SHEEP – BREEDING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 5, 15 May 1913, Page 461

SHEEP - BREEDING.

J. L. BRUCE.

Stock-breeding a National Industry.

The subject of first importance to the farmer of New Zealand, and indirectly to the Dominion, is that of stock-breeding. Primarily a grazing-country, our chief concern should be the maintaining

of our flocks and herds, at a high standard of excellence. The breeding of sound and profitable animals is a necessary corollary to successful farming in any land,, but to New Zealand, situated so far from its main markets, with keen rivals to face, and with the cost of production generally on a high plane, it is imperative that the choicest quality of product must, be obtained if success is to attend our operations. In the important work of sheep-breeding we have many difficulties to face. The successful breeding of animals is - not a business that can be learnt from the best work ever written, or, indeed, in

many cases even though an apprenticeship were served m a sound practical school;. Remembering this, and that in this young country many of our farmers have not graduated on the land, but have taken up pastoral pursuits practically as novices, it would be surprising were all the men breeding sheep in New Zealand capable of producing the best types of animals, or even of observing the elementary rules necessary to the . maintenance of good type and constitution. Education is necessary if a general appreciation of the. importance of observing the accepted principles in breeding is to be secured. In this connection. it is much to be desired that reform should be effected m the method of judging sheep at our agricultural shows. If the exhibits are to merely interest competing breeders or even competent authorities the present system may serve a purpose; but if the bulk of our farmers are to gain any information the reason for the awards should be plainly stated, so that any visitor may understand the placing of the different awards and thus secure some benefit from the competitions. . Students’ judging competitions should, also be encouraged more by our agricultural societies, and generally definite effort should be made to bring prominently before our sheep-farmers a sound knowledge of the ideals to be aimed at in breeding. Magnitude of the Interests at Stake. A few figures will indicate the great importance of the sheepbreeding industry, and the dominant part it plays in our nationa prosperity. The total number of sheep in the Dominion at 30th April, 1912, was 23,750,153.

The-exports for twelve months ending 31st March, 1912, were as follows : ’ . . ' . .

Mutton and' lamb exported and locally consumed, £ 6,138,176 carcases, value .. •• •• 4,447,042 Sheep (live) exported, 7,855, value •• • • 40,000 Wool exported, 176,963,607 lb. ; locally utilized, , 206,2501 b., value •• •• •• ; * 6,785,234 Skins, pelts, fat, and by-products, value .. •• ’ 943,183 £12,215,459

From the above figures it will be observed that the amount received from wool, mutton, and by-products is] [equal to about 10s. 3d. per head on the flocks of the Dominion. To further demonstrate t e

stability of this industry and' the marvellous recuperative capabilities of dur flocks the following figures may be of interest: — ‘

It will thus be seen that the average number of sheep withdrawn from our flocks annually for export and local consumption is about 27| per cent., and, after making a reasonable allowance for deaths from all causes, it will be seen that the total number of sheep in the Dominion is absorbed and replenished every three years.

It may be argued that the above figures reveal stagnation. As a matter of fact, some pessimistic critics in the Home-country, evidently without full knowledge of the conditions or capacity of the Dominion, and even some within its •. borders with possibly less knowledge of the subject, have recently been ventilating erroneous statements, concluding that the sheep industry of New Zealand had reached its maximum. To those who are conversant with the subject such assertions scarcely require refutation, but to those interested, and who may be less familiar with the possibilities • of the country for the expansion of the industry, a brief review of the prospects and conditions favourable to its further development may be of interest. The rapid progress of the dairy industry during the last few years has to some extent retarded the increase of the flocks. In a young country, notwithstanding the wonderful facility of its inhabitants to meet altered conditions, some little time is required’ for readjustment, and no doubt this is to some extent accountable for the seeming present lack of buoyancy in the exports of sheep - products or the number of sheep. Nevertheless, when it is remembered that out of the 40,238,000 acres shown by statistics as being under occupation (a large portion of which is only now commencing to recover from the ravages of the rabbit pest) only about 16,266,000 acres are nominally under cultivation (but a small portion, however, being under close cultivation), of which area about 14,000,000 acres are in grass, and, further, that of the whole area under cultivation less than 1,000,000 acres are in green crops and a much smaller portion still under anything approaching regular intensive cultivation, the marvel is that the carrying-capacity is what it has been. It should be apparent to any one who has studied

the subject that the area (so called) under cultivation is easily capable, under more intensive and thorough cultivation, of carrying at least 50 per cent, more sheep. Again, take the millions of acres of unoccupied lands in the North Island awaiting development, much of which will become ideal sheep-country, it is no optimistic prediction to assert that this country is easily capable of carrying not 24,000,000 but 50,000,000 sheep, and still provide excellent scope for the expansion of the dairy industry on the rich low lands less suitable for sheep ‘but eminently adapted for dairying.

