NZDan
Member
- Location
- Broomfield, New Zealand
Looks like Yardstick has done very well in NZ at the weaning stage any ways.
Vorn Yardstick
- Thread starter NZDan
- Start date
Growth should not be an issue. Finish and confirmation at spec weight may be one, but then we don’t know what the ewes are like. It may just be a good knit.
NZDan
Member
- Location
- Broomfield, New Zealand
Ct scanning will show confirmation before very long.
NZDan
Member
- Location
- Broomfield, New Zealand
Well it looks like Yardstick has done well in NZ. 2nd ranked texel for growth and 2nd rank Texel or over all terminal figures. About average for meat, and about average for lamb survival.
dogandstick
Member
- Location
- on the horizon
So all that effort and expense importing the NZ variety was a waste then. The sheep to do the job already existed over here.
Always said there's more variety within than between breeds.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Not necessarily. I would always expect a UK Texel to beat a kiwi bred one on terminal traits, because that's what UK breeders have always selected for (more some than others). Maternally though, I would hope it would be the other way round, purely due to different selection pressure over there. It will be interesting when that ram has been over there long enough to have daughters contributing to a maternal index.....
Didn't @easyram1 post last year about using a Vorn Texel on some NZ Texels? Any results from that experiment yet?
dogandstick
Member
- Location
- on the horizon
Can you breed one to do both jobs (successfully) though? I'd imagine you might fall in between two stools.
NZDan
Member
- Location
- Broomfield, New Zealand
I've a TexelFinn ram who on figures is top 1% for Terminal worth and top 5% for maternal worth. BUT I believe the current maternal worth index puts to much value on growth and not enough value on adult size or survival.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
It depends what you call muscling traits I guess. If that includes hindquarters shape & fleshing, then no, I don’t believe you can. IMO just having the shape to produce E grade lambs is the opposite of what you want for lambing ease in a female.
I would also suggest that an animal that portions more of it’s energy to growing muscle, would likely partition less towards milk yield.
Isn’t that why we have maternal and terminal lines, whereas the kiwis tend to be Jack of all trades, master of none, from what I observe?
NZDan
Member
- Location
- Broomfield, New Zealand
How do I find an update of this? I think I have but the current figures are terrible, so maybe I'm in the wrong spot?
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
https://www.basco.org/sheep/animalmanager/animaldetails/id/10067666
That’s his BASCO link. Not that impressive compared to some tbh.
NZDan
Member
- Location
- Broomfield, New Zealand
He sure has come down some.
How do I get the sexy looking chart with all the coloured bars on it?
Crikey that is some drop on his index, he scored at 575 as a lamb.
Interestingly his CT Muscular score has dropped as well. Always thought that was an actual scan score or is it an ebv.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Muscularity is an ebv so, like other ebvs, is subject to change as more data from progeny and siblings becomes available and feeds into the system. That’s why anyone trying to fiddle things would get found out in the end, the ebvs get more and more accurate over time.
I hasten to add that I’m not suggesting for one minute that would be the case for this particular animal though.
NZDan
Member
- Location
- Broomfield, New Zealand
Just heard a report that John Vaughan has passed away from COVID, in the last month. Has anyone heard if this is correct?
- Location
- NE Derbyshire
Correct.
easyram1
Member
- Location
- North Shropshire
During this discussion our thoughts should be given to Yardstick's breeder, the late John Vaughan, who died from Covid just a month ago.
Tribute to farmer who championed Hereford cattle
By Charlotte Moreau @CharlieMoreauHTReporter
John Vaughan. Photo: Hereford Cattle Society
TRIBUTE has been paid to a champion of the Hereford cattle breed who died in hospital earlier this month.
Long-time Hereford cattle enthusiast T John Vaughan of Vorn Herefords in Bodenham had been due to celebrate his 78th birthday in January 2021, but was admitted to the Covid ward in Hereford County Hospital after feeling unwell in recent weeks, where he died on December 4, the Hereford Cattle Society said.
His family had a long association with the breeding of Hereford cattle, and came to great prominence during the 1970s and 80s, dominating shows, main-centre sales and highly successful on-farm events.
The genetics raised spread around the cattle-breeding world. John, supported by his parents Donald and Marjorie and other family members and helpers, was noted for the excellence of the presentation of their charges. But it was the subsequent success of the successive generations of breeding that still brings the herds of Moor and Vorn to significant prominence.
