The auction of 350 stud sheep in Ashburton proved the heart is still ticking strong among stud breeders.
Despite the blip in the commercial sheep industry Stuart Sinclair’s stud dispersal sale attracted breeders from right across the country who bid up fast and strong for top quality Suffolk, South Suffolk and Cheviot stud ewes.
“There is a bit of a lull at the moment in the commercial sheep sector but that didn’t impact on the auction,” Sinclair said.
“There’s still keen breeders out there and I was very happy with the prices achieved with a lot of the sheep going to existing studs all over the country.”
Of the 350 offered just 10 were returned to Sinclair’s Wakanui farm.
“It was a very good sale so I’m happy in that respect, sad that the stud has finished but a good strong sale to go out on.”
The sale of Sinclair’s three breed studs wrapped up 48 years of stud stock breeding but with sons Nicholas and Hayden, the fifth generation coming on to farm the mixed sheep and cropping property, Sinclair and his wife Teresa had to be realistic about the future for their family.
“You can’t be regulated by your heart. It’s sad in some ways but the future is here and you have to move with it,” Sinclair said.
With investment in irrigation and better returns in other sectors of farming Sinclair is happy and supportive of his sons’ move to more intensive cropping.
Staying on the farm for a bit yet Sinclair looks forward to stepping back as the boys take a more active role and he takes time to follow his sheep in their new directions.
“I have kept a few and I will perhaps still show a few. I will always have an interest.”
With a nationwide reputation for producing quality stock Sinclair has proved time and again over more than 40 years of exhibiting at breed and at A&P shows that his stock are a cut above the rest.
Modest of his reputation in the stud breeding arena Sinclair attributed the success of his dispersal sale to the good selling team.
“We had near 70 registered buyers and this was from all over the country so the sheep will take a bit of keeping up with.”
Sinclair said it was also pleasing to note there were some younger sheep breeders there looking to start with his bloodlines.
“At the moment there are not a lot of young people taking up sheep breeding.”
Trying to breed the perfect sheep was a key driver with Sinclair’s stud stock.
“I have always tried to purchase top sires for all three breeds with the plan being to improve my flock.
“I culled hard to keep a high standard, maintaining it’s better to have quality over quantity.
“It’s difficult to get the perfect sheep but as long as you keep getting improvement that’s the main thing.”
Sinclair sold rams privately and also at the annual Christchurch, Gore and Feilding sales.
A highlight in his ram sales was selling a South Suffolk ram at Feilding for $10,200.
But the people he used to sell rams to, like him, are retiring and the next generation are changing land use, which has seen the decline in the number of breeding ewes.
The future will come back to quality over quantity and he’s confident there are still good prospects for sheep.
“You can’t be a 50-year breeder and walk away. I’ll be keeping a watch with particular interest in what my studs’ bloodlines are up to,” Sinclair said.
