Business Rural Autumn 2021

| 23 MEAT & WOOL » La-Mac Hampshires: Ben Butterick Hampshires an ‘under-rated breed’ La Mac Hampshires’ Ben Butterick is celebrating 15 years breeding the iconic black-faced sheep. He has clocked up a few awards along the way including best ram hogget , NZ Agricultural, pictured with grandmother Pat, and top priced ram at the Kaituna Ram Sale. Susan Russell B en Butterick, the 27-year-old founder of Canterbury based sheep stud, La-Mac Hamp- shires, is excited to be celebrating 15 years of breeding sheep. With the stud located 40 minutes south of Christchurch at Kaituna, Ben tracks his associa- tion with the breed back to the day, as a youngster, when his father David Butterick was shearing Hampshire ram hoggets for a friend. “I was really impressed with the rams. They were powerful sheep with great bone and uniquely big, thick ears.” It wasn’t, however, until Ben went to the Christchurch A & P Show in 2005 and saw Hamp- shire sheep on display, that he was led to purchas- ing five two-tooth ewes from Phillipa Charlesworth, of Teviotdale Stud. This was the start of the La-Mac flock, and over the next few years, more ewes were bought from Teviotdale. In later years, Ben partnered with his grand- mother, Pat Butterick, who helped grow the stud to where it is today. “I couldn’t have got to where I am without her help”. In 2019, Ben took over ownership of the stud, and took the leap to selling his rams annually via an on-farm auction. At that first sale he achieved a full clearance of rams, with an average of $1,200. Asked to describe the breed’s inherent strengths, Ben says there are several factors that come into play. “They are a terminal breed with great strength, bone and good loins. I really like their presence.” As a 13-year-old back then, working toward establishing a registered stud, it was an exciting and challenging time. Despite its appeal, performance and constitu- tional capabilities the breed is not well established in New Zealand. This is attributed in part to the fact that in the early days Hampshires were considered to be heavy shouldered, causing lambing troubles. However, over the years, Ben has been mindful of this and has worked hard to breed a good shoul- dered ram. He believes they now cause no more troubles than any other terminal breed. This year, come mid-March, 180 ewes will go to the ram for an August lambing. Lambs are tagged at birth to identify their parentage and then tailed at two-three weeks old. By early December, lambs are weaned and weights are recorded.In early March, at 200 days, the ram lambs are eye muscle scanned to measure width and depth of meat in their loin, giving an insight into the potential meat yield of the lamb. They are also weighed to monitor growth performance post weaning. “It’s a demanding process at lambing. Juggling the intensity of stud lambing and also keeping a handle on things at my other job, is no easy feat. I’m thankful my partner Lucy is able to take time off from her job to help through these busy weeks,” says Ben. Ben is starting to feel momentum building with the breed. At last year’s ram sale, prices were very positive. He sold all 30 Hampshire rams on offer, averaging about $1,700, with six bought by other Hampshire breeders. Ben’s been fortunate in other ways as well; able to hold down a full-time stock manager role at Ahuriri Farm at Tai Tapu, five minutes from where his sheep are located. Looking back, Ben is pleased with how far he has come with his sheep, but is still aiming higher. He has kept a couple of rams, that, he says, are heading in the right direction. “Every year you are trying to breed something better, but ultimately, do you ever get there? I think this is what keeps sheep breeding interesting and frustrating, but mostly rewarding.” He also feels that, with rams being pushed further into more challenging hill country, having a more compact type ram seems to proving its worth. And while Ben says it is rewarding to have his stock judged as top quality at shows, it is just as satisfying to learn how well they have performed for his clients commercially. “I like to see a ram with a good meaty hind- quarter and it’s fair to say that in the past the Hampshires may have lacked a bit of constitution, but I feel I’m getting to a point where the Hamp- shire breed is gaining the recognition it deserves. I strongly believe they are an underrated breed.” More recently, the quality of the intramuscular fat content of Hampshires is something sheep breeders here and overseas, particularly in Aus- tralia, are looking at favourably. When not working full-time or attending to his stud, Ben enjoys getting out on the dog trial courses, a good way, he says, to catch up with friends and get a change of scenery. Ben is also president of the Tai Tapu Collie Dog Club and Junior Vice of the local Banks Peninsula A & P Show. “It’s great when you can incorporate a sport you enjoy with your work. It’s a really challenging sport to be involved in but with good breeding and consistency, you can reap the rewards – much like sheep breeding!” Clean • Accurate • Reliable Contact: Dan Broughton 021 0296 0830 | danscan19@gmail.com DAN SCAN LTD Sheep Pregnancy Scanning • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Varible Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz