New Romney & Poll Dorset Performance Sheep Breeding

After Sale Care

Regard your ram purchase like a new car. All the pre-delivery service has been done for your protection - you are now responsible for the subsequent mileage checks.

The following guidelines are presented to ensure you get full satisfaction from your investment:

• Rams should be moved early to adapt fully to their new environment well prior to mating.
• Quarantine your recently purchased rams from the older rams until after their first mating, and provide preferential feeding.
• Don’t put younger rams in a permanent ram paddock to compete with older rams and to suffer during a dry summer.
• Hiwinui rams are grass fed only, from the time of arriving on the farm to mating so flush your rams with abundance of quality grass.
• All rams should be fully shorn out 2-3 months prior to mating. Performance and semen characteristics can be adversely affected if you don’t do this.
• At mating don’t leave rams out with ewes for longer than 35 days.

Rams are the most expensive sheep on the farm and should never be neglected. Hiwinui Genetics stands by any ram with a Hiwinui tag for 2 seasons. If the ram has been treated with genuine stock husbandry and has failed the new owner then Hiwinui Genetics will replace the ram. At purchase, New Romney rams are just over a year old and still have some maturing to do.

The ram flock needs a programme of on-going care and attention, particularly during the winter. Avoid the permanent ram paddock and develop vaccination, drench and feeding programmes for your rams to ensure you obtain the full benefit from your investment.