Sheep

Shearing & animal health costs outstrip the income from strong wool and one academic believes it’s a no brainer to lean into Wiltshires (shedding sheep). Rebecca uncovers the benefits of the breed from the research trial at Massey University along with the inspirational story of one East Coast farmer who had his capital stock wiped out from a drought and a cyclone.

Are you having to balance a lack of feed and holding ewe condition in a dry Autumn? This episode is jam-packed with technical knowledge from two farmers and a veterinarian. Mark Zino shares how to juggle feeding grain and silage to not overdo it, Alistair Bird shares why he’s not mating his ewe hoggets this season, and vet Peter Anderson of Marlborough gives key tips for tupping, teaser rams, timing and triplets.

With Golden Shears 2024 being packed with crowds and the sheer number of women coming into both shearing and wool-handling, how do we keep stoking the fire of talent whilst we wait for a return to better wool prices? 

In a special bonus episode, independent nutrient advisor Melinda Turner helps balance animal health with the soil nutrients we are applying to ensure we aren’t curbing the animal’s performance in the meantime.

A recent national report showed that a third of sheep farmers have triple drench resistance. Rebecca Greaves and Sarah Perriam-Lampp uncover what that means for you, discussing the financial impacts of drench resistance with Wairarapa vet Sara Sutherland, drench management plans with Clive Bingham of Zoetis NZ, and worm control with Ginny Dodunski, Wormwise Programme Manager.

In light of a rapid rise in levels of drench resistance, Ginny Dodunski of Wormwise investigates alternatives to help light breeding ewes.

Marlborough farmer Rosie Dowling was determined to continue developing the farm she and her late husband Gavin dreamed of. Joanna Grigg reports.

Eighty years ago a young Margaret Hebbard picked up the blades and began to shear. She became something of a celebrity.

A ewe wastage study on 37 sheep farms across New Zealand last year found that on average, 30 out of every 100 ewes left their flocks between mating and post-weaning.

Wool in schools, a project that educates Kiwi school children about the wonders of wool, will see its 25,000th student pass through its ‘wool sheds’ in August.