36 | Benefiting from 3rd generation involvement Graeme and Raewyn are very passionate about their sheep farming and are very proud of the fact that this has rubbed off on all four of their children. Virginia Wright RURAL PEOPLE » Lawson Lea Genetics The Black family’s Lawson Lea Coopworth Stud in Western Southland was started in 1978 by Bob and Reta Black. Their son Graeme and Graeme’s wife Raewyn now run the sheep and beef farm which is also benefiting from having a third generation involved with the return of their son Cameron and his wife Soraya, to the farm four years ago. The 320-hectare flat to rolling farm runs 2000 commercial ewes, 200 stud ewes, 600 hoggets, and 90 beef cattle; plus 170 dairy grazing replacements and 320 dairy cows wintered from the dairy farm next door which they purchased seven years ago. Graeme and Raewyn are very passionate about their sheep farming and are very proud of the fact that this has rubbed off on all four of their children who, together with their own families, are all sheep and beef farming in their own right” “With today’s competition for land use, it is more important than ever for sheep farmers to have a strong emphasis on highly productive stock” adds Cameron. Highly productive is a good term for the stock that comes out of the Lawson Lea Coopworth Stud which not only maintains the high fertility percentages that have traditionally been a focus for the breed but also produce growth rates and meat yield to meet today’s market expectations. “The Coopworth breed has always been very data driven and we’ve always recorded and selected, on growth rate, fertility and wool weight,” says Graeme. “With the stud we also measure and record their eye muscle and dag score so that we have accurate data driving our decisions.” The results speak for themselves with scanning on the stud ewes around 215%, and on the commercial ewes around 195%. The use of eye muscle scanning has also increased the average carcass weight by over 5kgs per head, and, as the Blacks only select the sires to sell that they would put over their own flock, those genetic gains are passed on to their buyers. Since Cameron’s return to the farm, they’ve been making better use of technology available to assist their breeding programme, including putting EID tags (Electronic Identification) in all the lambs born to the commercial flock, as well as the stud lambs, which have had them for nearly 12 years. 77 Clyde Street, Invercargill • Ph (03) 214 4254 www.southlandhonda.co.nz SOUTHLAND HONDA For the best Parts, Sales & Service in the south • LIVESTOCK CARTAGE • BULK FERTILISER CARTAGE • STOCK FEED CARTAGE • SOWING • GRAVEL & CONTRACTING • FREIGHT andy@rivertonrural.co.nz w 46 ng 046 Proud to Support Lawson Lea Genetics Supporting local excellence. Supporting the future of farming. southlandfarmmachinery www.sfml.co.nz INVERCARGILL 03 215 9132 | GORE 03 208 8203 Segard Masurel is a global company that exports New Zealand wool to markets worldwide. WOOL S I N C E 1 8 4 6 Talk to our team ANDREW CURTIS Nelson/Marlborough m 027 239 3115 DON KARS Nelson/Marlborough/Canterbury m 027 450 0769 NICK REDDING Southland m 027 289 1866 GRANT HARRIS Southland m 027 689 1866 DONALD CRAWFORD Southland m 027 662 9351
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