The Modern Southdown

Future Direction Of The Southdown

On Wednesday 26th May the Central Southdown Breeders Club met at Colin and Liz Smith’s Bankhead property for a field day to discuss future trends within the Southdown breed. Chris Medlicott, Club Chairman, led the discussion, endeavouring to involve all breeders in having input to help guide future direction.

Yield Grading

Colin Smith set the ball rolling in front of the members with an example of his stud sires, which clearly showed the direction he was heading. They were a great example of meaty sheep, which he had proved through his own commercial operation of lamb finishing, were providing lambs ideal for the trade and his flock was at the right stage of development to take advantage of yield grading.

Colin then moved to the ram lambs where he picked out two excellent examples of different types. One ram lamb exemplified his type in the early 90s and the other where he wants to be today. Both lambs were of similar weight and EMA but the more compact animal would have yielded more meat, having a better hindquarter, and therefore returned more money to the commercial farmer in the future yield grading. An Alliance drafter from Nelson added further weight to this argument, saying their company had just been through a similar exercise in Timaru where three 17 ½ kilo lambs were yield tested with the meat converted to monetary value. The best lamb yielded $129, while the worst just over $100. A very conclusive argument for breeding the right type of sheep!

Know Your Industry

The next person to have an input was Bill Medlicott, a retired breeder, who spoke about knowing your industry, and putting a ruler over yourself and your sheep when it came to marketing flock rams. He emphasized the importance of taking and making opportunities to learn as much as possible about the meat industry. Meat graders are a great source of knowledge about direction and producing the right type. Having the right type when yield grading arrives is all about making more money for clients. Lamb drafters can be very helpful if you have the right product. They are trained to know. Younger farmers today are very performance focussed. Get alongside them and make sure you supply a product that will improve their performance.

Find out whether your rams are performing satisfactorily in all aspects: longevity, maintenance, soundness and their progeny are making more money faster. Having your own commercial lamb finishing operation is a huge advantage. Testing yourself will help ascertain that your animals will be doing the best possible for your clients. Gaining clients’ respect is about knowing your industry and helping develop the client’s operation; a partnership of goals and achievements.

The greatest satisfaction from breeding sheep comes from producing a top line of flock rams that are heavily sought after because they are what the meat industry wants.

Don’t Forget The Ewe

Observing an 11 year old ewe of the Smiths with a group of her daughters gave David Wyllie, an ex Southdown breeder, the opportunity to talk about a very important aspect of breeding that many people place very little emphasis on. The character and femininity this old ewe displayed in her head was also evident in her progeny. He also told the Club members of the importance of the ewe lines in a pedigree, and how much influence it has on all offspring. As a great advocate for recording a lot of information about animals, he also gave a plug for SIL in what it does for recording information on ewes. To identify the real performers in the flock, David talked about different aspects of outcrossing bloodlines, line breeding and the dislike of inbreeding. He emphasised the importance of studying the ewe lines thoroughly when contemplating outcrossing bloodlines.

David also emphasised the importance of knowing your industry and breeding the sheep the industry wants, and that yield grading can’t come soon enough. He also talked of all the tools such as scales, scanners, and recording systems available today. They should be used as an aid in conjunction with eye appraisal and always kept in balance.

Conclusion

The Chairman Chris Medlicott concluded the field day by thanking all participants and remarking that we were lucky as a breed having retired breeders prepared to offer their constructive ideas and experiences to present day breeders.

Southdown tops ram fair

14 January 2005
TIM CRONSHAW
©The Press

A world-record price paid for a southdown ram set the tone at the three-day Canterbury Stud Ram and Ewe Fair.

Bidding overshadowed last year's averages and top prices in many of the breed categories at the sale with the record $16,000 yesterday a highlight.

A consortium of Todd and Fleur Anderson, of Winton, and Peter and Audrey Campbell, of Otautau, bought the ram hogget from Waimate's Tasvic Family Trust.

