High fertility sheep

Abstract

Introduction My wife Pauline and I have two teenage children. We farm a property at Makuri, approximately 60 km east of Palmerston North. The property comprises 311 effective ha and runs approximately 3000 stock units (SU). Ninety hectares of adjoining land has recently been added to the unit through a six-year lease. The land at Makuri is medium hill on a belt of limestone that runs from Wairarapa through to Central Hawkes Bay. The belt of limestone has been tilted over to form a westerly facing dip slope running from 300 metres to 750 m above sea level (average approximately 550 m above sea level). Because of this, the farm is very exposed to the prevailing westerly wind. Because the farm is situated east of the low area between the Tararua and Ruahine ranges, it is not in a rain shadow and therefore gets rain from the west as well as in easterly conditions. The environment is summer moist, with average rainfall between 1500 and 1800 mm per annum. Because of the altitude we experience long cold winters but tend to have good growthy summers and autumns. Pauline and I also have a small block of 26 ha at Mangamutu on the outskirts of Pahiatua. This farm comprises flat to rolling country, with the majority mowable. The property carries approximately 390 SU.