Noted breeder on sheep improvement

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32459, 20 November 1970, Page 8

Noted breeder on sheep improvement

The noted English sheep breeder, Mr Oscar Colburn, sees the Romney as being the basis of the New Zealand sheep industry for many years to come, but on some of the better country he sees a possible place for crossbreeding with the Romney to produce u higher performing daughter, and in this he believes that there could be a place for use of some overseas blood.

When he was interviewed before leaving the South Island this week Mr Colburn was reticent to discuss his ideas about how the sheep industry in this country might be improved after only ■ a three weeks’ visit to the country. Mr Colburn said that he had come to New Zealand primarily to judge the Herefords at the Royal Show at Hamilton. He breeds Poll Herefords as well as sheep on his 1300 acres farm in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, where he grows 800 acres of cereals and carries 1000 breeding ewes and 150 Poll Herefords. His show judging assignment had been an excuse to come to this country, which was something he had wanted to do for a long time, he said. “One knows how efficient your agriculture is. It has many lessons ' that can be learned by our people,” he commented. In the course of his brief stay Mr Colburn said that he had had the opportunity. of visiting many sheep, cattle and horse studs and also seeing many commercial flocks and herds and also of talking to people who could give him information about fanning here. In general terms Mr Colburn said he felt that New Zealand was bound to use the Romney as the main breed of sheep for many years to come. It had proved its suitability for a wide range of conditions in this country. He was conscious also that Romney breeders were well aware of the interest there was in breeding improved animals, which was something that was evident all over the world. He felt that the New Zealand breeders had taken steps to get the best advice and help about the ways by which the Romney could be made more suitable for modern farming conditions. He was impressed with the efforts that they were making. On some of the better country in New Zealand Mr Colburn said he thought that there might be a place for crossbred breeding ewes of some kind, but they had certainly to be based on the Romney. He wanted to make it very clear that by crossbreeding he did not mean producing a whole variety of mongrel ewes. He meant that on certain country that

was suitable for carrying sheep with a higher lambing percentage and milking ability than the Romney, the planned introduction of crossbred Romney ewes on an experimental basis over the next year or two would show whether the extra output of prime lambs that was possible by this course would outweigh the general suitability of the Romney fleece for the trade that it had carved out for itself in the wool markets of the world. Under such a system a different type of fleece would be produced, although it might not mean necessarily a decline in the actual quantity of wool. Since he had been in New Zealand he had seen the country’s Perendaie and Coopworth breeds and It was his feeling that the Coopworth in particular might ' produce a good crossbred daughter out of a Romney ewe. This in turn could be mated with a meat sire for prime lamb production on some of the better country. Elsewhere in the world he believed that there might be one or two breeds of sheep that might be of value in such a programme. "I think the way that the animal breeding industry is going no country can afford to neglect the characteristics that have been developed elsewhere in the world and which may have a real economic value,” said Mr Colburn. ■ Quite clearly the health of this country’s flocks and herds was of vital importance. Veterinary requirements for any imported animals had to be strict Still it was his view that at the moment here they were too strict and this country might be cut off from economic advancement and progress by insisting on the extremely rigid precautions that the Department of Agriculture now required. There was no doubt in his mind that the breeders here of the main breeds of sheep were conscious of the need to develop on slightly different lines to those that had been followed in the past. No improvement scheme within a breed could produce startlingly rapid results and it might well be that a planned cross breeding programme on a certain proportion of the better ewes

would be of advantage to the sheep industry of the country. Progress, however, would inevitably depend for many years yet on a supply of first class Romney ewes, either for developments in the purebred or crossbreeding fields. Mr Colburn said he would like to think that his Colbred, embracing the Clun Forest, Border Leicester, Dorset Hom and East Friesland breeds might fit into this and certainly might be worth looking at. The purpose here would be to produce a crossbred daughter where it was mated with the Romney. The Oldenburg breed might also be looked at. It would add fertility and milking ability to Romney flocks. But Mr Colburn was not very enthusiastic about the highly prolific Finnish Landrace sheep. He said its had characteristics very much outweighed its good ones. Of one thing Mr Colburn was very certain. From a meat sire point of view he said he did not think that there was anything better in the world than breeds like the Southdown, Dorset Down and South Suffolks.