Much has been written concerning our great primary industries, all of which add more or less to the aggregate of the Dominion’s wealth, but when the magnitude of the above figures is considered the sheep industry is seen to still command the leading position. The importance of this particular industry being manifest, it may be asked why so little literature of a practical nature is available for the guidance of those already engaged in it or those who contemplate taking it up. The answer is that the management of sheep is a business demanding experience combined with keen powers of observation and a natural intuition for it.- Without the possession of these, any literature, no matter however practical, would possibly be more detrimental than advantageous. Further, the conditions appertaining to the management of sheep are so varied that, unless in answer to a specific question, nothing beyond generalities on the broadest lines can be given with safety. New Zealand a Natural Habitat of the Sheep. The remarkable success of the sheep industry in this country is due to several leading factors : the soil and climate are eminently suitable for sheep-breeding; the men who founded the industry, and have since controlled its destinies, have thoroughly understood it; and the discovery of artificial refrigeration made possible the exportation of meat, and thereb., provided the final requirement to a successful enterprise. The Men to be honoured. In any reference to our great sheep industry the splendid foundation laid by our pioneers must not be overlooked. Of the work of establishing agriculture in New Zealand but few records have been handed down to us ; but it is with pride we recall the fact that the founders of the agriculture of the Dominion were of the best blood of the. Old Land. They brought with them not only a knowledge of how to rill the soil, but that inherited love for live-stock, and skill in breeding it, which is one of the traditions of the British race. They possessed the

characters which have made British farmers the stud-masters of the world. Men of all branches of the British .race have contributed to the building-up of New Zealand agriculture, but if there is one type which deserves .more than passing reference it is the Scottish shepherd. Some of the finest flocks and herds developed in this country owe their pre-eminence to the fact that the owners were, or had the assistance of, men who had herded sheep on the hills and in the glens of Scotland, and to this day these Scottish breeders hold a dominant position in the live-stock world of the Dominion. / What Decadence or Improvement means. As an illustration of the importance and extent of the industry and what its progress or decadence means not only to those directly interested, but to the community generally, it might be pointed out that in wool alone an increase of production of 1 lb. of wool per sheep, at 9d. per pound, represents a sum of £862,500, to which may be added as a sequence of the improved productive power a corresponding improvement in quality representing, say, l|d. per pound, which, based on an average clip of 7 lb. of wool, would give a further increase of £1,006,250, making a total of nearly £2,000,000 sterling to the credit of the producers. On the other hand, a decadence means a corresponding deficit. While admitting that a united and fairly strenuous effort may be necessary to accomplish the former, it would require no great mismanagement or length of time to accomplish the latter. Briefly, it is possible through wool alone, without increasing our present' numbers of sheep, to affect the financial position of the country by nearly £4,000,000 sterling per annum, by either attaining a reasonable maximum production on the one hand, or an easily attainable decadence on the other. * Flocks a Credit to the Dominion. At no previous time have the leading stud flocks of the Dominion attained a . higher standard of excellence than obtains at the present time. A visit to a few of the principal agricultural and pastoral shows will satisfy the, most critical judge that in no industry in this, or perhaps any other, country do those concerned know their business better than a very large proportion of New Zealand stud-sheep breeders; and to further realize the energy of stud-sheep breeders in maintaining the high standard of their stock one has only to observe the continuous importations into the Dominion of the very best blood from Great Britain; and to further safeguard this branch of the industry the New Zealand sheep-breeders’ associations are doing excellent work. It is held by some that the good work done by the associations is

capable of wider expansion, but- whether this is so or not need not be here discussed. Suffice it to say it is abundantly evident that our stud, sheep, which are the foundation of the flocks, are of the highest standard quality; therefore with ordinary care there is no reason to expect other than a steady improvement in the quality of our flocks.

With regard to ordinary flock sheep the case is rather different, due in great measure to the necessary evolution taking place in the business of sheep-farming, as a result in the first place of the development of the mutton and lamb trade following on the establishment of the freezing industry, and, later on, of the rapid expansion of closer settlement, which has created a large community of farmers who are forced, by reason of the value -of their ‘ land and the limited area of it, to specialize in the fattening of sheep and lambs, and must therefore leave to others the breeding of their ewes and rams. Assuming, for the sake of argument, that, as a natural sequence, under these circumstances some deterioration may take place, the points of weakness to be detected and rectified may be considered. What may be expected as the outstanding symptoms ? Hereditary traces of many breeds, absence of uniformity both in size, character, and type, shrinkage in wool-production, and much of this showing almost every conceivable grade from fine combing to coarse hair of various colours. It would be evident,- therefore, where such conditions have prevailed that degeneration must have extended back over several generations ; and if the ewes were the progeny of those bred on the same holding for several generations it would be reasonable, seeing that the rams in a sense represent half the flock, to inquire what rams had been used. In the large majority of cases where deterioration in a flock had taken place it would be found that the indiscriminate selection of rams had been the crux of the whole matter, and there is little doubt that the principal factor - had been the extensive use of inferior or unsuitable rams. It is noticeable that some flockowners will not pay a reasonable price, even from, say, £3, for a decent ram, preferring to buy an inferior animal of almost any breed or breeds for 15s. or £l. In such cases, if deterioration is to be avoided, owners would do well to change their methods and to carefully watch their flocks.

