New Zealand Farmers Livestock stud stock co-ordinator Brent Bougen acknowledged the difficulty in finding the ideal date for this ram walk with lambing, calving and docking dominating most farmers’ time but with decisions to be made about ram requirements for next season it was important to make them available to view as early as possible.
Dominating most conversations were the effects of facial eczema felt throughout the North Island and parts of the South Island this year.
As Alastair Reeves of Waimai Romneys, Ngaruawahia said, “While there are treatments for clinical FE, these are expensive in both time and money so breeding sheep that are tolerant to the spores that cause the disease is the best long-term method of control.”
Some of the Romney breeders hosting the ram open days would have rams for sale at Claudelands Event Centre on Thursday November 3.
That sale was in its 32nd year and gave the Mid-Northern Romney Group a chance to showcase some of the best rams.
