Wharetoa Genetics

Garth and Chris Shaw, Wharetoa Genetics, Balclutha, hold the largest privately run on-farm ram sale each year in New Zealand, when over 300 rams are offered. Wharetoa runs more than 1,200 recorded sheep, mainly of Coopworth and Texel breeds; also crossbreeds, including Wharetoa maternal and Meatmaker terminal. Rams with six different breeding lines are offered at the annual sale. Maternal describes rams which breed flock ewes and terminal rams are those mated to maternal ewes to produce fast-growing, high-yielding lambs for slaughter, not retention in the ewe flock.

Wharetoa Genetics breeds superior genetics for greater profitability. Garth Shaw says the main sheep breeding objective of the Wharetoa enterprise is to breed strong meat qualities into both the maternal and terminal breeds, but also maintain fertility, survival and resistance to internal parasites. He has been a ram breeder for more than 30 years.

Garth calls his approach to sheep breeding the no nonsense approach. They either perform for traits related to profitability or they are culled.

Wharetoa has used S.I.L.(Sheep Improvement Ltd) and modern scientific systems to identify and multiply elite genetics. Sound stockmanship practices are used. All systems used have a hands-on approach. Sheep must be easy to work with and pleasing to look at. All sale rams come from within the top 30% of ram lambs weaned.

Wharetoa Farm is 413ha (380ha effective) rolling country, carrying 3,000 ewes, 800 ewe hoggets and 400 ram hoggets, from where the sale rams come.

The annual two-tooth ram sale at Wharetoa is held during mid-December, after an inspection day prior. All 300-plus rams are sold through the sale ring and they are auctioned with full production data displayed. This sale gives all clients, new and old, an equal opportunity to purchase rams. Wharetoa does not sell rams at any other sales. Garth says that rams are offered for everyone, ensuring a full distribution across the price range.

The quality of the rams put up for sale is at Garths discretion and he only puts forward rams that he would be happy to use himself as a commercial farmer. All rams are vet tested prior to sale. Wharetoa is a brucellosis accredited free flock.

In the December 2011 sale, 325 rams were penned and 292 of these sold at auction. The average price was $1070 and the top price $3000.

In 2010 the average price was $880 for 305 rams sold, with a top price of $2550 for a Texel ram.

Wharetoa produces rams from six breeds or crosses. Offered for sale are rams from two terminal breeds Meatmaker and Suffolk Texel-cross -- and four maternal breeds Coopworth, Texel, Texel Coopworth-cross and Wharetoa maternal.

Garth says the maternal rams will produce ewe flocks with fertility, survival, growth, meat, wool, disease resistance, constitution and conformation that will be profitable and enjoyable to work with. The terminal rams mated to daughters of the maternal rams will produce fast-growing, high meat yielding export lambs.

Meatmaker rams are a stabilized crossbred of Poll Dorset and Texel and are used as terminal sires over ewes of maternal breeds, like Coopworth and Romney. Meatmakers have a very high conversion of grass to meat. They are proven to produce, fast growing, high meat yielding, and have high dressing out lambs. All Meatmaker rams for sale have been DNA tested for the Myomax and Wormstar gene. 60% of these rams are Myomax Gold (double copy of the gene). Garth has registered the Meatmaker name as a new sheep breed.

Suffolk Texel-cross is an easily identifiable terminal sire for high meat yield, selected for meat, growth and survival. Wharetoa is stabilizing this cross also to make it a more worthwhile terminal sire.

Bred in New Zealand from the1960s from Romney and the Border Leicester, the Coopworth is a dual purpose breed for wetter lowlands and easier hill country. Wharetoa breeds Coopworths for fertility, survival, growth, meat, wool and disease resistance. Garths comment about the Coopworth is that it is still a very good sheep, but there are now better breeds out there.

Texels were first brought to New Zealand in 1990. This is a hardy breed and good forager, with well-expressed muscularity. They have superior lamb vigour, higher resistance to internal parasites and produce high meat yielding lambs. Wharetoa breeds Texels solely for maternal traits, not as terminal sires, because Garth believes this is the best way they should be utilized in NZ.

Texel Coopworth-cross are bred from stud Coopworth ewes and high-fertility Texel sires. Rams sold of this cross also carry Myxomax Gold genetics.

Wharetoa maternal is bred from stud Coopworth ewes. These are half Coopworth, three-eighths Texel and one-eighth Poll Dorset. This breed is Garths latest project, which is using everything he has learned over the past 35 years, including Myomax gene, high meat yield and good fertility.

Garth uses the CAT scanner at Invermay each year for 10 to 15 Meatmaker ram hoggets to assess meat/bone/fat ratios and prove eye muscle and hind quarter development. The results inform the selection and use of those rams over the recorded Meatmaker ewes at Wharetoa.

Garth collects blood samples from all ram hoggets which are then DNA tested for the Myomax gene and also the WormSTAR testing, which identifies animals which genetically have greater resistance to parasites and higher productivity. Myomax is a genetic test for a gene that influences carcass weight and muscle yield on the leg and rump. Sheep can carry one or two copies of this gene and when identified with two they are called Myomax Gold.

This season the maximum additional payment by Alliance Group for lambs at day of kill will increase from $5.25 to $6. It costs the same to kill a lamb that has a saleable meat yield at 50%, as one that is 60%, so from a meat company point of view, it makes sense to source high meat yielding lambs and reward suppliers accordingly.

Garth has historical records for his commercial lambs that show he is consistently in the top 5% of Alliance suppliers, for the number of lambs over the Alliance thresholds. These lambs were mainly by Meatmaker terminal sires over Coopworth Texel-cross ewes.