70 | Preparing for 37th annual ram sale 2026 Year Ram Hoggets all over 60kg live weight (top). Paparata 2026 Ewes (below). Russell Fredric Genetics, data and commercial performance drive Paparata Elite Romneys’ breeding programme as the King Country stud focuses on producing productive, resilient hill country sheep. Established more than 45 years ago and preparing for its 37th annual ram sale, Paparata Elite Romneys has built its reputation on long-term genetic improvement rather than chasing short-term trends. Based at Tatu, near Ōhura, the stud has refined its breeding objectives to help commercial sheep farmers lift productivity while meeting the changing demands of the red meat sector. “We’ve never chased single traits or short-term fashion. Every breeding decision is about producing sheep that perform consistently in commercial hill country systems and leave farmers with a more profitable flock.” The programme balances reproduction, survivability, facial eczema tolerance, parasite resistance, growth and carcass traits while maintaining commercially relevant wool characteristics. Rather than selecting for one standout trait, Paparata aims to improve overall flock profitability through cumulative genetic gain. That long-term approach is underpinned by decades of performance recording, allowing breeding decisions to be based on measured results rather than visual assessment alone. Reproductive performance has been a priority since hogget lambing was introduced in 2000, with data showing positive gains in lifetime fertility. Paparata targets a scanning level of about 180 per cent, believing it delivers strong productivity without creating excessive triplets that can compromise ewe and lamb performance. “There’s no point chasing the highest scanning percentage if it comes at the expense of practicality. We’d rather breed ewes that consistently rear strong lambs under commercial hill country conditions.” The stud has also invested heavily in breeding sheep suited to extensive hill country farming. DNA parentage has been used since 2000, allowing recorded flocks to lamb under commercial conditions without intensive shepherding while still collecting accurate performance information. This supports ongoing selection for maternal ability and lamb survivability. ON FARM » Paparata Elite Romneys Selection for facial eczema tolerance began in 1999 and now includes rigorous testing of both purchased and homebred sires. The programme has steadily improved tolerance while reducing the production losses associated with the disease. The stud also places increasing emphasis on breeding sheep with stronger natural resilience to health challenges likely to become more significant as farming conditions evolve. Growth and carcass performance have also become stronger selection priorities as processors seek heavier lambs. Paparata now targets slaughter lambs above 40kg liveweight and this season introduced ultrasound eye muscle scanning to provide additional meat yield data alongside liveweight measurements. “Technology doesn’t replace stockmanship, but it gives us far better information. The more accurately we identify the best genetics, the faster we can make meaningful progress.” Every animal in the recorded flock carries a DNA profile, with Sheep15K and Sheep50K genomic testing improving the accuracy and speed of genetic selection. Paparata has also adopted CARLA saliva testing to identify sheep with stronger natural immunity to gastrointestinal worms without exposing susceptible animals to heavy parasite burdens. The stud has recently partnered with genetics consultancy NextGen Agri, which provides breeding programme oversight, mating allocation, genetic analysis and interpretation of performance data while helping introduce technologies such as eye muscle scanning and CARLA testing. The additional data also provides commercial ram buyers with greater confidence when selecting genetics suited to their own farming systems. “Our goal is straightforward: every year we want to leave the flock a little better than the year before. Small gains, backed by good data and careful selection, add up over time.” The stud is having its hybrid on-farm and online sale this year on November 19.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=