privilegedtomanageorworkinthis environment,itisnowpossibletojoina personallyescortedsmallgrouptour which takesinsomeoftheSouthIsland’smost iconicstationsandremotebackcountry thankstoHighCountry Journeys.

Ownedandoperated by John andSusan Mulholland,HighCountry Journeyshas, overmorethanthreedecades,escorted hundredsofpeople,drivingtheir own,or hired4WD vehicles,throughtheSouth Islandhighcountry.

Johnis afourthgenerationManiototo farmerwithmorethanthirty years’ experienceinorganising4WDtours. He’swell-knowninthehighcountry communityandhasaccessto awiderange ofuniquebackcountrytracksthat’lltake clientsthroughsomeofthemoststunning andmajesticsceneryintheSouthIsland.

Hespentmany yearsintheshearing industrybothlocallyandabroadand wasa locally-basedshearingcontractorfornearly fifteen years.Hehasalwaysfarmedinthe areaandbeeninvolvedinbreedingstud sheep.Hestill owns aRomneysheepstud.

“Allourtoursarefullyguidedsothat youwillalwayshavealocalHighCountry Journeysguide accompanyyoueachday intheir own vehicleandaswellasguiding youthey willgive youheapsoflocalhistoryon

eachparticularareayou willbedriving through,”Johnsays.

“Wehavearangeoftoursandourmost popularisthe‘GrandSlam’tour whichis a7 day8nighttourthatstartsinBlenheim andfinishesinCardrona,CentralOtago. Thetriptakes youthroughtheiconic MolesworthStationaswellasthestunning backcountryofCanterbury’sRakaiaGorge andLakeColeridgeareas,CentralOtago andtheMackenzieCountry.

TheGreatExploreris a5day 6nighttour thatbeginsintheOmarama/LakeOhau areaandendsintheCardrona/Wanaka areatakingintheMackenzieCountry, Lindis Passarea,CentralOtagoandasfar Southas WaikaiainNorthernSouthland.

Inresponsetodemand,wehave recently launched anew 7day 8night West Coast Wanderertour whichwilltakein theArthurs Pass,MtWhiteStation,and manyhiddengemsofthecoastsuchas theDennistonIncline,NapoleonHilland BigRivertracks,Blackball,Haastandthe CascadeRiverareaandmanymorebefore finishingbackinWanaka.

Accommodationis acombinationof historichotels,lodgesandseveralfarmstays andhomestays where youlearnaboutthe localhistoryofeachareathat youstayin anddrive through.Allmealsandlunches areprovidedandtheaccommodationisof averyhighstandard.

Thetracksaregenerallyof agood standardand youwon’tbebashing your waythroughbush,mudholesor rattling uproughriverbedsallday. Somedaysthe trackswilltake youupmountain ranges withpeaks over1700mhigh where you’ll experiencethestunningsceneryofthese tussock-cladmountainsandthealpine environment. You’lllookdown overriver valleysthatwilltake your breath away.

Youdon’t needtobeanexperienced four-wheeldriver. However youdoneed commonsenseandtobepreparedfor theodd challengeas you’llbedrivingon highcountrystation4×4tracksfor agood partofeachday.Oneofthecouples who didthetripcommentedthat“thejourney isdefinitelynotonlyforthemeninthe family,wivesandpartnersthoroughly enjoythehighcountryexperience too.”Rememberthisis aget-upandgo adventureholiday, somakethemostof eachday.”

Thereis alottoseeanddoonthetrips andthedaysarefairlyfull.Generallythere is five tosixhourstravellingeachday or about150to200kms aday.Thiscan vary fromdaytoday sothere’splentyoftimeto stop, walk,have theodd

sh,takephotos andenjoythehighcountryscenery.There isgenerallynotmuchmorethanonehour’s travellingontar-sealedroadseveryday.

“SincetheCovidpandemicmoreand moreKiwisarenowvisitingtheir own backyard,andthere’snowheremoreiconic thantheSouthIslandhighcountry,” John says.

SEASONAL CLIMATEOUTLOOK

October-December2022

•ModerateLaNiñaconditionscontinued duringSeptemberand amarineheatwave strengthenedinAotearoaNewZealand’s coastal waters.Bothareexpectedto influencetheclimate overthenextthree months.

•Airpressureisforecastto behigherthan normalaround New Zealand,especially neartheSouthIslandandeastofthe country.Thiswilllikelybeassociated withlessfrequentwesterlywinds,more northeasterlywinds,andthepotentialfor longerdryspellsinwesternareas.