The trust's stud manager, Chris Medlicott, had hoped that the ram might top the bidding but was not expecting the record.He said the animal was probably the best sheep he had produced for muscle structure. "I rate him as an exceptionally good sheep for what the meat industry needs. He's lean with heaps of meat on the joints of most value and I'm just rapt that other breeders could see the value in him too."

Medlicott combined with the trust to return some of the money, paying $8000 for a ram owned by the Andersons. Rural Livestock was the agent.

Buyers were out in force at the sale at Canterbury Agricultural Park, in Christchurch, which ends today with hundreds of top-quality rams and ewes going under the hammer. The average price of $2131 for southdowns was up on last year's $869 as were average sales for texel and hampshire stud rams.The $5000 paid yesterday for a dorset down, sold by the Smith family of Rangiora, failed to come near to last year's overall high of $15,800. Bidding rose to $13,500 for a texel sold by the Blackdale Stud from Riverton, bettering the top price of $12,200 last year.A suffolk ram sold for $8000 by the Lindsay family was the highest bid on the opening day.

Wednesday's results

South suffolk rams

Sales included: Brown JA & NG $1200; Chamberlain JP & LB $1000 and $1200; Currie RN $1000; Don Maclean & Co Ltd $1000 and $1000; Hampton PJ & CJ $3200; King H, J & E $800 and $2000; King MJ $3500 and $3500; Lawrence M & S $1000; McCall, AT $4600, $1000 and $1000; McIntyre JH & JM $3700, $2000 and $800; Pine Grove Studs $1000 and $800; Prouting AJ & CH & SJ $1500, $1000 and $1700; Sinclair SJ $1000; Somerville DG $2000 and $1100; Spriggs SJ & JR $3600 and $800; Spring Creek Stud $2000, $1000, $1000 and $2000; Vanstone HC $2100, $800 and $1200.

Total $58,100, average $1263, passed 11, withdrawn 1, sold 35.

Poll dorset rams

Sales included: Bennett DR $800 and $800; Boon SM & Son $1000, $7000, $800 and $1800; Brown DA & JM $1000; Cameron DE $800, $1000, $2700 and $1000; Donald GS $1800; Donald JE & JL $2500 and $1300; Greenwood NC & DM $6000, $6000, $3000, $1600, $3000 and $1000; Hampton PJ & CJ $2000; Holland AS, AE & SEJ $800; Martin DH $1000 and $900; McIlraith A $6200, $2500, $800, $900 and $800; Poll Dorset Windemere Farm Ltd $3500, $2000, $2000, $2000 and $1000; Prouting SJ $800, $2500 and $800; Smith Matt $1500;

Total $76,900, average $1709, sold 38, passed 7, withdrawn 1.

Suffolk rams

Sales included: Abbott GCG & DM $1500, $2100, $1600, $1200 and $2200; Adams AW & JH $2000, $1000, $800 and $2000; Beckett GD $3700 and $2300; Boag Peter $2000; Boon SM & Son $1000 and $800; Brown DA & JM $1000, $1000 and $1500; Carr NL & GM $2100 and $1000; Hampton PJ & CJ $1700 and $2700; Lindsay AR & J $8000, $4900 and $2000; McIlraith A $800; Miles JT $4400, $1700, $1700, $1000 and $2900; Miller MG & AM $4300, $1600; Pine Grove Stud $2600 and $1000; Ross E $3400 and $800; Seaton RW & LE $3800, $1000, $1000 and $1000; Telfer GE & DR $4300 and $1600.

Total $89,000, average $1780, sold 42, passed 8, withdrawn 4.

Thursday's results

Texel rams

Sales included: McLeod A&K $4500; Laing AP&AE $1700, $2000, $1500, $2000, $800; Blackdale Stud $5200, $13,500 and $6000; Barker JT&J $1000, $1600, $700, $1000; Deans DC&LU $1000; Donald GS $2200 and $1000; Fairburn Texel Stud $1200; Shipley KR&HK $1000, $1500, $1200, $1000; Reed HA&EJ $1500; Gardyne RJ&RA $3000; Tuahiwi P/ship $1000; Cardash Texels $1000.

