Puriri Heights Station is situated in the Northern Waikato on New Zealand's west coast, 7 km's south of Port Waikato. Puriri Heights is owned by Kelvin Mackie and farming day to day operations by Jason Burr, Farm Manager.
The property comprises 810 hectares (2,000 acres) of grass cover interspersed with patches of native bush and rises from 3km of beach frontage to approximately 190 metres at the highest point of the farm.We run a traditional farming system, grass fed with no supplements grown or fed to the stock. The pasture varies from predominant kikuya, clover and rye grass mixes on hilly contour.
An established gravity fed spring water trough system supplies stock water all year round.
The previous owners Brook & Rachel Johnstone were operating a stocking policy of Angus breeding cows and Coopworth breeding ewes. In January 2016 they introduced Wiltshire sheep to the farm with the initial purchase of 560 pure breed Wiltshire ewes and high FE (facial eczema) resistant Wiltshire rams. Over the next few years we will faze out our Coopworth (wool) breed and run 1500 breeding Wiltshire ewes.
Going forward our Wiltshire breeding program will be targeting sparse fleece growth with complete shedding (a natural trait of this breed) by early summer. This will encourage resistance to fly-strike and 'easy care' flock for large or small scale farming operations.
Our aim will be to produce a consistent Wiltshire flock with high FE resistance, high fertility (150% lambing or greater) with minimal prolapses and produce lambs with exceptional growth rates and desirable high yielding meat carcass weights.
Characteristics of Wiltshire Sheep
Summary
Puriri Heights Station aim to breed and sell Wiltshire sheep that will be easy care for lifestyle farmers (no shearing), a profitable sheep breed for high fertility and high meat carcass yield for larger scale farming operations. With a reduction in labour costs, minimal sheep handling, no added costs of shearing, Wiltshire are a very viable alternative sheep breed well suited to New Zealand climatic conditions.
Bottom Line - less intervention, less work, more profit!
The property comprises 810 hectares (2,000 acres) of grass cover interspersed with patches of native bush and rises from 3km of beach frontage to approximately 190 metres at the highest point of the farm.We run a traditional farming system, grass fed with no supplements grown or fed to the stock. The pasture varies from predominant kikuya, clover and rye grass mixes on hilly contour.
An established gravity fed spring water trough system supplies stock water all year round.
The previous owners Brook & Rachel Johnstone were operating a stocking policy of Angus breeding cows and Coopworth breeding ewes. In January 2016 they introduced Wiltshire sheep to the farm with the initial purchase of 560 pure breed Wiltshire ewes and high FE (facial eczema) resistant Wiltshire rams. Over the next few years we will faze out our Coopworth (wool) breed and run 1500 breeding Wiltshire ewes.
Going forward our Wiltshire breeding program will be targeting sparse fleece growth with complete shedding (a natural trait of this breed) by early summer. This will encourage resistance to fly-strike and 'easy care' flock for large or small scale farming operations.
Our aim will be to produce a consistent Wiltshire flock with high FE resistance, high fertility (150% lambing or greater) with minimal prolapses and produce lambs with exceptional growth rates and desirable high yielding meat carcass weights.
Characteristics of Wiltshire Sheep
- A large white faced sheep that shed their wool naturally in the spring (no wool on heads, bellies, legs, perineal region and underside of tail).
- The sheep are free moving, excellent foragers and well-adapted to poor, dry land.
- High fertility (twins are normal) and ewes are excellent mothers.
- Meat breed with exceptional lamb growth rates and high end meat yield. Lambs are born small but grow fast.
- Easy-Care! No shearing; No need to dock tails; No dag or fly-strike problems; Hard black hooves (foot-rot resistant); Minimal drenching.
Summary
Puriri Heights Station aim to breed and sell Wiltshire sheep that will be easy care for lifestyle farmers (no shearing), a profitable sheep breed for high fertility and high meat carcass yield for larger scale farming operations. With a reduction in labour costs, minimal sheep handling, no added costs of shearing, Wiltshire are a very viable alternative sheep breed well suited to New Zealand climatic conditions.
Bottom Line - less intervention, less work, more profit!