In England he noted that crossbreds formed a very high proportion of the breeding ewe flock about 4.5 m out of 11m. Under everything except hill conditions he said that the crossbred ewe was the main commercial sheep and this was usually by the Border Leicester out of one of the hill breeds and was mated with a meat type sire. for lamb production. In Britain, too, he said, that they were interested in improved animals and systems of running them. Mr Colburn, who is now doing his breeding work on his own, is optimistic about the future of sheep farming in New Zealand as farmers aim for increased efficiency and productivity, and he does not see the British Government’s proposed levies on meat imports having any very lasting effect on the industry. Speaking to the Lincoln farmers’ conference earlier in the year, Dr A. H. Car-

ter, of Ruakura agricultural research centre, said that the establishment of the new maximum security quarantine station to permit introduction of new breeds offered exciting prospects for livestock improvement It had to be emphasised that there could be no advance guarantee that exotic breeds imported into this country would, in fact, be superior to local stock already well adapted to local conditions. However, some overseas breeds did possess superior qualities and could contribute materially to increased efficiency in New Zealand livestock production. Why not take advantage of the successes of breeders in other countries as well as in New Zealand, he asked. New breeds should stand or fall on their merits here and not on overseas reputation, substantiated or otherwise, established elsewhere. Adequate and impartial testing was important to ensure effective utilisation of exotic breeds and prevent unwarranted exploitation. Importation and evaluation of new breeds was undoubtedly costly but the potential rewards were indeed great—he would suggest increases of the order of 40 per cent in the national lambing rate and 20 per cent in sheep and beef carcase weights. “The question is surely not whether we can afford to import and investigate new breeds but rather whether we can afford not to.” said Dr Carter. Dr Carter referred to some of the breeds mentioned by Mr Colburn. He said that the German White Headed Mutton sheep, sometimes erroneously called the Oldenburg, was descended from the British Cotswold. Perhaps the largest of all European sheep ewes weighed up to 2651 b and averaged 1901 b—it also had the highest wool produc-tion—-about 121 b of crossbred wool in the 445, 50s range. In appearance it was remarkably similar to the Romney. It was, however, a more fertile breed, averaging 180 per cent of lambs bom, although it was noted that flocks were very I small, ranging from five to | 20 ewes. Ewes frequently lambed successfully at one year of age. Growth rate was good but meat conformation and carcase quality were not highly re-

garded. The breed was very well suited to the wetter low-lying areas of North Germany but had not attained popularity elsewhere in Germany or overseas. “The close resemblance of this breed to the Romney would make it highly acceptable to New Zealand farmers,” Dr Carter concluded. “Crossed with the Romney the White Headed Mutton may be expected to raise lambing percentage and growth rate and at least maintain fleece weight The comparison of major Interest here is with the Border Leicester, but no relevant information is available on either productive performance or adaptability of the two breeds.”

Of the Finnish Landrace, Dr Carter said that of all the white-woolled European breeds this was undoubtedly the most prolific with a well documented litter size both in its land of origin—Finland—-and in other European countries of three lambs bom per mature ewe. Ewe lambs were frequently mated and usually produced twins at one year of age. In common with other high fertility breeds milk production appeared to be very satisfactory, the rearing of triplet iambs being not unusual. The Finn was precocious and had a long breeding season. While excelling in fertility it had, how-

ever, some unsatisfactory features. It was a relatively small sheep with ewes averaging 1251 b liveweight, with poor early growth rate. Its conformation was very poor by traditional standards but meat quality was good and overfatness no problem. The wool was of good colour and quality in the 545, 60s range, but ewes clipped only about 411 b of wool. Although usually housed in the severe northern winter it was reputed to be a hardy breed. Extensive crossbreeding trials in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Germany had clearly demonstrated the ability of the Finnish Landrace to boost fertility in crosses with other breeds.

Dr Carter said that he believed that the most effective use of this prolific breed for New Zealand conditions could lie in the development of a |-bred animal adapted to both hill country and lowland conditions. An infusion of 25 per cent Fnnish blood should lift lambing percentage of the Romney by 40 per cent, which on present. indications would correspond to about 50 years of intensive selection for fertility. By selection, or by introducing a suitable third breed, a derived }-bred Finn sheep could, he believed, combine the wool and meat production of the Ronmey with,* lambing potential of 170 per cent. ■ -