USEFUL MUTTON BREEDS OF SHEEP

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 304, 8 December 1931, Page 10

USEFUL MUTTON BREEDS OF SHEEP

ATTRIBUTES OF THE VARIOUS ENGLISH TYPES. Discussing the various mutton breeds of sheep that are popular in New Zealand. and article in the “Southland Times” puts forward the suggestion that some of the Meat Board’s funds should he used to conduct experiments in the production of fat lambs in order to eater fully for the overseas demand. In Britain the carcase of the sheep has been of more importance than the fleece with the natural result that more attention has been paid to its development so that British breeds on the whole aro essentially mutton sheep, it states. There is, of course, a wide difference in the quality of the meat, the weight of the carcase, and the age of maturity of the several breeds, but generally speaking the small hill and moorland sheep have the finest quality of mutton. The Welsh mountain and Scotch blackface command the highest price a lb. and the latter have qualities for the butcher which none of the other breeds possesses. Except the Downs, none, of the lighter breeds would suit New Zealand conditions, but the Downs are here to stay as their early maturing qualities combined with a meaty carcase keeps them in demand for the lamb export trade, though locally there is a danger of a scarcity of the proper type of ewes to put to Down ranis. In the North Island it is quite different, as there are large reserves of Romney station ewes to drawn on, but in Southland the supply of these is very limited, and while the extensive use of Down rams may be good for the export trade it is decidedly against keeping our breeding flocks up to a high standard. The Southdown is the fashion of the moment, but fat lamb growers are not confined to any particular breed to make profits. On the contrary, we have an abundance of the best Border Leicesters in the Southern Hemisphere, thousands of English Txucesters in Canterbury and nu increasing number of Ryelands. The Border Leicester is amongst the very best of the British breeds for early maturity and carries the meat on the valuable parts of the carcase and though not too well filled in the crutch, yet the weight put on in a given time under ordinary conditions keeps the breed right in the front rank as profitable mutton sheen. There can be no question about this, as in extensive experiments in different parts of the world the Border Leicester has invariably taken first place for early maturity. ENGLISH LEICESTER. Some 30 years ago English Leicester rams were extensively used in South I land, hut for some reason the 'hiiimvl

for them died down. They have a neat carcase and it must be remembered that it was the English Leicester which was largely. responsible for making the reputation of Canterbury lamb. Canterbury evidently suits them better than Southland, as one drawback with them here was that the cull lambs were so very small that it was difficult to dispose of them. All tho same, when mated with Romney ewes the result is a type of sheep which is very hard to beat for the average Southland farm. The Ryelands seem to be gaining favour slowly but surely as they are very attractive sheep built on similar lines to the Southdown. The breed society does not advertise them sufficiently as they have outstanding .qualities both as fat lamb producers and for general purposes. It seems strange that although we hold premier position for quality of fat lambs, Australia is experimenting far more extensively in their production than we are doing in New Zealand. Apart from those referred to there are several breeds in Britain noted for early maturity. The Suffolk holds pride of place for putting on meat quickly and Dorset Horns produce two crops of lambs annually, though under such highly artificial conditions ps to be impracticable here. Oxford and Hampshire Downs are used extensively in Scotland and the north of England for the production of early lambs and the Shropshire is also a favourite in the north, though the Southdown is rarely used, which may be explained by the fact that the breeders there want fat Inmbs to run from 501 b. upwards. MAKE EVERY POST A WINNING ONE. There are no farmers in any part of the world who know the art of feeding stock better than Scotsmen and they never allow any local prejudice to influence them in selecting the class of stock to breed or feed. We here in New Zealand might profit by following their lead in this respect, as with a limited population parochial ideas are apt to become dominant. Our export lamb trade has assumed dimensions never anticipated by even the most sanguine, but we must keep in mind that other countries are also annually increasing their output and improving the quality, and to keep in the lead New Zealand farmers must make every post a winning one. The Meat Board was established to protect and assist producers here and there is no reason why some of the accumulated funds should not be utilised to experiment with different breeds in the prizes as is being done is right enough, hut it does not go far enough, and farmers cannot at the present time afford to take the risks of experimenting. It is generally admitted that the Southdown is the favourite on the Smithfield market, but farmers ( generally, and Southland farmers particularly, want to know if it is the niost profitable lamb for them to grow". The Oxford, Hampshire, Suffolk and Dorset Horn are all practically unknown in New Zealand, yet they are all used in Britain, our only market, far more extensively for the fat lamb trade than the Southdown. It may also he pointed out that the members of the Meat Board are waking up to the fact that there are other, large outlets for our meat outside oT "Smithfield and in these northern markets heavier lambs are in demand. Some of the idle funds of the board might r therefore be very profitably used cn the lines indicated.