EasyRams Selection/Management Protocols

All EasyRams will be reared managed and selected with the aim of meeting the following prerequisites.

EasyRam Traits

Long living

We aim to sell shearling rams that will work for at least 4 seasons.

Hard working

Our rams will be capable of serving 120-150 ewes per season (as mature rams ie shearlings and older).

Easy lambed

  • The skeletal shape with the front wedge and fine shoulder shape will guarantee that your EasyRam sired lambs will lamb on their own with minimum labour input.
  • NZ Suffolks are considered EasyCare and hardy and this is proved by trials in NZ showing.

In New Zealand Suffolks are Number 1 for live survivability.

"At Poukawa Research Station over the past 5 years the Suffolk X lambs have had a mortality rate of 3.2% compared to an overall mortality rate of 4.9%, placing the Suffolk as the best breed examined. (49 sires were used in the trial producing 4,182 lambs of which 1,081 were Suffolks)."

Vigour

  • Pure NZ Suffolks lamb outside and are not assisted at lambing. They are used in flocks where sheep have to lamb unassisted. (One supplier runs 22 Suffolks rams with 3,000 Romneys. These Romneys are part of a 10,000 ewe flock all lambing on their own).
  • EasyRams are selected for vigour at birth and will have vigour records.

Hi vigour lambs

  • Get up quickly
  • Suck quickly
  • Have less malpresentations at lambing
  • Have better survivability

Survivability

All NZ Suffolks have genetic figures indicating whether their offspring are more or less likely to survive to weaning than the breed average.
Easy Rams will measure and publish this trait.

Foot Rot Resistance

EasyRams will have figures for genetic resistance to footrot (samples will be analysed) using NZ DNA testing at Lincoln University – Christchurch, NZ.
Foot-trimming NZ sheep are bred so that they should not require foot trimming. (Those requiring foot trimming – are culled). Our records will show if any trimming has been required.

FEC Worm Resistance

Dung samples will be taken to measure EasyRams resistance/resilience to worms.

Management Protocols

  1. Lamb in spring
  2. Sell rams as Shearlings
  3. If lambed indoors turn out within 48 hours of birth
  4. Rear on grass
  5. No concentrate use
  6. Winter on natural forage – no supplementary feeding
  7. 2nd year feed on grass alone
  8. Full records kept of performance, management traits, physical characteristics
  9. Females will be lambed for the first time as ewe lambs.
  10. Rams sold with warranties for :

ability to serve 120 ewes/season
life expectancy re performance/health
performance health history
MV Accredited status
  1. No trimming/carding or tampering with of the wool will be permitted.
  2. Franchisees must be members of and sheep be registered with the Suffolk SheepSociety. Registration provides automatic recording of pedigrees performance and health data with BASCO



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