HARDINESS OF THE CHEVIOT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28950, 18 July 1959, Page 8

HARDINESS OF THE CHEVIOT

Working under a /research fellowship, Dr. E. Cresswell has thrown some light on the hardiness and virility of the Cheviot breed of sheep in New Zealand. At the recent Massey College sheepfarmers’ conference, Professor A. L. Rae, head of the sheep husbandry department at the college, related how Dr. Cresswell had rigged up a lightweight harness with a shaft, land wheel and mileage recorder to compare the relative activity of the Romney and the Cheviot. On the hill country it was found that the Cheviot averaged seven and a half to 10 miles a week, while in the same country the Romney travelled about five miles. On the other hand, op the flat the Cheviot moved 9j to 10 miles a week, while the Romney travelled about eight miles. Professor Rae said that some work had indicated that a high blood volume was a necessity for active living. In a comparison of -total blood volumes the Cheviot had exceeded the Romney by 25 to 30 per cent. Further, in a 10-day period under starvation, the Cheviot’s rate of use of energy was found to be significantly lower than that of the Romney, suggesting one of the ways the breed adjusted itself to poor feeding and hard climate.