The purchase of Haunui Station included a Coopworth breeding flock, which the previous owners Rex and Lorraine Richardson had worked hard to develop.
The Sansons debated crossbreeding with Romney genetics. They realised within three years the value of the Coopworths and decided to stick with the breed, sourcing rams from Brett and Lucy Teutenburg at Hinenui stud near Gisborne.
They said the Coopworths produced a good type of mid-micron coarse wool – usually 31 micron from hoggets and 39 micron from the breeding ewes.
“We’ve got to shear them anyway and if you don’t get a reasonable amount of wool, it’s going to cost you to shear them,” Rachel said.
“It’s never cost us to take it off.”
During the lowest points in the market, their wool was fetching $2.20/kg. The Sansons’ last two loads of wool fetched $4.25 and $4.30/kg.
Ram selection is based first on stockmanship. Up to 20 rams are selected by eye, focusing mainly on constitution, feet, wool quality and type, before going to the breeding indexes to pick the final seven or eight.
The Hinenui flock has an FE Gold rating, applied to breeders who have achieved the highest level of facial eczema tolerance.
The Sansons also select rams with double worm star ratings for worm resistance.
Tom Sanson is stock manager on his family’s hill-country station north-west of Gisborne.
