Wiltshire Horn rams

We do still have rams available for those late tupping this year (April onwards), we have two-tooths and older still looking for ladies. Send us your requirements and we will do our best to find a good match. Ewes or ewe lambs won’t be available until next spring/summer, but can be reserved now. We had a lot of interest on our stand at the Dargaville Field days which we shared with the Northland Red Devon cattle society, and the big boys we took up were as placid and laid-back as expected, even though straight out of the paddock- never been in a trailer or pen before. Their quiet intelligence when it came to loading each evening was a source of much admiration, as were their magnificent heads, close shed coats, solid meaty frames, and wet-hardy feet.

One commercial breeder, now in Canterbury, who has experienced the benefits of our top-quality organic rams previously and who came back for another this year, is Ian Simister, and this is his sheep tale…

“In 2001 having time to think for 7 days in hospital, following heart surgery, I realised that directly or indirectly, wool was causing me around 70% of my work for about 8% of nett income, on our steep 2,700 acre Murchison farm.

I rang John Morrison, one of the major breeders of Wiltshires in N.Z. who informed me that:
- all N.Z. Wiltshires, both horned and polled descended from one pure Wiltshire horned ram and 4 Wiltshire/polled Dorset cross breed ewes, imported from Australia in 1972.
- Australia had good numbers of Wiltshire Horns, descended from a relatively small gene pool. A polled version (Wiltipol) was being developed there.
- In England the breed’s stronghold in the Salisbury area had been decimated in the past by an outbreak of foot and mouth leaving the breed very short on genetics.
I bought 6 ram lambs from him and mated them to 600 Perendale ewes, keeping the resulting ewe lambs as foundation breeding stock. Over the years I have sourced rams and contacted breeders nationwide, and been alarmed to find breeders happy to continue breeding from this limited source, often with closed flocks.

I have noticed an increasing, unacceptable mortality rate, in all classes of stock, as well as deformities, and have been keen to source any new invigorating genetics, starting with a pure horned Australian ram from Bev Trowbridge in 2005. This ram really improved shedding, and although smaller than usual, left impressive, larger stock with very few horns.

Last year I chanced on some imported Australian Wiltipol semen, from 2 rams and A.I d some top ewes producing 21 lambs. These Aussie rams were top performers from a large recorded flock ( like S.I.L ) and their lambs have impressive growth rates, but need some improvement shedding.

To help with this I have purchased another ram from Bev and am rapidly producing a new strain, of polled Wiltshires, with as much as 7/8 Australian blood, to use with my commercial ewes.

I have started recording a stud with S.I.L and will start scanning this year. I appreciate the rams I’ve had from Bev so far and hope to continue this process in the future.”

Our rams find favour with polled as well as horned Wiltshire breeders looking to improve the genetics of their flocks.

We are selling a small number of well-grown weaner steers this autumn to discerning buyers. These steers are certified organic and so are highly suitable for anyone growing or rearing organic beef cattle and looking for quality steers to take through, or for lifestylers looking to grow their own organic beef.