Poll Dorsets For N.Z.

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 9

Poll Dorsets For N.Z.

Forty-eight Poll Dorset ewes and two rams of the breed were purchased for New Zealand at three sales held last month in Tasmania. Twenty-six of the ewes and two of the rams are for Canterbury.

Sixteen of the ewes are for P. J. Gardner, of Scargill, 10 for G. L. Johns, of Culverden, and the two rams for W. W. Lowe, of Windermere, MidCanterbury. Another 20 ewes are for B. D. Stewart (Levin), and one is for D. A. Booker, Omaka, Blenheim, and one for the Arnage Land Company, Marton.,

One of the sales was held on account of Mr L. A. Stuart, of the Valma stud, who is a founder of the breed. This

is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the stud. Mr Stuart began the project with the introduction of the poll gene with Ryeland ewes. Sheep from the stud have been exported to all Austtralian States, South Africa, and to the counties of Yorkshire and Dorset in England as well as to New Zealand. Late last year a ram from the stud brought a world record price of 2000gns.

At last month’s sale 76 ewes averaged 83gns each and six rams averaged 312gns, with prices ranging up to 550gns. Sixteen selected stud ewes sold to 240gns and averaged 112gns and 60 other stud ewes sold to 130gns and averaged 75gns. One of the other sales was on account of the Wynyard

studs of W. and E. RobertsThomson, and the other on account of six breeders in northern Tasmania who combined for an invitation sale at Launceston.

A special correspondent of “The Press” in Tasmania quotes Mr H. D. Matson, stud stock manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company, Ltd., in Christchurch, who attended the sales and purchase 36 ewes on behalf of New Zealand clients, as saying that certain sections of the farming community in New Zealand were showing an increasing interest in Dorsets because of the swing towards a sire producing a leaner type of lamb for export. This had been brought about by fat lamb producers being penalised for over-fat carcases.