SELECTING RAMS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 7

SELECTING RAMS

“In the years to come, the farmer, to make his place pay. will have to pay more attention to his wool.” Mr G. S. Giddings, of the Meadowsles stud at Fairlie, said in an address on the Romney Marsh breed to members of the Banks Peninsula branch of Federated Farmers at a field day on the Le Bons Bay property of Dalglish Bros, last week.

Farmers in selecting flock rams to improve their breeding ewes should keep in mind suiting the sheep to the country, he said. Three basic factors in order of importance were constitution, conformation, and wool. Buy a ram with a little stronger wool than is wanted in the ewes, was his advice. The wool was a count to two counts finer on the female sheep than on the male. “Decide on the type you want and stick to it; don't switch from breeder to breeder,” he said. In breeding Romneys the width of the hips was important, as it indicated the width of the pelvic opening and its effect on easy or difficult lambing. A good, bold eye should be looked’ for, and farmers should avoid sheep with sunken eyes, as these could develop ingrown eyelids. Bone was important. The ear indicated the type of pelt, and a soft velvety ear was a good quality to look for.

In the wool there should be a good lock which shed the water and kept the skin dry, keeping the sheep warm. Plenty of lustre in the wool was a good indication of how the sheep were doing and the suitability of the country to the type of sheep. In present times, Mr Giddings said that farmers should be concentrating on getting the sheep to grow more wool and then on producing the right type of wool.