| 29 FE tolerance a focus for Warren D’Ath RURAL PEOPLE » Karere Holdings Ltd For Manawatu farmer Warren D’Ath, breeding sheep is all about enjoyment and providing farmers with great animals that will help their farming operations. He has farming roots reaching back over 100 years with his great grandfather starting the Romney stud in 1905 making it the oldest stud of its kind in New Zealand. Today Karere Romneys has around 350 registered sheep. Karerevale Perendals, also with around 350 registered animals, was started in the 1960s, an interest of Warren’s father who saw potential for the breed. The focus for Warren over recent years has been FE tolerance and over the past ten years he has bought five rams with Waimai Stud blood, that have exhibited a high tolerance to the disease, to introduce to his breeding programme. While he hasn’t done any formal testing of tolerance in his flock he has noted anecdotal improvements both from his own experience and that of his clients. Other traits targeted include meat, fertility and survivability. He has just scanned his stud Romney ewes at 178% and 70% of his hoggets got in lamb this year. “You’ve really got to look at lambing your hoggets now,” considers Warren. “We’re not paying bills for the sheep with the wool like we did years ago but rather with lambs now. Even when wool prices were good it was only about 13% of my income.” His aim is to have 150% lambing and at the moment that figure is 135%. He aims to improve this by improved feeding and genetics coupled with ruthless culling of any sheep that don’t perform. Warren’s business comprises two farms. Longburn is a flat farm 59ha with another 34ha of lease land. It’s used to run the ram lambs from the hill farm and grows them out to sell as two tooths. As well as fattening lambs this property also runs some ewes and fattens cattle. The other farm, a rolling hill country block located about 30 minutes away between Colyton and Ashhurst, is 233ha, and runs mainly ewes, ewe hoggets and winters a few cattle. This is operated by Warren’s brother in law John Wall leaving Warren free to work between both farms with casual labour helping as required. Over both farms there are around 1600 ewes, 200 ram hoggets, 500 ewe hoggets and 50 cattle. Warren grows chicory crops and says good weather this year has bolstered his genetics and helped lambs to put on 2kg more than normal. When sent to the works the lambs had a minimum weight of 19.5kgs going up to a maximum of 23kgs. Normally this figure is between 17.5-19kgs. “The chicory was rocket fuel and stock do really well on it,” he says. “You’ve really got to look at lambing your hoggets now. We’re not paying bills for the sheep with the wool like we did years ago but rather with lambs now.” Simon Curran Principal, Dip. AG, B.B.S, C.A. ( HELPING GROW YOUR CLOVER AND CASH ) Talk to us today or visit us at: www.mcia.co.nz Dannevirke: (06) 374 7059 Pahiatua: (06) 376 7476 we know farming at its grass roots at MCI & Associates, Although wool prices are low Warren still breeds his sheep to produce good wool with most of his heading to Alco Direct. He produces about 150,000 kilos of wool and his wool had a 1.1 colour measurement this year but he only just broke even, highlighting the importance of still producing good wool. For those wanting to get their hands on Karere genetics Warren sends over 120 rams around New Zealand a year and has his rams coming up for sale from November to January. Most are sold by private treaty with some sold at Te Kuiti at the North Island Perendale Ram Sale. Warren says clients have good lambing percentages, with one farmer reaching up to 180%. Karen Phelps KARERE Holdings Ltd Contact Warren D’Ath 06 354 8952 Romney & Perendale Stud Farm
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