46 | Suftex Ram Hoggets May. MEAT & WOOL » Nithdale Station “With the Romneys there was quite a vast range of types, but now we’ve refined that type so that, to an extent, they all look the same. The phenotype of the animal is a lot more on point.” Nithdale Genetics is not only focused on quantity; while it has considerably improved its sheep meat yields, nationally sheep meat has become leaner, impacting the taste and quality, particularly due to having less intramuscular fat, Andrew says. “You actually need the fat to make it taste good.” “One of the big things we’ve been focusing on of late with the Suftex is meat quality and we’ve been involved in the South Island calibration flock down at Duncraigen (Te Anau basin) for a number of years now.” The South Island Genomic Calibration programme comprises a flock for measuring and improving meat eating quality in the progeny of terminal sires and provides accurate genomic estimates for eating quality traits; tenderness, marbling, pH and fat colour. “With the Suftex we’ve got breeding values that we’ve had for a number of years for intramuscular fat and tenderness, so that’s part of our overall index. Alliance now with their handpicked premium have introduced intramuscular fat into that category.” Alliance’s Pure South Handpicked Lamb programme uses an assessment system to measure eating quality, with the qualifying lamb exported to premium retail markets in Asia and North America. Russell White says the quality of the sheep at Nithdale, based on the benchmarks Andrew has personally set and on the nProve (SIL) indexes, “was awesome”. He and his wife Phillipa have lived on the station for seven years. During that time Russell has been complementing Andrew’s achievements with a focus on refining the phenotype of both the stud and commercial sheep. “The best thing for the Suftex’s is we’ve really filled out that back end. The meat and fat cover that we can put on these rams now are next to none. The two-tooths in November, before we were selling them in the sale, they averaged 100 kilos and they still had lamb’s teeth.” “With the Romneys there was quite a vast range of types, but now we’ve refined that type so that, to an extent, they all look the same. The phenotype of the animal is a lot more on point.” Nithdale is well-known for breeding sheep with a high level of parasite resistance and its Romney flock is one of 14 in New Zealand which qualifies for the WormFEC Gold Group. In what is an uncommon business arrangement in the sheep and beef industry, Russell and Phillipa are sharefarmers at Nithdale, a situation that is proving successful and that has allowed Andrew and Heather to move off the farm while still retaining full ownership and maintaining an active interest. “It’s a pretty unique opportunity that you don’t see very often,” Russell says. “It definitely takes the right type of person, the likes of Andrew to make it work. We’re rapt; Phillipa and I are really content and it’s a cool place to be.” • from page 44 www.cmccontracting.nz PETER CHISHOLM Mobile: 027 433 8943 Email: peterchisholm@xtra.co.nz LEIGH MCH Mobile: 027 454 5139 CULTIVATION Ploughing Discing Power Harrowing Cultivator Mole Ploughi Ripping BALING Mowing Mower Conditioner Tedding Raking Small Square baling Round baling – with variable chamber balers Baleage Combination baler Individual wrapper Tube Wrapper CARTAGE ON FARM USING TRACTOR TRAILERS CONTACT: CMC CONTRACTING CAN OFFER: SEEDING Fodder Beat precision sowing Direct Drill with rubber tyred roller Grass roller drill Heva 6m roller seeder Power harrow ridger combination DIGGER PETER CHISHOLM Mobile: 027 433 8943 Email: peterchisholm@xtra.co.nz LEIGH MCH M bile: 027 454 5139 CULTIVATION Ploughing Discing Power Harrowing Cultiv tor Mole Ploughing Ripping BALING Mowing Mower Conditio er Tedding Raking Small Square baling Round baling – with variable chamber balers Baleag Combination baler I dividual wrapper Tube Wrapper CARTAGE ON FARM USING TRACTOR TRAILERS CONTACT: CMC CONTRACTING CAN OFFER: SEEDING Fodder Beat precision sowing Direct Drill with rubber tyred roller Grass roller drill Heva 6m roller seeder Power harrow ridger combination DIGGER Ag Manager 027 770 4182 CMC Recycling 027 317 7482 Helping Nithdale Station to grow • LIVESTOCK • FERTILISER SPREADING • BULK CARTAGE CLUTHA VALLEY TRANSPORT LTD 03 415 9114 027 439 2989
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=