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PG Wrightson sales staff kept the bids flowing at Kikitangeo’s 27th annual sale.
More than 30 buyers from throughout New Zealand attended an historic ram sale at the Kikitangeo farm, west of Wellsford, last month.
Eighty-eight per cent of the animals auctioned had never been drenched.
Property owner Gordon Levet said the sale was the culmination of 30 years of conscientious selective breeding.
“There have been a lot of red herrings spread amongst those who don’t believe that you can breed worm-resistant sheep, but 30 breeders are now doing exactly that,” Mr Levet said.
“Claims that it would mean a loss of production are nonsense.”
A total of 120 selected Romney rams and 20 Suffolk, Southdown and Suff-Tex Rams were presented for sale.
The average price paid was $930, about $70 less than the previous year’s average. The top price was $3600.
“I was a little disappointed that not all the rams were sold but given the current negative climate in the sheep industry – with depressed lamb and wool prices – it was probably a very good result.”
Mr Levet says drenching is a costly business plus, when sheep are brought together, there is more likelihood of spreading pneumonia and other diseases.
“There are now some schools of thought in the scientific community that an enhanced immune system, that can control worm challenges, may also have a positive impact on other disease and parasite problems.”
The Barber’s Pole worm is a blood-sucking worm. Each female lays around 10,000 eggs a day and each worm can suck a millilitre of blood a day. It only takes about 500 worms to kill an adult sheep or goat within about three weeks.
Northern sheep farmers face the biggest challenge in containing the worm because of the warmer temperatures in the north.
“We’ve known for 30 years that we can breed worm resistant sheep that don’t need to be drenched. The average drench cycle is about 28 to 30 days and this doesn’t allow the sheep’s immune system time to develop. This has the effect of breeding worm-susceptible sheep and super worms. It is going down the wrong track completely.”
