Special Note

View Hill 348-96, Rosedale 201-96, and Rosedale 278-97 are currently under quarantine for Artificial Breeding Services. Please contact for information on semen availability.

January 2001

The busy farming year continues at Rosedale. The treatment of all lambs is the main task at present,-drenching and dagging. The purchase of an additional 4000 store lambs, to the 7000 born at Rosedale has given us a good number to work thru this year. Lamb prices are remaining firm despite the recent rise in the NZ$

800 of our own lambs were killed before Xmas, and  an additional 500 at the start of January, and we anticipate a large draft of lambs towards the end of this month.

All of the 2th and 4th ewes have been shorn, and we will shear  the stud/elite/growbulk ram lambs and all potential replacement ewe lambs in January. All older ewes were shorn mid winter and it is intended to shear them again at the start of March.

The other main task is the selling of rams. Demand is good for both the Romneys and the Growbulks and we are are involved with a number of new clients, particularly with the Growbulks.

There is a general trend towards crossbreeding in the south. A certain amount of the hype is probably media fuelled. The impression of a progressive attitude to farming, necessitating some type of crossbreeding, belittles the sound gains many farmers continue to make with their existing breeds. Within the three base breeds of Romney, Coopworth and Perendale, there remains a focused group of breeders who are using objective measurement to continue the cumulative genetic gain they have made.

The achievement of having two Rosedale Rams, Rosedale 20-99 and Rosedale 225-99, placed as the two highest performing ram hoggets from a possible of 4500 within the Southland Otago Romney Group, has been a pleasing feature. Rosedale 20-99 was auctioned at the  group sale on January the 18th, and sold to two members within the group for stud purposes. We have retained Rosedale 225-99 for breeding.

The purchase of a neighboring property has increased the workload over the summer period. It is intended to increase ewe numbers by 1000-1500 to stock the new property. For those who are interested in the area it is part of the original Elmsleigh property farmed by the Johnson family since settlement, and when now combined with our Valley View property, represents 80% of the original Johnson holding.

The cooler summer we are experiencing continues, however the frequent rain has alleviated any fear of a repeat of the two previous dry summers. Clover growth is good, and the topping of paddocks has been rewarded with an abundance of quality lamb feed.

The cooler summer has allowed no surplus pasture for silage or hay. Anticipating this earlier in the summer we have made provision for winter supplementation with over 200 acres of swedes, along with the conserved silage carried over from last year.

Lamb prices are continuing to hold firm and the Freezing Companies are undertaking to hold an even price thru the selling season. This undertaking has seen the price of store lambs increase, as buyers have more confidence in a strong season. At Rosedale we have targeted a 17.5kg home breed lamb, and a 16.5 store lamb for kill.

Wool prices have slipped since the early season sales, and now are back to similar levels as last year. Disappointing after the early season optimism. 

Once the lamb shearing is completed, the next task will be dipping all the winter shorn ewes, the on-going weighing and processing of lambs, and preparation for the harvest season.