After spending some time farming in Western Australia, where other family members also reside, John returned to Bodenham and commenced breeding Texel sheep. He went about this task with similar verve, vigour and vision to that employed with the Herefords. As a result, his Vorn flock is noted for its sound commercial attributes and very much dominates the top performers within the breed.
However, as well as sheep farming, studying horse racing and offering opinions on many other facets of life, during recent years John spent many hours studying the path of the Hereford breed from before its existence to the present generations.
"Fortunately, John was satisfied he had completed his project before illness set-in and instructed the printers to produce his book, ‘The Hereford: the greatest breed on earth’, a large tome packed with facts, accounts and images. But more than most such works, this one certainly has the feel of being compiled by a true practitioner.
Details, events and characters are brought to life to celebrate this influential bovine race. As a history, it is packed with facts, challenged with opinion but all composed in such a way that from start to finish, it is a very entertaining read," a spokesperson for the Hereford Cattle Society said.
"Of all of John's lifelong activities and achievements of being a stockbreeder, an influencer, a character, this incredible account could easily be the area that most of all secures his place in history. Previously published works of John include Rampages, a sheep-based cartoon collection and Bovine Showbiz, a no-nonsense account of the work involved in raising cattle for sale and exhibition.
"Everyone who has a connection with Hereford cattle, livestock in general or his homeland county of Herefordshire and the Welsh border region, will find benefit from taking-in the current scribing of the author. Few people leave such a masterpiece. T John Vaughan certainly has."
Tribute to farmer who championed Hereford cattle
By Charlotte Moreau @CharlieMoreauHTReporter
John Vaughan. Photo: Hereford Cattle Society
TRIBUTE has been paid to a champion of the Hereford cattle breed who died in hospital earlier this month.
Long-time Hereford cattle enthusiast T John Vaughan of Vorn Herefords in Bodenham had been due to celebrate his 78th birthday in January 2021, but was admitted to the Covid ward in Hereford County Hospital after feeling unwell in recent weeks, where he died on December 4, the Hereford Cattle Society said.
His family had a long association with the breeding of Hereford cattle, and came to great prominence during the 1970s and 80s, dominating shows, main-centre sales and highly successful on-farm events.
The genetics raised spread around the cattle-breeding world. John, supported by his parents Donald and Marjorie and other family members and helpers, was noted for the excellence of the presentation of their charges. But it was the subsequent success of the successive generations of breeding that still brings the herds of Moor and Vorn to significant prominence.
After spending some time farming in Western Australia, where other family members also reside, John returned to Bodenham and commenced breeding Texel sheep. He went about this task with similar verve, vigour and vision to that employed with the Herefords. As a result, his Vorn flock is noted for its sound commercial attributes and very much dominates the top performers within the breed.
However, as well as sheep farming, studying horse racing and offering opinions on many other facets of life, during recent years John spent many hours studying the path of the Hereford breed from before its existence to the present generations.
"Fortunately, John was satisfied he had completed his project before illness set-in and instructed the printers to produce his book, ‘The Hereford: the greatest breed on earth’, a large tome packed with facts, accounts and images. But more than most such works, this one certainly has the feel of being compiled by a true practitioner.
Details, events and characters are brought to life to celebrate this influential bovine race. As a history, it is packed with facts, challenged with opinion but all composed in such a way that from start to finish, it is a very entertaining read," a spokesperson for the Hereford Cattle Society said.
"Of all of John's lifelong activities and achievements of being a stockbreeder, an influencer, a character, this incredible account could easily be the area that most of all secures his place in history. Previously published works of John include Rampages, a sheep-based cartoon collection and Bovine Showbiz, a no-nonsense account of the work involved in raising cattle for sale and exhibition.
"Everyone who has a connection with Hereford cattle, livestock in general or his homeland county of Herefordshire and the Welsh border region, will find benefit from taking-in the current scribing of the author. Few people leave such a masterpiece. T John Vaughan certainly has."
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Whatever anyone may think of his sheep, he was certainly a character, as anyone who has met him will remember. RIP.
JD-Kid
Member
- Location
- Akaroa.. New Zealand
can't sell dead lambs and think adult size is a bit of a crock like BMI just maths not taking in to efect of alot of factors a skinny small person can eat more than a big fella