Total $58,100, average $1936, sold 25, passed 5, withdrawn 1.

Hampshire rams (national sale)

Sales included: Ridgen OG&KEE $2400, $1200 and $2500; Charlesworth P $800; $800 and $2300.

Total $10,000, average $1111, sold 6, passed 3, withdrawn 4.

Southdown rams

Sales included: Christey LA&LJ $1300, $1100; D Maclean & Co $800; Macaulay JJ $3500, $1000; Medlicott CJ $1100, $4500, $1000; Moorhead NJ $1000; Robertson BA&SC $1000, $1900, $1000, $1000, $1000; Smith CD&EM $2400, $7500, $4100; TR Anderson Trust $8000, $2000; Tasvic Family Trust $1700, $4800, $16,000; Williams YC&IKE $1300, $1600, $1000; Willowhaugh Enterprises $4500, $2000, $1000 and $4000.

Total $83,100, average $2131, sold 29, passed 10 and withdrawn 2.

Southdown ewes

Sales included: Tasvic Family Trust $500, $700 and $225; Medlicott CJ $250, $250, $900 and $225; Christey LA&LJ $225, $225 and $225; Willowhaugh Enterprises $425, $250, $425, $400, $475, $550.

Total $6250, av $329, sold 16, p 3, wd 1.

Dorset down rams

Sales included: Busch AD&CA $1000, $2600; Caird IA $1000; Dodd JP&WN $3000, $2600; Duncan JDS $2500, $3500; Fletcher Bros $1200; Jebson JR $1600; Lang HL $2000, $1000, $2000; Letham GJ&SJ $1000; Masefield RV $1000, $2700, $2600, $1000; Mckenzie MN&SH $2300, $2200, $2000; Miles JT $4700, $2500; Scotsburn Farm $1700; Smith CD&EM $5000; Stevenson ID&PE $3000; Stokes Bros $1000, $2500; Thwaites EG $2200.

Total $61,400, average $1462, sold 28, passed 14, withdrawn 11.

Southdown Success 10 January 2003
©The Press By HOWARD KEENE

This southdown ram from the Waimate stud of Chris Medlicott, left, fetched top price of $13,200 at the Canterbury Stud Ram and Ewe Fair. The buyer was Todd Anderson, centre. At left is Pyne Gould Guinness stud stock agent Roger Keach.

Southdowns are the toast of this year's Canterbury Stud Ram and Ewe Fair. The top southdown ram from Chris Medlicott's Waimate stud sold for $13,200, believed to be a world record for the breed. "It's a very good sheep, but I didn't expect to get that sort of money," Mr Medlicott said. It was sold to 29-year-old Todd Anderson, who has just started his Tralee Downs Southdown Stud near Invercargill. Last year the top price was paid for a suffolk, and the year before for a poll dorset. The top-end prices paid for the meat breed sires were generally up at this year's fair, which is organised by the Canterbury A & P Association. The fair continues today. Pyne Gould Guinness stud stock agent Roger Keach said buyers had picked out the top animals and had been prepared to pay good prices. SOUTHDOWN (24 sold, average $2491) C Medlicott (Waimate) 1 at $13,200; D Maclean (Omakau) 1 at $4000; W Medlicott (Waimate) 1 at $3500, 1 at $3000, 1 at $2400; C & E Smith (Rangiora) 1 at $3200, 1 at $2700, 1 at $2600; J Macaulay (Timaru) 1 at $3000, 1 at $1000; Y & I Williams (Pleasant Pt) 1 at $3000; I & C Jordan (Blenheim) 1 at $2000, 1 at $1400, 1 at $1000; T & B Lamont (Ashburton) 1 at $2000, 1 at $1100; P Campbell (Otautau) 1 at $1700; F Fletcher (Tapanui) 1 at $1500; B & S Robertson (Gore) 2 at $1000; L & L Christey (Leeston) 1 at $1000; D & S Wyllie (Ashburton) 1 at $1000; W & N Moorhead (Leeston) 1 at $1000.

