Warning Against Cheviot Cross

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26625, 22 November 1947, Page 2

Warning Against Cheviot Cross

The Farm

“In the North Island the Romney sheep is the popular choice, and rightly so. Any failure of his to do all that one hopes for is in some cases not his own fault; and to change over to Cheviots would not give any better results where it is the management that is at fault.”

This warning is contained in the description of the Cheviot sheep trials at Massey Agricultural College, which was given at a sheepfarmers’ meeting at the college, and has since been published.

“To breed a halfbred or Cheviot flock requires infinite care and good management, the best of rams (which are scarce), and foundation ewes of the correct type. “ It will be at least four more years before, we are in a position to answer many of the questions which are being put to us,” states the author of the descriptive article (Mr W. R. R. Hewitt, of Massey College). “Even then there will be further work to do. I think it can be fairly stated that we know most of the answers about the first cross, but there is much yet t.o be learned about further crosses; and so it is probably not out of place here to warn any farmers who may consider trying Cheviot rams, that there are pitfalls into which they may stumble, if they are not very careful.”