•Rainfallismostlikelytobebelownormalin thewestoftheSouthIsland,aboutequally likelytobenearnormalorabove normal inthenorthandeastoftheNorthIsland, andaboutequallylikelytobenearnormal orbelownormalinallotherregions. Occasionalsub-tropicallowsareexpected, elevatingtheriskforheavy raininthenorth andeastoftheNorthIsland.

•Thereis anincreasedriskforearly-season tropical cycloneactivityintheSouthwest PacificduringNovemberandDecember, howeveritisnotpossibletopredict where theymightformortrackmonthsinadvance. Thetropical cycloneoutlookwillbe releasedinOctober.

•Temperaturesare verylikelytobe warmer than averageintheNorthIslandandnorth andwestoftheSouthIsland,andmost likelytobe warmerthanaverageinthe eastoftheSouthIsland.Octobermayhave variabletemperaturesbefore amoremarked

riseinNovemberandDecember,along withanincreaseinhumidity.

•Coastalseasurfacetemperatures(SSTs) rangedfrom0.6˚Cto1.0˚Cabove average duringSeptemberwithmarineheatwave conditionscontinuingoffshoreofmany regions.Many climatemodelsshowan increaseinSSTanomalies(differencefrom average)duringtheOctober-December period.

•Soilmoisturelevelsandriverflowsare aboutequallylikelytobenearnormalor belownormalinallregionsexceptthe northandeastoftheNorthIsland, where theymaybehigherduetomorefrequent rainfallevents.

CentralNorthIsland, Taranaki, Whanganui,Manawatu, Wellington

Probabilitiesareassignedinthreecategories: above average, near average,andbelow average.

•Temperaturesareverylikelytobeabove average(70% chance).Morenortheasterly windsandmarineheatwaveconditions willresultinunseasonable warmthand humidityattimes.

•Rainfalltotalsareaboutequallylikelytobe nearnormal(40% chance)orbelow normal (35% chance). Fewerwesterlywindswill increasetheriskfordryspells.

•Soilmoisturelevelsandriverflowsare aboutequallylikelytobenearnormal(40% chance)orbelownormal(35% chance).

Thefullprobabilitybreakdownis:

TemperatureRainfallSoilmoisture

Above average70

Near average25

Belowaverage05

Gisborne,Hawke’sBay, Wairarapa

Probabilitiesareassignedinthree categories:above average,near average,andbelowaverage.

•Temperaturesare verylikelyto beabove average(65% chance).

Morenortheasterlywindsmaylead tohigherhumiditylevels,more cloudcover, and warmer overnight temperatures. Fewernorthwesterly windsmaylimitthenumberofhot days.

Thefullprobabilitybreakdownis:

•Rainfalltotalsareaboutequally likelytobenearnormal(40% chance)orabove normal(35% chance).Morefrequentonshore windscouldleadtomorewetdays. Sub-tropicallowpressuresystems willoccasionallytracktowardthe region,suchasduringthefirstand thirdweekofOctober,increasing theriskforheavy rain,particularlyin northernHawke’sBay andGisborne. •Soilmoisturelevelsandriverflows areaboutequallylikelytobenear normalorabove normal(40-45% chance).

Temperature RainfallSoilmoisture

Above average65

Near average30

Belowaverage05

45

40

15

CourtesyNIWA,niwa.co.nz

Alexander FarmingGeneticsLtd. Craig &TinaAlexander Buckland Road,RD2, Matamata Ph: (07)888 1703 •Mob: 021746646 email: calexander@outlook.co.nz

MaungaAwa Station

Farm Manager:GavinMutch Ph: (06) 2127540 email: maunga.awa.station@gmail.com

Marchant Farms Trust

Dimmock Road,RD1,Pokeno,Maramarua John &Jan Marchant: Ph: (09) 2325613 email: marchant.farms@farmside.co.nz Greg &AngelaMarchant: Mob: 0272815386 email: gregm@farmside.co.nz

GlenbrookLtd.

Adrian &JennySavannah Glenbrook,RD3 Kaukapakapa Ph: (09) 4276393 Mob: 0274816 599 email: info@glenbrookfarms.co.nz

BobSteed/Rhys &Helen Dackers

Kereru Station,136 Paradise Road, RD1 Tangiteroria Ph: (09) 4332616 •Mob: 0272415564 email: helsnz1@xtra.co.nzor kereru_station@xtra.co.nz

Paul Crick&DaynneAlmeida

1683 Longbush Road,RD4 Masterton5884 Mob: 0274504 085 •email: