Demand for EasyCare, self-shedding sheep is fast increasing in New Zealand with breeders there looking to the UK and Ireland to source the genetics they need.
It was a point confirmed by Peter and Caroline Foss, who own and manage a 500-strong flock of pedigree Wiltshire Horn sheep on their farm, which is located close to the village of Aria on New Zealand’s north island.
Their ‘Ipurua’ prefix is also synonymous with a high-quality herd of South Devon cattle.
The other enterprise on the Foss farm is a 1,500-strong flock of Romney ewes, which are crossed to a selection of wool shedding rams.
The enterprise comprises 1,400ac, rising from 100ft above sea level to an altitude of 400ft.
EasyCare sheep
Peter and Caroline recently visited Ballycoose farm, close to Carncastle in east Co. Antrim. Owned by Campbell and Isobel Tweed, Ballycoose is home to a flock of 3,000 EasyCare ewes.
The reason for the Foss visit centred on the renowned performance of the EasyCare bloodlines at Ballycoose plus the opportunity it offered to assess the potential suitability of the bloodlines within the flock to perform under the management conditions that prevail in New Zealand.
“We are committed to the development of a high quality, EasyCare production system within our overall farming operation,” Peter explained.
“And it all comes down to one very simple fact. It costs NZ$5 to shear one animal, which will yield a fleece valued at around NZ$3. Wool production is a loss-making operation for us. Under such circumstances, self-shedding makes total sense.
“When we get back home, one of our first jobs will be that of getting a contractor engaged to shear 1,000 sheep. It’s an operation that will leave us with a net deficit of around NZ$2,000.”
Recording performance
All the sheep within the Ballycoose flock are performance recorded on a continuous basis.
“The flock has been recorded for the past 20 years. This represents a unique source of information, which can be used to make the best possible breeding decisions,” Caroline commented.
“It is this resource that we want to tap into.”
Another reason for the Foss visit is the fact that 30 EasyCare embryos, a number of which feature Ballycoose genetics, are due to be born on their farm over the coming weeks.
A mix of embryos and semen has been imported from the UK by Peter and Caroline over the past two years.
Ballycoose bloodlines were included in the specification agreed by the couple at the outset.
“The EasyCare lambs will be on the ground with the next few weeks. We are very keen to see how they perform for us,” Peter explained.