| 27 Good growth rates and early maturing Ross and Tracey McCall now run 2400 ewes including 1000 stud Suffolk and Suftex ewes, 100 Southdown stud ewes, with the balance of commercial ewes. Kelly Deeks MEAT & WOOL » Mt Annan Pleased to support Mt Annan Alan Macdonald Jack Perniskie Erin Howes Tim Walsh Caleb Macdonald Ross and Tracey McCall are developing the Suffolk breed at their Mt Annan stud through sire selection using the latest technologies with DNA and SIL recording. Ross has been breeding Suffolk’s for 37 years since the age of 15, when he went into partnership with Horace Murray in Gore. By 18, he bought the ock and leased his uncle’s 240ha family farm at Waikoikoi, West Otago. A year later, he bought the farm. He and Tracey now run 2400 ewes including 1000 stud Suffolk and Suftex ewes, 100 Southdown stud ewes, with the balance of commercial ewes. Ross likes the Suffolk breed for its dark facial coloration for lamb traceability, its good growth rates and early maturing rates, and its good meat yielding qualities. “They are good and hardy which really helps us here, on top of a hill over 1000 feet,” Ross says. “They have the blackest face of all the terminal breeds, and one of our breeding goals has always been to keep that nice black face and keeping their pure breed.” Ross sits on the New Zealand Suffolk Breeders Club committee, while Tracey is the secretary for the Otago-Southland Suffolk Breeders Club. They enjoy playing their part to promote and develop the breed through the club and their involvement with the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics South Island Genomic Calibration Flock study at Te Anau. They are happy to utilise the latest technologies coming through. “Beef + Lamb New Zealand has developed genomics for productive traits and meat quality traits, and we are using this technology as it emerges to gain improvements in meat, growth, and survival, while also improving meat quality,” Ross says. “The recording programme keeps on developing, and today our Suffolk lambs have a lot more recording behind them. We are DNA testing our ram lambs for foot scores and cold tolerance, we have 1000 ewes on the record, and we record them on genetic gains.” Ross and Tracey are selling 130 thick and meaty rams this year, mostly privately with four ram hoggets going to the South Island Premier Ram Fair at Gore A&P Showgrounds in January. “We have a regular client base and there are a few new ones every year as well. I think they are taking advantage of using terminal sires and choosing the Suffolk as a superior terminal sire.” Renowned for their growth rates, the Suffolk suits the early premium lamb drafts. Ross and Tracey were able to take advantage of that this season selling their lambs early to combat the impending dry, as well as freezing works backlogs resulting from staff away with Covid. “It has been a challenging season but because we got rid of the lambs early, it hasn’t been as bad as it could have been. The markets are looking positive, and we’re nally seeing some sunshine with things freshening up. We are looking forward to spring and hopefully the weather holds out for the rest of the season.” Te Rae Genetics Rams are solid, high yielding, versatile sires suiting any property and ock, bred on rolling hill country in Central Southland. Coopworth • Coopworth Texel • Coopdale Texel Poll Dorset, & Suftex MATERNAL BREEDS TERMINAL BREEDS 027 444 7072 chris.terae@gmail.com www.teraegenetics.co.nz Te Rae Genetics • Tagged at birth for accurate parentage • Single Sire Mated • S.I.L. recorded • Myomax Tested • E.M.A. scanned • Hoggets mated & lambed with ease • Competitive, affordable sires • Strong bulky eece—37 microns i i l i l i i i l i l i KEY TRAITS I Maitland Contracting Ltd Call Willy: 0276309032 Email: maitlandcontractingltd@gmail.com • Agricultural Work • Baleage • Hay • Straw
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