THE FARM

Wairere Rams – Over 90 Years of Ram Breeding

The Environment

Wairere has been described as “The worst climate I have ever worked in!”. Wairere is 1070 hectares effective, 1206 hectares total, of medium to steep Wairarapa hill country, rising to 532 meters above sea level. The climate is typically winter wet, summer dry and a Class I wind zone (average year round wind speed of 35kmph on the high ridges). Rainfall is 1125mm average, but the six months from November to April average around 400mm. Only 2% is flat land. The wet cold, windchill-prone climate is a serious testing ground for constitution and feet.

Stock Carried

Normally around 5,450 ewes, 1,500 ram hoggets, 2,200 ewe hoggets (with 4-500 dry hoggets sold in late July) 150 rams and killers, around 9,300 sheep in total. Cattle policy is 360 cows, and 60 trade cattle. selling most weaners. After a good autumn more cattle are wintered. Overall stocking rate: 11.2 to 12.3 su/ha depending on the season.

Mob Stocking

Apart from single-sire mating, and lambing to weaning, ewes are mob-stocked and rotationally grazed. So, too, are ram lambs and ewe lambs. Mob-stocking lambs in mob sizes of 1,000 to 2,500, soon shows up those lambs which cannot cope with competitive grazing pressure.

The Wairere Timeline

Len Daniell started the Akoura Romney stud in 1929. John Daniell selected the best Wairere 5 year ewes in 1967, and mated them to several top Akoura rams. Thus was born a Wairere hill country flock, fully performance recorded from that year. After the accidental death of John in 1983, Derek Daniell took over as studmaster.

 

1929

Akoura Romney Stud Started by Len Daniell.

1967

John Daniell started Wairere hill country flock by selecting the best Wairere 5 year old ewes and mating them to several top Akoura rams.

1980’s

Expansion of ram sales as Wairere became a nationally known ram breeding enterprise.

1984

Derek Daniell assumes management of Wairere as stud master.

1991

Derek becomes a Nuffield Scholar. Promotion activity plus expansion of Wairere breending flock through the formation of joint-ventures (JV’s).

1993

Formation of Wairere South JV.

1996

Formation of Wairere King JV and large scale crossbreeding programme using Finn, East Freisian and Texel.

2005

First 65 Romney rams were air freighted to Melbourne. Start of Wairere Australia JV.

2006

Facial Eczema Tolerance Programme started. Formation of Wairere Challenger.

2007

Formation of Wairere United Kingdom JV. Start of Terminal Sire Programme. Formation of Wairere Dominators.

2011

Formation of Wairere South America.

2012

Formation of Wairere Smart Sheep.

2015

Farm purchased near Heywood, Victoria,  Australia, and Wairere Australia set up with the air freight of 190 ewes, followed by two years of multiple ovulation embryo transfers.

Wairere Team

Derek Daniell

Derek Daniell

Principal

M: +64 21 751 163

Lynette Towler

Lynette Towler

Office Manager

P: +64 6 377 1271

Simon Buckley

Simon Buckley

Business Manager

P:+64 6 372 5560

Office P:+64 6 372 5784

 

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