Romney breeders look at flocks

Press, 4 December 1981, Page 17

Romney breeders look at flocks

Members of the MidCanterbury Stud Romney Breeders’ Club spent a day last week visiting 14 Romney studs in the North Canterbury area. The inspection day was organised to give club members a chance to see how “opposition” breeders were progressing with development of their sheep, the president. Mr D. A. Scott (Lagmhor) said. The touring group included Mr H. E. (Bill) Williams, a Blenheim Romney breeder.

Mr Williams, whose job it ’ was to comment on each of > the studs during a discussion ’ period after the tour, said breeders were able to compare flocks, discuss breeding ; problems with other Romney ■ studmasters, and to deteri mine the mistakes they were > making with their own - flocks. > Mr Williams said it was t several years since he had visited Romney breeders in 1 the area. But since that time i the standard had improved considerably.

Every stud was operating a performance recording system of some sort and most were breeding the open-faced Romney required by today’s commercial Romney farmer. Mr Scott said although the name of the club implied a strictly Mid-Canterbury membership, in fact its boundaries were the Waitaki and Ashley Rivers. The club started about 20 years ago and had 70 members, he said.