Ram Sale Review

Excerpt from The Straight Furrow February 12 2003

By Lyn McKinnon
At the Canterbury Agricultural Park , a magnificent seven helped to lift spirits and boost the coffers at the January 2003 Canterbury Stud Ram and Ewe Fair.
Topping the list was a Southdown ram bred by Chris Medlicott, Waimate, which was sold to Todd Anderson, Tralee Downs, Invercargill, for $13,200, believed to be a world record for the breed.
Southdown is a good breed to be in at present, says Mr Medlicott. He has a long history with Southdowns after setting up his own Tasvic Stud, when just 15 years of age.
That came about when friends from Australia, visiting his father Bill’s Clifton Downs Stud in Waimate, decided to set the youngster up with a ewe from the Punchbowl dispersal sale.
Since then, the Southdown has powered back into the commercial scene as hogget mating became more common.
As farmers recognized the breed’s attributes in easy lambing and good growth rate, they have moved to Southdowns as an excellent terminal sire over the rest of the flock, says Mr Medlicott.
Before this year’s sales, the Medlicott’s highest price was $7000 for a ram sold on a half share so that they could retain use.
The Clifton Downs bloodlines from Bill Medlicott’s stud have proved tremendous.
A top-line ram Clifton Downs 205 has been prominent, conferring excellent meat content in the loin and hindquarter, and the Tasvic Downs dam 45/96 left a ram sold for a $6200 half-share and another ram used in yield trials with Alliance.
Another ram from the same maternal bloodlines was sold for $4400 to the North Island, where it went on to become the Supreme Champion Mutton Breed sheep at the Royal show in Palmerston North.
This all confirms a renaissance after Southdowns went through a lull, but so many farmers are now using them successfully that Mr Medlicott sees a positive future for the breed.
“During the past two years we have seen another 15 flocks added to the stud list and a number of young and enthusiastic people have joined the list of breeders.”

Record price for sheep
20 January 2004
By LINDSAY MUTCH

A world record last year and a New Zealand record last week – Chris Medlicott's southdowns keep proving their worth.

At Friday's Canterbury ram and ewe fair in Christchurch, the ewe "Clifton Downs 2245" set a national record of $2600. Mr Medlicott, of Hook, was not worried about losing top genetics from his flock – the ewe in question was a twin and he thinks the one he kept is better.

"She was twin sister to the best ewe in my flock," he said of the record-setter.

"I've still got the genetics with the one I've kept and decided to sell the other at auction and see what would happen."

In January 2003 a southdown ram offered by Mr Medlicott set a breed world record at the Canterbury sale making $13,200.

Mr Medlicott said the top earning ewe from Friday's sale was extremely well muscled and came from a good genetic family.

"It could take you decades to breed sheep of that standard. It's one way to get a lot of good quality stock from her offspring."

Progressing the Breeds

New sheep marshal at Waimate A and P Show brings objective measuring style
Excerpt from The Timaru Herald Farm Review 20 November 2002

By Lindsay Mutch

Talk to Chris Medlicott and words like progressive, efficiency and forward thinking sprinkle the conversation. The prominent southdown breeder, from Hook, has been appointed the new sheep marshal at this week's Waimate A and P Show. Sheep entries are up 25 per cent, but he doesn't take credit for that, putting it down to renewed interest in sheep and people moving into the area with stud sheep. Mr Medlicott said a lot of thanks had to go to the sheep section's organising committee, ``but I wouldn't have taken it on unless I was going to give it my best shot''.

