Sixteen two tooth rams out of an innovative embryo transplant programme present improved shedding characteristics and better carcasses.

Genetics to take shedding sheep to a new level in New Zealand, the result of a highly focused three-year embryo import programme, are available for the first time from Ipurua Genetics at a late November Āria, Waitomo on-farm ram sale.

Peter and Caroline Foss have been farming Wiltshires on their Āria farm Ipurua since 2016, though frustrated at some of the features of the breed in New Zealand, they have sought alternative genetics overseas. 

At the sale Ipurua is offering 90 lots. Included are 16 two tooth rams raised by way of embryo transplant, and six half UK-half NZ Wiltshire rams, progeny of rams born from a 2023 embryo programme. 

As Peter explains the genetics from the UK are sheep that generally grow less wool and shed quicker than most New Zealand animals.

“Local Wiltshires are typically woolly, while particularly Exlana and to a lesser extent Welsh EasyCare, the breeds we’ve imported and implanted, have coats that are so short they cannot be classed as wool. They are more like a soft hair coat. These are also better carcass animals.”

Peter and Caroline have run an embryo programme each year since 2023. Sourcing embryos from a variety of studs, mainly from Northern Irish ewes, in the first year they weaned 30 lambs, last year they weaned 91, and they have 55 on the ground this year, from 280 embryos implanted over those three years.

Because there is no facial eczema in the UK, Peter is also conscious of needing to breed resistance into the imported genetics.

“Long term, progress on the FE side of it will govern what level of UK input we are able to maintain. Our target is one quarter UK, three quarters NZ Wiltshire,” he says.

Run by PGG Wrightson Northern North Island Livestock Genetics representative and auctioneer Cam Heggie, this year is the sixth annual on-farm Wiltshire ram sale at Ipurua, though the first Ipurua sale to offer the imported Exlana and EasyCare genetics.

Scheduled on Thursday 27 November from 2pm, the sale will also feature on bidr. Based on previous year’s sales, Peter says around a quarter of the rams will likely sell on bidr, to purchasers from throughout the North Island.

Included in what is a combined sale, 20 rams from another local Wiltshire flock, that of Anna Martyn of Waterfields, are also offered.

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