Object high-fertility Corriedale

Press, 13 November 1981, Page 16

Object high-fertility Corriedale

The Amuri Corriedale Development Company is seek-' ing to breed a high fertility Corriedale for use on irrigated country in the district where construction of the Waiau Plains irrigation scheme is in progress. The chairman of the company. Mr G. E. Jameson, told members of the executive ol the agricultural section oi North Canterbury Federated Farmers, who "visited the company’s farm at the end of last week, that while there had been talk of the end oi the Corriedale with the introduction of irrigation, it was felt if it was possible to produce a Corriedale that would give a lamb drop of 140 to 150 per cent and produce a big clip of desirable wool there would be nothing to touch it. The results of 11 years work, he said, had "been pretty spectacular. Some 70,000 sheep had been screened on individual properties associated with the group with the best of the two-tooths being sent to the central flock. Although the selection criteria were not quite so high now as they had been, he said that the aim was to retain in the central flock only sheep that produced twins. About three years ago a property of slightly more than 80 hectares in the district came up for sale and some six of the members of the group showed interest in buying it. Previously the central flock had been run on one of the member’s properties. It was taken over a little over two years ago and since then production- on the property and its development have been affected by construction of an irrigation race through it. While about 29 hectares are now in borders for irrigation it is expected that by the end of next year about 48 hectares

or 120 acres will be able to be irrigated. Stocking has had to be related to feed supply and present stock numbers representing about 650 stock units are expected to increase to 1100 in two years time. Mr J. C. Douglas, who is executive director of the company, said that while the lamb drop had not been so good this year it had been aoout 157 per cent to ewes mated last year and could be up to 160 to 170 per cent again next year. Mr Jameson recalled that when last year they had entertained visitors from Brazil, one of the members of the party had been so impressed with their sheep that he had remarked that he had not seen anything like them before. The company’s flock has been recorded under Sheeplan since its inception, but it is not registered and Mr Jameson said that .sheep had been sent to the Department of Agriculture in Brazil as a gift. Contributors to the central flock receive one free ram bred in the central flock for every five ewes that they supply and thereafter they can buy additional rams. The visit to the company’s property was made by members of the agriculture section executive while on an expedition to look at irrigation development in the area. Before they went to the farm they also held a meeting in Mr M. G. Gould’s new shearing or wool shed at The Hermitage, which has a fivestand curved board and adjacent covered space for 1200 sheep utilising the old shed on the site for that purpose. There are about 10,000 sheep on the property. The new complex was built and also largely designed by Mr Bruce Gregg, of Christchurch. It was used for the first time in July.