The Medlicott family has farmed around South Canterbury for five generations. Mr Medlicott grew up on the family farm, then worked on various farms in the region and in Australia before returning to start out on his own account. He leased a property to build up stock and equipment, then bought into the family operation.
He and his fatherBill, now run two southdown studs and a romney stud. Medlicotts’ southdowns have been topping New Zealand sales for the last seven or eight years.
His most significant recent accomplishment was breeding the Tasman Downs southdown that won the mutton-bred supreme champion award at the Royal New Zealand Show at Palmerston North this month.
The family farm is 230 hectares at Hook, with a further 200 hectares grazing at Hunter. The Medlicotts grow 100 hectares of cereal grains (wheat and barley), and have 1000 commercial ewes as well.
Mr Medlicott brings in 3000 to 5000 lambs a year to fatten. ``Lamb fattening is a big part of the operation, so we work on efficiency,'' he said.
``We put a lot of emphasis on planting new grass and brassica types to get maximum growth rate out of the pastures. But also, to get that, you need animals with superior genetic capabilities.'' Which has also led to a greater involvement in A and P shows.
The Waimate show, for example, has introduced an objective measuring class for mutton-bred lambs. The rams are in pairs and a commercial drafter is used to assess loins and hindquarters. Ultrasound scanning is also used to measure the eye muscle area (EMA), something he considers has been a breakthrough for breeders. All are assessed on a points system – giving the objective measurement. However a breed judge also checks the animals are structurally sound.
``It's a balanced approach, rather than just a judge giving his opinion,'' Mr Medlicott said. ``I have been measuring 100 and 200 day rates for a long time. But with ultrasound scanning we have seen significant increases in production on a per animal basis. Though you have to look at the picture overall, not go off too much on a tangent.''
Mr Medlicott recalled two decades ago a good conditioned ram might reach 100kg. Now they reach 150kg without carrying excess fat. ``I think we've got our sheep big enough,'' he said, ``The breed I'm involved with is a very efficient converter.''
He considers the New Zealand sheep industry has made impressive progress in recent years. But improvement still came down to what the animals feed on and how they covert it. ``To survive on the world scene it will be our efficiency that will make us competitive,'' he said.
While lamb was selling well internationally now it was the efficiency of the industry that would determine its ongoing viability.
Mr Medlicott is an advocate of performance recording for objective measurement, ``but to breed progressive animals you need the extra knowledge of what a top animal should look like''.
This was a talent that should be encouraged in the industry, he said. ``At the end of the day you still need the people who can put things into practice.''

South's Stud Flocks Impress
Excerpt from The Southland Times 08 June 2002

By JOHN CUTT

Southdown breeders from throughout the country were impressed by the high standard of southern stud flocks inspected during a tour of Otago and Southland this week.

Southland Southdown Breeders' Club chairman John McWilliam, of Quarry Hills, said the tour had included about 40 people and two visitors from Australia who had visited 17 studs in Central, West and South Otago and Southland.

The party had travelled more than 800km and as well as making stud visits had also been able to take in some tourist attractions including Peggydale, near Balclutha, the Tuapeka punt, a winery near Alexandra, Bill Richardson's truck museum in Invercargill and the Tiwai smelter.

Southdown Society national president David Signal, of Feilding, described the stock that southern breeders had displayed as excellent and all had been well presented.

He and the other tour members had been impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of southern breeders, he said.

The society held regional tours every two years in a different part of the country, he said.

"The breed is in exceptionally strong hands nationally and that has been confirmed by what we have seen in Southland. There has been a big resurgence in interest in the Southdown breed and demand (for rams) exceeds supply."

The society had 80 registered flocks and 13 new breeders had registered in the past year, Mr Signal said.

Canterbury breeder Bill Medlicott was a key speaker when the tour ended at the Invercargill showgrounds yesterday. He congratulated the southern breeders who had put their flocks up for inspection "warts and all."

He urged breeders to breed only from top ewes. If they did that, their flocks would go from strength to strength, he said.

