6 | RURAL PEOPLE » Awaroa Perendale Ram Stud Breeder proud of FE tolerance results Awaroa Stud’s Philip and Audrey Brandon offer around 100 two-tooth stud rams for sale each year, mostly on farm by private treaty. Richard Loader Facial eczema tolerance has been a key focus for King Country perendale stud ram breeder Philip Brandon, and he’s very proud of the results. “FE is our biggest challenge in this region and if you’re not breeding for tolerance to it then you’re going downhill,” says Philip. “We’ve been doing sporodesmin testing for FE for eighteen years now and this year we will be testing at .55mg/kg. The benchmark level is set at .60mg/kg so we’re right up there. We’re the second highest in the Perendale breed.” Awaroa Perendale Ram Stud uses 5K DNA testing, which enables forecasting for a generation of traits including FE using the 5000 markers in a single gene. A tissue sample is taken from the sheep’s ear, which is then sent away for testing. “The markers can be taken out of the gene that are used for breeding values, including weaning weights, wool weights, growth rates and eczema tolerance. They are then SIL recordered.” About 100 two-tooth Awaroa stud rams are offered for sale each year, mostly on farm by private treaty but a small number also go to the North Island Perendale Sale in Te Kuiti in the middle of November. “I also take some up to the Frankton Ram Sale in the middle of January. I have about twenty clients from the North Island – Northland over to the East Coast and down to Taranaki. Awaroa Perendale rams have a good name out there, with good breeding values and eczema tolerance – that’s one of the biggest things around this area now.” Sixty-nine years young, Philip has been farming all his life and says it gets in your blood. “It’s all I’ve known really and it’s what I enjoy doing. I particularly enjoy the stud and trying to improve it.” “FE is our biggest challenge in this region and if you’re not breeding for tolerance to it then you’re going downhill.” Philip and his wife Audrey moved onto their current 130-hectare farm just out of Waitomo Village eleven years ago. The move was quite a big change as up until then Philip had farmed in partnership with his brother Murray on the family’s 1020-hectare sheep and beef station out towards the West Coast. The brothers’ partnership ended when they decided the family farm was no longer big enough to support all family members, and Murray bought Philip out. Philip had established the stud in the 90s and so he and Audrey moved to their new farm and brought with them 500 stud ewes, a mob of ram hoggets and a couple of truckloads of trade heifers for fattening. Today the flat to steep contour farm is home to 480 Perendale ewes, of which 330 are stud ewes. “We also have about 70 fattening heifers which we buy in as R2s in the autumn and sell again as R3s in the summer the following year. “When we first came here the farm had been used as a dairy run off and there weren’t many sheep proof fences on it. I’ve refenced the whole farm now with batons and seven wire fencing. The pastures hadn’t been renewed for years either so I’ve applied a lot of fertiliser and re-grass about five hectares a year.” Offices in Otorohanga, Te Awamutu & Taumarunui www.baileyingham.co.nz | info@baileyingham.co.nz We provide professional quality advice and friendly service to dairy, drystock, forestry, horticulture and rural businesses throughout New Zealand. Awaroa Perendale Ram Stud, near Waitomo Village. The 130 hectare farm is home to 480 Perendale ewes, of which 330 are stud ewes.
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