The farm

environment and stock

Run on 1600ha of generally meduium/steep heavy clay loam soils in a 1200mm rainfall, our sheep get pushed hard on a pasture only diet (no supplementry feeding). The wet and windy coastal environment is truely the perfect testing ground for our Nudie and Angus stud genetics. Winter stocking usually consists of around 6,500 ewes, 1900 ewe hoggets (with 400-450 dry hoggets sold in the spring), 80 mature rams plus ram lambs. In addition to this 450 PTIC cows, their 1 yo progeny and mature bulls are also carried
The shorn portion of 1st x nudie 1.5 yo ewes at mating.

transition to nudies

Originating from a Romney stud (First registered in 1921), that at its peak sold up to 300 rams anually in the 1980's, 2010 saw the first purchase of maternal composite genetics from Cashmore Park, this saw a rapid improvement in fertility, growth rates and doing ability. During years of flock expansion several number of ewe lots were purchased from both Cashmore Park and Oaklea. In 2020 constant poor wool prices and the hassle, stress and workload that wool created, a move to a Nudie shedding flock begun. 23 Nudie rams were purchased from Cashmore Park and 600 nudie ewes from Cashmore clients. The first joining comprised 1700 maternal composite ewes (selected for bareness of points and short staple length) and 600 nudies. Three other Nudie ewe lots were added in the following year. In 2022 with the help of Mark Furguson and Henry Hickson from Nextgen Agri the nudie flock was classed down to 400 ewes and 200 ewe lambs to form the Lochs stud nucleus.Sexed female semen was used out of one of our top Nudie rams, along with industry leading semen from Cashmore Park and Low Footprint Lamb. The 400 mature ewes we're AI'd and ewe lambs naturally joined, with 850 lambs tagged and recorded at birth. Our observations in crossbreeding Nudies over maternal composites: 1st x - Not much shedding in 1st yr of life, in spring as 1 yo small % shed bare, with 15-20% shedding enough to not require shearing , majority with clean bellies and very bare breech. No 1st x were crutched for their 2 yo lambing (may need to dag <5% at weaning. Grow around 70% of the staple of composites (potential longer shearing interval) 2nd x - Many lambs were starting to shed by lamb marking, shore a small % at our January shearing (but perhaps didnt need to). None crutched pre lamb and no dags present, very bare breeches and bellies, some starting to shed in mid september (anticipate only 20-30% will require shearing at 1.5 yo) 3rd x - With 3rd x lambs hitting the ground in 2023, we anticipate none will need any wool management. If a small percent does they will be simply pushed into the 1st x management group.
Uncrutched 1st x 2 yo ewes at lambing, bare breeched and about to start shedding
2nd x lambs at marking early Dec 2022
2nd x 1 yo ewes on point of lamb, early Sep 2023

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