88 | The culmination of decades of careful breeding Karen Phelps ON FARM » Rangiatea Stud Rangiatea Perendale Stud’s consistent results are the culmination of decades of careful breeding. Located at Mt Somers in Mid Canterbury, the sheep have proven highly adaptable, with rams heading to farms from Gisborne to Owaka. “People buy them for the same reason we run them - good production, free moving, good carcasses and good mothers. They work well in a range of terrain and conditions and deliver good results,” says stud owner Blair Gallagher. His business incorporates three farms totalling 1070ha: the home farm called Rangiatea, which rises to 840 metres above sea level and is half rolling to steep tussock hill country with the other half is cultivatable land; a neighbouring property called Waianawa and a farm 1.5km away called Glengyle. The Perendale stud was started in 1971 by Blair’s parents Colin and Margaret with the initial flock based on Sir Geoffrey Peren’s flock 1 at Massey University. Today Rangiatea Perendale Stud comprises 580-650 SIL recorded ewes that are known for their high performance and scanning rates with emphasis on survival. In 2016 the stud won the NZ Beef + Lamb genetic trait leader for survival. The stud’s 2021-2025 scanning results demonstrate the stud’s consistency. Stud Perendale ewes including two tooths scanned at an average of around 200%. Perendale mixed age hill ewes’ results ranged between 206% and 211% apart from a bad drought year. Perendales mated to terminal Beltex rams (including two tooths) were in the mid to late nineties. Perendale hill two tooths (85-90% lambed as hoggets) figures were 170-173%. Blair says the stud has made good progress on all SIL traits. “Dr Jock Allison said ‘these sheep of yours Blair can certainly count’. What he meant is that they had triplets or twins and took care of all their lambs not walking away and leaving one behind,” says Blair. “They are really good foragers, free moving on hill country, have good fertility, are good mothers and produce a good lamb.” Blair fattens all the lambs and they head to the works. “Even though wool prices are not wonderful we still focus on producing white soft fine handling mid micron wool. Perendale wool has a high bulk content.” Selling Perendale rams is a big part of Blair’s business and he sells around 160-200 each year by private treaty. His top rams that go to the Gore Ram Fair in January. He is excited that the Canterbury ward will be hosting the 2026 Perendale NZ conference in Methven at Ski Time Lodge and Rangiatea will host all delegates on Friday 14th May. His business also includes a Beltex flock of 550 including 140 pure Beltex ewes and the remainder stabilised Beltex Texel and Beltex Suffolk. Blair says one of the advantages of the Beltex Texels as a terminal sire is they produce white wool and are perfect for going over merinos to prevent black fibre to keep the wool white. There is also a flock of 280 Cheviot ewes with 130 fully recorded, probably the biggest flock in New MW+W\+DPM MW+W\+DPM - cents 3600 3400 3200 3000 2800 2600 2400 2200 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 3600 3400 3200 3000 2800 2600 2400 2200 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 2024 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 1446 DP Flks Avg RANGIATEA PERENDALES Enquiries: Blair C Gallagher M: 021 0223 1522 Hamish Gallagher M: 027 550 7906 Email: gallagher.rangiatea@xtra.co.nz CHEVIOT RAMS available for hogget mating AVERAGE ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH. MAKE PROGRESS WITH US. Zealand, says Blair who is also the Cheviot Sheep Society of New Zealand President. Half are mated to pure Beltex and half to Cheviot. “Cheviots’ traits are vigour, hardiness and small lambs so ease of lambing and the Beltex has small lambs, increased carcass conformation and meat yield making Beltex Cheviots extremely popular for hogget mating.” The Perendale stud was started in 1971 by Blair’s parents Colin and Margaret.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=