More good news stories for sheep with the Perendale breeders using a national sire trial to identify traits for lamb growth, yield, meat value and eating quality.
Good practical trials such as this do so much more than judging sheep in "shows" to identify animals that add value to the bottom line.
Lack of supply has given sheep farmers a much needed opportunity of much improved values and it will be up to all in the industry to ensure these prices remain strong.
Saleyard prices are reflecting the shortage of sheep and record prices are being seen for quality animals.
Competing land use is pushing sheep further back in to the hills but Perendale breeders are responding by ensuring their sheep remain relevant reports The ODT.They are one year into a three-year national sire trial, using 12 rams from breeders throughout NZ which are mated to commercial Perendale ewes on Mike McElrea's West Otago farm. Trial chairman David Ruddenklau, of Oamaru, said the trial would identify rams that had superior traits for lamb growth, yield, meat value and eating quality, but he doubted one sire would have all those attributes.The trial was designed to be relevant to the commercial sheep industry, selecting stock that could handle hill country.
"This isn't a trial about identifying the best Perendale stud in New Zealand, it's about identifying rams with those superior traits for the benefit of not only the Perendale breed, but the New Zealand industry. Trial rams were independently selected based on data collected by Sheep Improvement Ltd and then owners were invited to submit the ram. The 12 selected rams were then taken to Mr McElrea's Gowan Braes farm at Edievale in West Otago for single-sire mating to his commercial Perendale ewe flock.
Lamb carcasses will be tested for yield and eating quality which will be added to information on growth. Alliance Group livestock manager Murray Behrent told the field day that the meat quality testing included colour stability, tenderness and pH levels, and its eating quality looked at aroma, texture, flavour and succulence. A concern of meat companies was that meat quality might suffer with fast-growing, high-yielding lambs, as had happened with pigs and cattle, and while it was not yet an issue in lamb, it was something Alliance was monitoring. Mr Behrent said ram breeders had done an excellent job of putting more weight into the loin and less on shoulders, as loins were twice the value of legs, which in turn were twice the value of shoulders.
And the increase in returns for sheep is flowing over into the sale yards as these reports indicate.
Farmers gave their chequebooks a good airing as 20,000 sheep went under the hammer for record prices at the Hawarden ewe fair yesterday reports Stuff. Bidding rose as high as $192 for the best two-tooth ewes with average sales at $160 to $165 – up $30 from last year – and older breeding ewes making as much as $180.
In a day of records, the biggest turnout of 1000 onlookers came to watch making it difficult for auctioneers to navigate between pens."There was supposed to be about 20,000 ewes and that's the biggest yarding we have seen at Hawarden for a while and it was the biggest gallery I have ever seen," said PGG Wrightson livestock representative Fred Fowler.The yarding was boosted with corriedale, romney and generally finer woolled sheep.
Bidding reached higher levels at the Temuka fair this month with meat-bred ewes making $200-plus. LOOK HERE to see values up to $265 per head for 2th ewes at this sale and to $188 at Fielding and Lorneville for similar aged sheep.
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