The increased knowledge and technology in the sheep farming sector has encouraged many farmers to re-evaluate the role of the ram in generating extra dollars from their sheep. It is important to remember that top genetics aren't a cost, they're an investment in the profitability of your farm.

Genetics impose a ceiling on your sheep farming performance. Good management can only ever lift you towards that ceiling, so set your ceiling high.

Young farmer, 21st century - looks the same but thinks differently. Wairere ram client, Dawson Biggs, Mangamahu, Wanganui. Replacement ewe lambs are grown out on easier country. Well-grown two-tooths allow Dawson to achieve 140 to 150% lambings from his Romney flock.

The ram contributes 80% of the genetic gain in your flock. However, his value is often overlooked. For example, buy 120 2th ewes and you've probably spent the best part of $15,000. Makes the ram a very reasonable investment, doesn't it?

Over the last (nine years), Wairere has participated in trials to identify top lean growth genetics in Romney sires. Slaughter data of the progeny consistently showed a difference between the best sire and the poorest sire of $7- 8 per lamb. Multiply that by the number of lambs a ram will leave over an average four year lifespan, and the value of top genetics is obvious. Our advice?

Buy the top rams you can afford, and make more profit.

At Wairere, our policy is to only breed the best to the best, and to cull rigidly for production gains under a commercial environment. Hogget mating, the use of hogget sires and the judicious use of outside bloodlines means top genetics are continually and rapidly folded back into the flock. Sires sold are in the top 30% for production.
Better genetics make your sheep farming easier and more profitable.

The gains we make are passed to you.

Rams are available from Wairere, Wairere King and Wairere South. The genetic background of the rams is similar for each ram breeding operation.

		John Andrews, Ranfurly , Central Otago. In two consecutive years, 2003 and 2004, John and Sally won the New Zealand Ewe Hogget competition, composite section, with Wairere Earlylamb hoggets - half Romney, quarter East Friesian, quarter Poll Dorset.
Choosing a ram breeder is a matter of personal preference and geographical proximity. Rams are sold either as hoggets or as 2ths. Our experience has shown us that hogget sires are perfectly capable of delivering the goods, provided they are run with the ewes at a realistic ratio (no more than 1:100).
	Wairere bred mixed-age ewes at the Jeff Farm, Southland. Manager John Chittock achieved 146% survival to sale from 12,000 ewes and 73% from 4,000 ewe hoggets in 2006/7, with an average lamb carcass weight of 16.5kg
Wairere two tooth rams are priced at $1050, $750, $550 and $400, and hogget rams at $1000, $700 and $500. All are priced according to ranking of genetic merit and are in the top 30% for production traits. For example, the top price bracket of rams are within the top 10% of ram lambs weaned.

Ram delivery will be arranged by us if you wish.

Wairere Romney rams , out of ewe hoggets, at Steve Gallagher's Fairlie property. Steve's flock weaned 165% in 2004. These rams demonstrate the depth of hindquarter muscling which typifies the modern Wairere Romney bred for meat production. Ultrasound scanning for eye muscle are has accelerated saleable yield per kilo of carcass weight.

To order rams, go to our Contacts page