| 59 Hard call to make Better each season Merrydowns boasts 1000 Romney stud ewes and 889 Southdown stud ewes. Karen Phelps Emma Bailey After 65 years in the family, the decision to sell Merrydowns farm in West Otago has not been an easy one for Blair and Sally Robertson. However the couple believe it’s the right move to secure the future for the next generation and expand their renowned Romney and Southdown stud operations. “We’ve been looking at farm succession and how the next generation can be set up with more stock units, scope and scale,” says Blair. “We’re currently running 4,300 stock units and would like to lift this to 6,000-10,000.” The 236-hectare Waikoikoi property, situated 14 kilometres from Tapanui and 26 kilometres from Gore, represents decades of careful development and improvement. Since taking over the farm the Robertsons have transformed it into a highly productive operation running 16 stock units per hectare through extensive infrastructure upgrades. The improvements include upgrading 25 kilometres of fencing, planting 6,000 shelter belt trees and natives, completing extensive drainage, re-sowing pastures and renovating both homes. The property features covered sheep yards, a three-stand raised board woolshed and water supply through the Glenkenich scheme. Despite potentially selling the land, the Robertsons will retain their livestock including their studs. Merrydowns boasts 1000 Romney stud ewes and 889 Southdown stud ewes. “The sheep are highly productive and are ruthlessly culled if they can’t perform in this environment and under our management,” says Blair. “Over the last 25 years there has also been a focus on internal parasite resilience and resistance and we have introduced facial eczema tolerant bloodlines, which are not throughout the Romney flock.” Central to the succession planning is 22-year-old son Jack, who has been developing his own Romney stud, Merryvale, since age 16. Currently working on a farm in Wyndham, Jack will one day bring valuable experience back to the family farm. “In our opinion it’s important the kids learn other ways of farming and get different experiences,” explains Blair whose own journey included working Mt Guardian Perendales stud near Cheviot has moved down to the next generation with a continued focus on the evolution of the highly successful sheep breed. Their Perendales are renowned for their high meat yields, good fleece, alongside being hardy and able to perform well in difficult terrain boosted by the use of DNA technology with Zoetis. Woody Anderson and his wife Sophie along with four year old daughter Phoebe have just completed the succession of the farm from his parents Tim and Sue Anderson. “We have taken over the business and are leasing the farm from mum and dad and will take over the stock and plant.” Mt Guardian is now 1100 hectares, 500 hectare effective. Of that 200 are covered by a QEII covenant, 100 exotic forestry and 180 regenerated bush. “We go from steep hill country to rolling terraces and bit of flat land.” His grandfather Derek was a pioneer of the Perendale breed, with it being founded in 1954. Tim was also a pioneer with the DNA parentage. Now Woody is the third generation to take on the continual improvement of the breed. “We are always trying to evolve the flock. We make sure what we are putting into breeding is going to produce the best possible sheep,” Woody said. They sell the rams between November and December and are regulars at the Gore Ram Fair and also sell direct from the farm. Romdales, Coopdales and Black face terminals are also sold alongside the Perendales at this time. They have worked closely with Zoetis (formerly MEAT & WOOL » Merrydowns Romney Stud / Mt Guardian Perendales in Canterbury, North and South America. “Jack’s a good stockman and a good judge of stock. He’s ruthless with culling and has a good eye.” The family’s commitment to breeding excellence centres on structural soundness, fertility, mothering ability and longevity. “It’s critically important that structural soundness attributes are prioritised,” says Blair. “You can have flash SIL figures but if the animal is not structurally sound you’ve got nothing.” Wool is also prioritised as it’s not only there to make money but is essential for skin thickness and survival in adverse weather events. Wool is also an integral part of the clothing label ‘Jessie Kate’ of their designer daughter Jess, 23. After completing a Bachelor of Fashion at Otago Polytech she sells her clothing online and at GUILD Dunedin Designed Inc in Dunedin and Blair foresees this could fit into the family business in the future. Youngest daughter Stella, 7, is also showing keen interest in the farm life and loves animals. The family is also preparing for its upcoming on-farm sale on December 11, where they’ll offer 80 Southdown rams and 120 Romneys, followed by a further 200 Southdown ram lambs for hogget mating in March/April 2026. The operation sells rams from Bluff to Northland, with recent enquiries even coming from England. Pfizer) for 20 years for the DNA parentage. Because of the farms terrain the ewes are left in situ to lamb. “We leave the ewes in lamb uninhibited which reduces the need for a labour unit. We wait until tailing and then take a tissue sample (for DNA testing) and put in an electronic tag.” From here with Zoetis they are able to work out the dam and sire of the lamb which gives them better accuracy on the animal’s genotype. “Production traits have better accuracy with this genotype data being blended with the SIL actuals meaning we are more likely to meet our breeding objectives that are important to our clients. “SIL is sheep improvement Ltd, they are who we use and the majority of sheep studs to correlate and compile and breeding values.” “It is a hardy sheep which thrives in harder conditions but performs well on the flat too. “They produce lambs which gave early growth and can be weaned with good weights. No passengers are accepted, animals that don’t perform are culled. “Carla dag score and minimal drenching are improving our flocks’ performance under a worm challenge.” “CARLA® Saliva Test is a breeding tool developed by AgResearch. The saliva test is a commercial service that assists in breeding for better host resistance to parasites in sheep.” The couple moved back to the family farm back in April 2020, right in the middle of lockdown. “We were able to secure a neighbouring property of 150 hectares which allowed the farm to become a more economic unit because of its size.” Now his daughter Phoebe is the fifth generation on the farm. “It is great to have her out on the farm and see her doing the things I used to.” Contact Clint 027 676 8525 c_robinson@hotmail.co.nz Sheep dipping • Boom spraying • Gorse spraying Abercrombie Fencing Services Andrew Abercrombie 027 546 6771 Timber | Residential | Steel | Farm | Equestrian Dairy | Retaining Walls “No job is too big or too small” • LIVESTOCK CARTAGE • GENERAL FREIGHT • BULK & FERTILISER 99 Ward Rd, Cheviot 7310 03 319 8644 | 0276 776 787 6LQFH ZH YH EHHQ ZRUNLQJ LQ SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK WKH +XUXQXL 'LVWULFW IDUPLQJ FRPPXQLW\ IRU LPSURYHG DQLPDO KHDOWK WR DFKLHYH RSWLPXP SURGXFWLRQ :H SURYLGH D ZLGH UDQJH RI DGYDQFHG YHWHULQDU\ DQG WHFKQLFDO VHUYLFHV DQG ZHOFRPH WDONLQJ ZLWK \RX DERXW KRZ WKHVH FDQ LPSURYH SHUIRUPDQFH DQG SURILWDELOLW\ 3DUWQHUVKLSV QRW MXVW SURGXFWV (148,5,(6#1&9(76 &2 1= QFYHWV FR Q] 1&9& 6+((3 %(() 1257+ &$17(5%85< 9(7 &/,1,&6 )2//2: 86 21 )$&(%22. 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