Interest in wool-less sheep

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32776, 29 November 1971, Page 5

Interest in wool-less sheep

For many New Zealand farmers who feel their sheep are not worth shearing, and wish there was a breed that did not require shearing, this year’s United Kingdom Nuffield Scholar, Mr R. I. Owen, may have the solution.

Mr Owen, who farms 1600 acres of pastoral country at Bodorgan, Angelsey, in Wales, has an old-established flock of Wiltshire Horn sheep known as the wool-less breed.

Naturally, they come in for discussion when Mr Owen

discusses farming in Wales. “There has been terrific interest in them here,” he said in Christchurch. “A lot of farmers would like to get some, but veterinary restrictions, being what they are. it is most unlikely you will be able to get any.” Mr Owen’s stud Wiltshires produce up to 170 per cent of lambs, and over the last 10 years have a recorded lambing average of 166 per cent. They have been exported to several countries. The Wiltshire Horn is a i mutton breed, and because it : sheds its coat in the spring? does not require shearing. It: has some clear advantages, particularly in regard to shepherding. It is fine in the head and neck and ease of lambing is stated to be one of its strong points. The smaller farmer in the United Kingdom was really up against it, he said. Over-1

taken bv circumstances and unable to expand, a lot of them were on lower incomes: than farm workers. | “The average size of a: farm in the United Kingdom is 85 acres, and unless it is I intensively managed, it is pretty difficult to survive?’ Land prices bad also increased tremendously. In Mr Owen's district, it was worth £175. It was capable of supporting six ewes to the acre, although the growing season was much shorter than in i New Zealand. : Asked how European : breeds of cattle were faring ;in the United Kingdom, Mt ' Owen said the Charolais had ■ been established there now for 10 years. These cattle : had made a niche for themselves, although they were not expanding now as fast as they had been. “They are big, hungry Seattle, and must be fed

1 accordingly,” Mr Owen said.; fi“There is still room for the: . traditional cattle—very much I indeed.” I J Discussing the marketing J aspect of agriculture, Mr J J Owen said that fat lamb pro’jducers in the United KingIdom had been advocating r ;more rationalisation of export 1 supplies during certain months of the year. Because , most of the home lambs ” were on the market in the , second six months of the year, British farmers would 1 like to see imported lamb being marketed mainly in the ’ first six months. At the! j moment, they felt they had v a long way to go to obtain an improvement in the situa-' _ tion. e Mr Owen said the price of s home lamb was based on the < price of imported lamb; fresh lamb usually being 6d a lb V more than imported frozen a lamb.