It is said, and with considerable truth,’ that “ half the breeding goes in at the mouth.” While it cannot be altogether gainsaid that the intelligent feeding of any stock is a most important factor, it is a fact nevertheless that, no matter how well fed, unless sheep are bred on proper lines the final result must be retrogression.

An important factor in. the sheep industry is the steady diminution of the Merino flocks in the South. Merino ewes are becoming more

difficult to obtain every year. This means that prices are increasing correspondingly, hence there is a growing difficulty of maintaining half-bred flocks which have been, in the South Island in particular, the foundation of our crossbred flocks both for wool and . mutton.

When it is remembered that of the world’s supply of crossbred wool New Zealand takes the lead for quality .(a fact freely admitted by the trade), it behoves us to endeavour to maintain - this enviable position. Can we do so ? Judging from what has been accomplished, everything points to a steady improvement in the best grades of this class of wool, . and credit is due to the flockowners who, with' careful study and long experience in mating their sheep, assisted by the suitability of the soil and favourable climatic conditions, have brought about'the existing high standard of our crossbred wool. Notwithstanding the fact that the Merino is decreasing in -numbers, the nature of large pastoral areas is such that it may reasonably be expected that a sufficient number of Merino sheep will always be maintained to keep up the foundation so essential to the highest grades of this wool. The Ram to look for. The fact that the ram is the dominating factor in deciding the destiny of the flock suggests to those just entering upon pastoral pursuits, or to some who may have fallen victims to' the results of indiscriminate mating, the importance of the question how to select a ram. A few points regarding some of the most popular breeds and crosses is given at the end of this article, but a few of the more important features bearing on the selection of flock rams of any breed might be given here, - viz. : The ram should be purebred and true to type, with a strong, bold carriage ; of a decidedly masculine character, showing - marked individuality and uniformity ; of a. medium-sized, build without a tendency to be undersized ; well set on his legs, indicating strength and thriftiness; well ribbed up, with deep full quarters and well-developed thighs both inside ' and outside. The head' should be decidedly masculine, being at the same time clean and full of character, and should be carried on a powerful neck, well set into the shoulders. A weak neck should never be tolerated. . The eyes should be bright and reasonably prominent, with nothing sluggish in their appearance ; in short, he should be a ram, every inch of him. The wool should show density of fibre, good length of staple,. and be of as uniform quality all over the body as can reasonably be expected, with as little tendency to coarseness about the thighs as possible. Every ram should be carefully examined before purchase for the presence of hair on any part of the body and promptly rejected if showing signs of kemp. Never buy. an old ram. ■ ■■

A Particular Breed must have a ' Suitable Environment. A factor to which more importance will have to be attached is the allocating, of the different breeds of sheep to country to which they are naturally adapted, and the reservation of suitable areas upon which they can be profitably bred. Take, for example, the Merino, which has been (and in the writer’s opinion there is nothing yet in sight to take its particular place) the foundation of our export trade in wool, and to some extent in that of mutton: As already mentioned,, the Merino is steadily decreasing in numbers, two of the chief causes possibly being the subdivision of suitable pastoral country for closer settlement, and that half-breds bring better prices. Fortunately for the future maintenance of the Merino as the foundation of southern commercial flocks, ■ large areas of the back country in the South eminently suitable for. this breed are unsuitable for closer-settlement purposes, and, so far as one can see, will always remain the home of the Merino. If so, this will be to some extent the means of conserving this valuable sheep, and make it obtainable at prices within the reach of the low-country sheep-farmer who looks to it to renew his crossbred flock. With careful adjustment of areas according to carrying-capacity and proper allocation of the flocks according to their natural requirements, the pastoral lands of the Dominion will always be the nursery of our mutton and wool industry. Next in order come the small grazing-runs of the South Island with their half-breds, and in the North the Romney and Lincoln crosses ; next the semi-pastoral areas of second-class lands with the class of crossbreds favoured in the respective Islands, lands with considerable fattening capabilities ; and next, and last, the first-class lands and purely agricultural areas, which are essentially the centre of the fat-lamb industry, the fattening-ground of our frozen mutton and the home of the long-woolled stud, flocks. Under the above process a steady migration of the flocks is taking place, each class of country fulfilling its part in this great national industry; and. with careful selection and mating at the hands of owners there need be no pessimistic apprehensions concerning its future. Systems of Crossing recommended. For the information of the more or less inexperienced sheep-farmer, the following is a list of a few crosses which may assist as a guide of what to do and what not to do : A profitable and popular form of mating sheep for comparatively dry southern, pastoral country.: Purebred English Leicester, Border .Leicester, or Lincoln ram to purebred Merino progeny half-bred. - Half-bred ewes put to English Leicester, Border Leicester, or Lincoln ram (continue with ram of same breed as in the original cross) —

