38 | Superb condition & presentation delight Russell Fredric Texel Breeders Alistair and Karen McLeod are delighted about the superb condition and presentation of the past season’s crop of lambs they sent for processing. Processed by BX Foods Oamaru mid-January, the September born lambs averaged 23.5 kilograms, about four to five kilograms heavier than the typical average weight of lambs grown in normal conditions. Texel stud breeders for about 30 years, the couple farm 220 purebred registered Texels and 100 texel ewe hoggets along with other stock on their 120 hectare farm near Ranfurly. “We’ve changed the original (Dutch) Texel type, introduced into New Zealand to now breeding Texels that suit New Zealand conditions,” Alistair says. During the past four lambings, Egilshay has introduced English Texel genetics using sires from Jim Sharratt’s Karaka Stud near Invercargill, to improve their shape “to bring it back to its true breed type”, Alistair says. “Jim sources semen and embryos from the top one or two percent of English genetics. It’s good to have someone in the know with Jim coming from the UK himself. We like to breed a no-nonsense sheep with good temperament, ease of lambing and that are easy to manage.” “We find the Texel we breed with English genetics have improved bone structure, colour and most of all, carcass shape. This produces a carcass with the meat in the right places, for example the loin and extra meat MEAT & WOOL » Egilshay Texels A selection of Egilshay ewe hoggets and mixed age ewes, respectively, compact and with plenty of muscle (top). Alistair at BX Foods, mid-January with a line-up of Egilshay Texel lamb carcasses, (born September) expressing great muscling-more meat. in the hind quarters. Using a Texel sire, you get this for nothing, it comes with the breed.” In addition to the sires being used in terminal flocks, Texel dams are widely used for breeding into commercial flocks, being good mothers with a calm temperament as well as being good milkers. It is not only the meat yield and animal shape that is a focus of the Texel genetics; Alistair aims to create sheep that do not require dagging, are clear around the breech and points and that are generally easier to manage. “The less we can put a handpiece on a sheep now the easier life is, and some breeds shear every eight months or twice a year. We’ve just shorn our ewes, at the end of March, and then we’ve put the ram out 10 days later; there’s not a hand piece that goes on them until the end of March again next year. BX Foods director Richard Thorp says Egilshay’s lambs were presented for processing in superb condition. “They certainly appeared high muscled animals, clear around the hind legs and they were a pleasure to process. Having animals presented superbly, clean, without long wool and clear around those points, around the forelegs and hindlegs certainly makes processing a lot smoother and creates efficiency.” The carcass weights at 23.5 kilograms were in the higher range for the time of year they were processed, he says. “We do have farmer suppliers processing in that range, but our average kill weight on any given day or any given week is 19kgs.” Shearing and Crutching services Jay 027 4449158 or 034449165 jayamy.stringershearingltd@gmail.com Proud to support EgilshayTexels
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