34 | ‘Many small steps’ to best sheep genetics The summer-dry farm comprises 1275 hectares over ve properties within a 10 kilometre radius of the home property. Russell Fredric RURAL PEOPLE » Turanganui Romneys The drought of 2015. South Wairarapa farmer Mike Warren and his family are continuing the generational legacy of Turanganui Romneys as a stud which has changed the face of New Zealand’s most iconic breed. The stud’s journey started more than a century ago ago with Mike’s great-grandfather Holmes establishing its Romney ock. Since then the successive generations have developed a balanced genetic package that provides New Zealand farmers with the best sheep genetics, achieved “in many small steps” Mike says. However it was Mike’s father, Holmes, described as the father of the modern Romney, who achieved quantum leaps in genetic gain. His journey with genetics started in the early 1950’s when performance recording “got itself together”, Mike says. Holmes’ pioneering work improved the breed’s lambing percentage, fertility and mothering ability and ultimately had an in uence on the national ock, as did his quest to discover why some ewes had dif culty lambing. This led him to doing post-mortems to measure ewes’ pelvic circles and measuring them; consequently sheep with narrow pelvises were culled which resulted in easy lambing ewes in subsequent generations. The combined genetic improvements resulted in the lambing percentage at tailing climbing from 110% to 160%. “It was outstanding,” Mike says. “Growth rates improved, even the wool came along quite a way. It was the mid- 70’s that they had the lambing percentage nearly there, but the lambs were smaller. Survival has continued to improve, they lamb well and the lamb quickly gets on its feet and tucks into a feed. On a sunny day that time frame is not so critical, but on a crappy day they can be dead in moments.” The sheep also became smarter, more mobile and more active feeders. Mike explains that he and Holmes used to spend quite a bit of time chasing ewes into shelter and mothering them onto their lambs, but the need for this diminished through selecting for mothering ability. The history of the Warren farm goes back to 1907 when Mike’s great-grandfather rst paddeed its paddocks and set about developing the land and this has been an ongoing process in every generation since. Mike is married to Robyn and the couple have three children; Jane, aged 29, works in the banking sector and eldest son Guy, 26, manages the farm while William, 24, has the role of second in charge. The summer-dry farm comprises 1275 hectares over ve separate properties within a 10 kilometre radius of the home property. Former generations took an interest in irrigation and the home farm had both pivot and border dyke irrigation, but pivots are now used exclusively because they are more ef cient and use less water. The farm carries 4500 breeding ewes, 1500 ewe hoggets, 2000 ram hoggets, 375 R1 and 375 R2 Friesian/Angus cross cattle, plus 125 R1 and 125 R2 Wagyu cattle. Although Romneys fell out of favour when wool prices dropped and the driver for a dual-purpose sheep was lost to some degree, the modern Romney competes well for meat yield, Mike says. Turanganui’s lambs typically produce carcasses of around 20 kilograms which Mike describes as a workable average weight that allows some exibility in the farming system. “You can kill them lighter if you have to or take them heavier.” “It was outstanding. Growth rates improved, even the wool came along quite a way. It was the mid- 70’s that they had the lambing percentage nearly there, but the lambs were smaller. Survival has continued to improve, they lamb well and the lamb quickly gets on its feet and tucks into a feed.” “A balanced genetic package!” Mike Warren 027 446 5312 or 06 307 7841 Guy Warren 027 848 0164 William Warren 027 824 9327 Turanganui Romneys
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