8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Camp Valley Stud Rigorous approach to selecting rams The stud breeds South Suffolk, Suftex and Suftex/Southdown rams. Russell Fredric “Because the Texel’s quite short it does add a wee bit of length to the rams with the Southdown. You get the good conformation, good meatiness and good bone.” Camp Valley Stud owner Peter Divan is unapologetic about his rigorous approach to selecting rams to put up for sale. “I don’t try to sell too many, I’d rather be more fussy with my selection and sell good rams than to be a numbers game. I’m normally pretty ruthless on picking them out.” The stud breeds South Suffolk, Suftex and Suftex/Southdown rams and is run from Peter’s 400 hectare farm which lies on steep to easy rolling country near Fairlie, Mackenzie District, with the highest elevation being around 400 metres above sea level. “The first thing I focus on is the feet. They can be the best ram, but if the feet are poor they’re useless and that goes for the ewes as well.” Peter has around 30 to 40 rams in total available from late November, with the South Suffolk being the long-term base of the stud. Their traits include a medium-sized, muscular body, a dark head, face and legs and they are known for producing fast-growing, lean prime lambs, with excellent carcass quality. The breed is prized for its fertility, hardiness, early maturity, and easy lambing. “We are trying to get a combination because the Texel aren’t renowned for being highly fertile but South Suffolks are.” The farm’s stock comprises 1300 mainly Romney commercial breeding ewes and 150 hoggets, plus 250 stud ewes,150 Angus grown for Five Star Beef and 150 dairy grazing heifers. Camp Valley Stud was started by Peter’s father and has been running for 50 years. Five years ago Peter started crossing Southdown’s over his Suftex ewes. “They’ve been very successful. A lot of people are buying them.” Southdown are recognised as being sturdy and muscular with a long back and rounded loin in addition to being early maturing and forage efficient. The high quality of the carcass has been a hallmark of the breed, consequently the addition to the also meat-driven Suftex adds a further boost to their carcass, Peter says. “Because the Texel’s quite short it does add a wee bit of length to the rams with the Southdown. You get the good conformation, good meatiness and good bone.” “”We are not irrigated country, it’s harder country so it needs rams that are going to fatten early.” Following some tough years, Peter says it’s good to have some confidence back in the sheep industry “but we do need it for more than one year, we need five or six good years in a row to make a really significant difference.” He notes that one of the most remarkable achievements over the last several decades – and one that has been significantly contributed to by breeders – is despite the national flock being more than halved, total sheep meat production has stayed about the same, both as a result of better fertility and higher carcass weights. “We’ve got a good product to sell. As long as sheep numbers hold where they are that’s the main thing.” CAMP VALLEY STUD Peter Divan 03 685 5726 Fairlie STUD BREEDERS OF SOUTH SUFFOLK SHEEP SUFTEX SUFTEX SOUTHDOWN CROSS Est 1975
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