progeny, crossbred. For purely flock purposes continue on these lines. The progeny of the Lincoln ram make good commercial sheep, but unless the ewes are exceptionally strong and “ roomy ” a heavy deathrate at lambing is almost inevitable.

To keep up a crossbred flock a number of half-bred ewes should be bred every year, as after several crosses the progeny will have lost its more marked Merino characteristics to a considerable extent.

“ Come-backs ” : Some flockowners seem to have been fairly successful in what is known as the “ come-back ’ systemthat is, when Merino ewes have been unobtainable, to use a Merino ram on well-bred ewes which have practically lost their Merino characteristics. This is generally recognized as crossing the wrong way, and to be adopted successfully requires the very greatest of skill and care in culling.

In the more moist hill country of the North Island a Romney Marsh ram should be used 'in place of those breeds recommended for dry country. The fact should be emphasized here that the Romney to be used in such cases should be of the dense-woolled active type.

Romneys or Lincolns, comparatively pure, are particularly adapted for heavy low country, especially in a fairly moist climate. Judging from present indications, the former breed of sheep, owing to its marvellous adaptability to conditions vastly different to its original habitat, is possibly destined to be the predominating breed in many districts of the Dominion, more particularly so in the North Island.

Purebred Shrops, Downs, and other dark-faced breeds are excellent sheep on suitable country; and ,to breeds of this type, mated with crossbred ewes, the high standard of our frozen mutton, especially lamb, is largely due; but great care should be taken to see that none of these crosses are allowed to remain in the flock for breedingpurposes. • •

Indiscriminate crossing should be avoided, and those who may find it necessary to purchase breeding-ewes should avoid saleyard lots unless breeding and history is guaranteed.

Any breeder mating his sheep promiscuously will in a very short time find that his flock will have deteriorated into a mediocre one, however good it may originally have been. His only remedy, then, is to make a clean sweep and commence afresh.

Ryeland sheep (the “ white-faced ” Down) are not generally known in this country, but are proving themselves admirably adapted for present-day requirements, and give excellent results for crossing purposes in connection with the fat-lamb and frozen-mutton industry when it is. considered that wool must always remain a dominant requirement.

The Corriedale is every year evolving steadily into a more fixed type, and is already regarded by many - flockowners as a distinct breed. It is a good sheep for all-round purposes, suited for either semi-pastoral or agricultural country with a moderately dry climate.

Points for Intending . Sheep-farmers : How to commence and continue.

After noting the quality and condition of the soil upon which the sheep are to depasture, and carefully observing its aspect and its natural and climatic conditions, the intending sheep-farmer, to be successful, should decide definitely which breed of sheep will best suit the country, at the same time firmly fixing upon an ideal type, and also should determine never to forget the one essential to success — namely, don't overstock. A rule which should also be remembered is to frequently change, where possible, the sheep from one paddock to another. A permanent supply of fresh water is essential. Careful observance of these details will largely prevent parasitic ailments, and ensure a healthy flock with a minimum death-rate. Important as these points are, however, it is on breeding and judicious feeding that the main success of the sheep-farmer must depend. Having sheep

suitable to his environment, culling heavily to maintain type and constitution, and managing them to advantage, he will within a few years find himself in possession of a flock to be proud of, and one which will redound both to his own credit and to that of the industry.

Year. . . Number of Sheep. Number of Breeding-ewes. ... Percentage of Breedingewes. Exported and locally consumed.; Percentage withdrawn from Elocks. 1907 . . 20,983,772 10,736,846 ‘ 5112 6,156,471 - 29-33 1908 22,449,053 11,244,041 50-08 6,011,587 26-33 1909 23,480,707 12,370,346 52-68 5,913,515 25-18 • 1910 24,269,620 12,515,380 51-07 6,544,171 26-90 1911 23,996,126 12,324,463 51-35 7,447,704 31-03 1912 23,750,153 12,277,029 ' 51-69 6,307,398 26-55