WARNING TO FARMERS

Opotiki News, Volume X, Issue 1041, 28 October 1947, Page 3

WARNING TO FARMERS

CHEVIOT SHEEP CROSS NO HASTY CHANGE-OVER “In the North Island the Romney sheep is the popular choice, and quite rightly so, too. Any failure of his to do all that one hopes for is in some eases not his own fault; and to change over to Cheviots would not give any better results where it is the management that is at "fault; “To breed a half-bred or Cheviot fiock requires infinite care and good management, the best of rains (which .are in short supply), and foundation ewes of the correct type.”

These warnings arc contained in the description of the Cheviot sheep trials at Massey Agricultural College, as given in the proceedings of the sheepfanners’ meeting at the College, just,published (Massey College, 10/-). “It will be at least four more years before we arc in a position to answer many of the questions which are being put to us,” states' the author of tile descriptive article (Mr. W. It. It. Hewitt, of Massey College). “Even then there will be further work to do. 1 think it can be fairly stated that we know most of the answers about the first cross, but there is a lot yet to be learned about further crosses; and so it is probably not out of place here to warn any farmers who may consider trying Cheviot rams, that there are pitfalls into which they may stumble, if they arc not very careful.

“These figures have been published not with the idea of trying to ‘boost’ the Cheviot, but as an answer to the repeated inquiries that we have had from farmers who have heard of our work, with these slice;), and who may be tempted to try. the Cheviots, little realising that the problem only begins with the halfbred. The latter is an excellent sheep, but what the next step in the breeding programme should be wc cannot state, and are not prepared to advise at present. “The Cheviot requires all the careful handling and good management that any other sheep does, if one is to get the best out of it. The supply of Cheviot rams is definitely very limited, and any large-scale swingover will mean that inferior rams will bo kept and later sold as sires, instead of being made into wethers. This will mean that infinite harm will be done both to the good name of the breed and to the sheep stocks of New Zealand.

“An institution such as the College has a far.better chance than the average farmer of finding out whether the Cheviot has a definite place .in New Zealand; and I would suggest to those who may be tempted to try the Cheviot that they spend the next four years in a careful stocktaking of their own methods of management. “At the present time the College has further trials planned in other parts of the North Island, and in four years’ time will have a wealth of data, for which it will pay anyone to wait.

“It will be seen that we still have many years ahead of us before we can make any definite statements. The College is in no hurry to form any definite opinions. We intend to work along slowly, methodically collecting all the possible data that we can obtain, both from our own experimental work and from trials outside the College. Possibly in another eight years’ time wc may have made some worthwhile contribution to sheep husbandry in New Zealand.”