Mr Medlicott also stressed the importance of continually searching for knowledge and seeking ways to improve breeding sheep best suited for the export meat industry.

Compared to 40 years ago, the modern Southdown was a longer, larger-framed animal that produced early-maturing, lean, high meat-yielding lambs.

It was important ram breeders developed a close rapport with their ram buyers to ensure their rams were performing well in commercial flocks, he said.

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"Local ram breeders share top-price honours"
The headline in the Timaru Herald Farm Review 29/1/02 written by Lindsay Mutch (rural editor)

Two South Canterbury breeders recently shared the top-price honours at the Canterbury Stud Ram and Ewe Fair in Christchurch.

It was great news for Brent Macaulay's fledgling Maclaka southdown stud, near Pleasant Point - the first ram he ever offered for sale fetched $4000 when bought by Robyn and Jim Bradley of Dannevirke.

But it was not a new experience for Chris Medlicott (Tasvic Downs), who impressively topped the sale for the seventh year in a row, when one of his rams sold to Wattie Gray, of Manawatu.

It was a day where South Canterbury breeders claimed four of the top five prices, with Chris's father Bill Medlicott (Clifton Downs) getting third with a $3500 sale and Brent's father John Macaulay (Tahrua Stud) fifth with $2700.

For Brent the sale was vindication for his sideline business of ultrasound scanning, which covers not just pregnancy but also back-fat and eye muscle.

He was able to incorporate the scanning into his and his father's studs, identifying top rams. Decisions on selecting rams can be based on scanning data.

Brent said the younger generation of farmers are very astute when it comes to figures and new technology, which they use as an extra selling and management tool.
"If the technology's there, then we have got to be using it," he said.

Brent is a third generation southdown breeder. John's father, Jim, started a southdown stud in 1941 with his brother Malcolm. John started his own stud in 1961 and later incorporated his father's operation. Brent began his in 1985.

There are about 150 ewes between Brent and John's studs, and they sell 50 to 60 rams a year. Their dozen or so clients, to mid-December, sold more than $1 million worth of new season lambs, John said. He retired late last year from nearly two decades of managing Bluecliffs Station.

John said the advantage of southdowns was they mature early and have excellent growth rates. Last season they ended up with 130 per cent lambs off the mothers, and by December 4 - at an average age of 12 weeks - the lambs were sold at 16kg, netting $80 each.
"I thought that was pretty good," John said, "and that's what southdowns can do."

Unfortunately the breed still carries an unfounded stigma from the 1960s that they carry too much fat. Breeders have since been carefully breeding them leaner and improving their muscle.

Meanwhile, Chris Medlicott runs his southdown flock with his father's, giving a combined 240 ewes expected to go to the rams next season.

He said breeding to a pedigree background and breeding to what the market requires were the keys to continued success.

"It's understanding the bloodlines needed to improve people's flocks.
The southdown breed is really having a good time at the moment, people are wanting lambs that will grade well. But it is very difficult to source rams commercially because demand is outstripping supply, basically.
There has been a big swing to terminal sires, and farmers were starting to realise the value of the southdown breed," he said.
"I would like to see more young, enthusiastic farmers starting southdown studs and getting involved. That's the strength, young breeders. It's great to see Brent, a young breeder , getting involved."

His concerns were shared by Brent and John Macaulay.

"Our biggest concern at present is that we have almost lost a generation of potential farmers," John said.

Through the 1970s and 1980s farmers were discouraging their children from becoming farmers, instructing them to get a degree and find a different profession, he said.

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Lamb Finishing Operation Where Excellence Is the Goal.

As reported in 'The Sheep Farmer' by Chris Medlicott 2001

With a passion for producing lambs that achieve superior grading qualities, and top prices for top cuts, Chris Medlicott believes there are Romneys that have this ability. This takes into account their ability to have exceptional growth rates when it matters, and the ability to hang on with limited feed when they have to be taken through the carry-over periods.

