NZ Romney rams

[Fencer90]

Of the main NZ Romney ram breeders, which one's rams have you knowledgeable bunch got on well with? Is there a particular one you would recommend?

I hear very good things about High country Romneys, any one brought rams off them?

Many thanks

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

You live the closest to the best ones!
High Country are too small and have too many lambs.

 

[Fencer90]

You live the closest to the best ones!
High Country are too small and have too many lambs.

It's funny, locally you hear that high country Romneys are the best ones.

 

[Fencer90]

You live the closest to the best ones!
High Country are too small and have too many lambs.

Have you used any of their rams frank? High country Romney or wairere?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

You live the closest to the best ones!
High Country are too small and have too many lambs.

Depends what you want.
They are not as prolific as they once were. I was told by someone who bought from them years ago well over 200%. But I've had a couple off them and I scan nearer 170% (cross breeding admittedly).
As for size they'll happily leave a 70 kg ewe - how big do you want it ? Certainly they weigh well for their size.
Chantlers have been breeding for worm resistance for many years too.
Last well too.
My criticism would have been dirty backsides but I think recent ram imports have sought to address this.


I have 1 Wairere ram and he's a good ram too, though a little wild.

I wouldn't be afraid of buying from either breeder.

 

[Tim W]

I looked after a flock for the winter which included a Wairere ram lamb ---he survived my shepherding which is an achievement by any standards
Another near-ish farmer swears by his High Country stock -----and he does seem to have smaller ewes (good thing in my opinion)

 

[easyram1]

People may well be interested to know that the High Country flock was based for very many years on bloodlines exclusively imported from Global Ovine ( until he sold his flock ), who was a very great friend of the late Richard Chantler.

 

[Fencer90]

Depends what you want.
They are not as prolific as they once were. I was told by someone who bought from them years ago well over 200%. But I've had a couple off them and I scan nearer 170% (cross breeding admittedly).
As for size they'll happily leave a 70 kg ewe - how big do you want it ? Certainly they weigh well for their size.
Chantlers have been breeding for worm for worm resistance for many years too.
Last well too.
My criticism would have been dirty backsides but I think recent ram imports have sought to address this.


I have 1 Wairere ram and he's a good ram too, though a little wild.

I wouldn't be afraid of buying from either breeder.

Thanks for the reply
I have heard of people doing 200% with them.
70kg is plenty big enough for me.
How do you find the growth rates compare between the two?

 

[Fencer90]

People may well be interested to know that the High Country flock was based for very many years on bloodlines exclusively imported from Global Ovine ( until he sold his flock ), who was a very great friend of the late Richard Chantler.

Would I be right in saying that original rams brought over were of Turanganui breeding?

 

[easyram1]

Sorry cant help on that. I recall Richard telling me that GO was his very first scanning client in NZ many ? 35yrs ago. I think that the way that Penny and her sons have carried on the business after Richards untimely and sudden death has been really good and I assume that sales must be going very well as they are now expanding big time.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Have you used any of their rams frank? High country Romney or wairere?

I have bought ewes that were from High Country and they had too many lambs. However it sounds as if that problem may have reduced.
For growth rates and survivability the Waiere is in my opinion better and the genetics are more up to date.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Thanks for the reply
I have heard of people doing 200% with them.
70kg is plenty big enough for me.
How do you find the growth rates compare between the two?

Haven't noticed much difference but I have to be honest and say I haven't done proper comparisons. Because I cross breed I don't have to worry so much about which sires have served which ewes.

 

[neilo]

Surely selection for prolificacy and growth rates is simply done in both flocks, as they both record with SIL IIRC. Use the ebvs rather than just look at the sheep.

I suspect there would be sheep of high & low prolificacy in both flocks, the same with growth rates and a lot of other traits.

 

[W Sawday]

Hi! I farm with my mum- Penny and my brother-Sam and we run High Country Romneys.

Our average ewe weight pre tupping this year was 64 kg with a very small deviation from this figure. Our scanning percentage this year was 185 and this has been consistent now for quite some time. Admittedly, in the earlier days we had some quite prolific sheep. Thankfully we pulled it back a while ago to comfortable level.

In terms of genetics we have imported from multiple sources and from whoever we feel is doing the right job that fits our genetic vision. As mentioned, Go's flock was a flock we sourced a lot of genetics from. Most recent source was Orari Gorge station. A cracking flock with very high performing sheep.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bill dog]

Fairly sure Orari Gorge was one of the farms visited on the Pgg Wrightson stud tour by Tony Glynn . I saw it on u tube. Hell of a set up!!

 

[W Sawday]

That's the one. It's a great video.

 

[Global ovine]

The last consignment from my Awareka flock (now owned by Andrew Tripp, "Nithdale" since 2008) was from 4 rams sent in 2007. The largest single ram consignment was 2 years earlier from the only maternal ram on SIL ever to be in the top 1% for No. of Lambs Born (proven by daughters' lambing performance) and top 1% for Lamb Survival (over 600 lambing records). I was naturally thrilled by these figures as they built up in successive years, as I originally used him based on his impressive eBVs for Growth and Resistance to Worms. He grew into the most impressive ram I bred. Richard Chantler wanted as many straws as he could get. Fortunately this was before the EU importation rules were taken up by the UK that now limit imports to only ARR ARR genotypes. This ruling now makes it difficult to source elite genetics as ARR ARR are few and far between in all breeds in NZ.
Over the years there has been an exchange of proven sires between Orari Gorge and Nithdale (as ownership is closely related too).

 

[Fencer90]

Hi! I farm with my mum- Penny and my brother-Sam and we run High Country Romneys.

Our average ewe weight pre tupping this year was 64 kg with a very small deviation from this figure. Our scanning percentage this year was 185 and this has been consistent now for quite some time. Admittedly, in the earlier days we had some quite prolific sheep. Thankfully we pulled it back a while ago to comfortable level.

In terms of genetics we have imported from multiple sources and from whoever we feel is doing the right job that fits our genetic vision. As mentioned, Go's flock was a flock we sourced a lot of genetics from. Most recent source was Orari Gorge station. A cracking flock with very high performing sheep.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info! It's funny you should say that, I have recently been fencing on Orari gorge station. It's impressive what Rob and his team have been doing there. I will have to find the video.