The number one priority in making the operation successful is managing and providing feed growth at the right time to get the lambs to the works on the day they have indicated, or signed to, irrespective of climatic conditions. An important factor is that the lambs are well bred so that when finished you will receive a premium for optimum grading. The breeders of the lambs purchased form an integral part of the whole operation, so that they and the lamb finishers mutually benefit from the exercise. Purchases range from 2700 to 3600 per annum.

The Ram breeder of each individual mob of lambs purchased has more bearing on the final results than some people may expect. If the Ram breeder is not being progressive in breeding the conformation desired to get good end results, then it generally shows through in the progeny we're dealing with. Some individual ram breeders have made tremendous improvement in growth rate, muscling content, do ability, or just straight out conversion rates. Lambs have been bought in the last three to four years that have looked the "Bee's knees" at purchase date and let us down badly due to a weakness in the loin. We require lambs with good length and size but most importantly; to have strength of meat in the loin and hindquarter. A decade ago the Romney chased the size and in some cases at the expense of muscle development, especially of the loin. We feel there has been a lot of improvement made in this area. When the feed management situation demands a winter maintenance program that carries them through to take advantage of the spring flush, present day lambs have become more efficient and can cope better with maintenance rations. Some years ago the lambs had to be fed above maintenance to maintain condition.

Chris in partnership with his father Bill, farm 230 hectares (220 effective); and grow 100-hectares of cereals, which includes feed wheat, milling wheat, and feed barley. Fifty hectares of brassicas, 70 hectares of short rotation pastures, and sow 75 hectares of new grass after cereals each year with 68% of that being annual grass. We also graze a breeding unit 20km from home where there is generally better summer growth for maintaining ewes, and 40 hectares of brassicas and new grass which is used to finish our own homebred lambs. It is also used to feed 1800 lambs for eight weeks which are purchased in February and to keep a re-grassing program going.

Stock Numbers

? 150 Romney Stud Ewes

? 950 Commercial Ewes (all run on the breeding unit)

? 200 Southdown Stud Ewes

? 150 Stud Ewe Hoggets

? 150 Commercial Ewe Hoggets

? 50 Killers

The breeding program adopted in our Southdown stud is influenced by the Objective Measurement Class run by the Southdown Sheep Society at the Royal Show for the last 15 years. Some of the primary aspects of this class consider growth rate, eye muscle size, and fat cover (determined by a scanner). Assessment is made of carcase shape with emphasis on the loin and hindquarters, and structural soundness is also a consideration. We use these criteria for our ram selection in endeavouring to produce the type of lamb required by the chilled export market which in combination with the ideal shape of the Romney ewe produces what we believe is a superior product.

Our own flock of commercial Romney ewes, which are mated to a Southdown ram, start to lamb in mid-September. These lambs are contracted to Canterbury Meatpackers under a special Waitrose summer contract delivered in December through to February. These lambs average 17kg with 85-90% falling into the Y grade. This contract specifically rewards Y grade lambs falling between 15 - 20kg.

In March 600 Romney trading lambs are killed for contract at 18kg average and 300 killed for the NZ Lamb Company at 21kg average. All the Romneys are shorn to get the shearing premium and the additional wool helps keep margins on target. These lambs are purchased in December and shorn into the works. With the 1800 lambs purchased in February the bottom 1200 are shorn in February and the top 600 are not shorn until the end of May and killed in July. They have less than eight weeks wool growth but still receive the shearing premium. More lambs (about 900) are purchased late March-early April, weather and feed permitting. Starting mid-July 450 lambs at 50kg average (killed at 22.5kg) are sold to Richmond Meats every 28 days for five unit-loads and the balance of 450 go to Canterbury Meatpackers at 19.5kg average.

The important part of making this exercise work is the uniformity of these pure bred lambs which allows them all to fit into correct weight and grade criteria and so resulting in no 'Dead Wood'.

Chris Medlicott