Wiltshire and Blackshire Sheep

Along with the Angus Stud there is a move to breed a well-suited sheep that not only thrive in the harsh climate of the West Coast but will outperform elsewhere with virtually little or no maintenance. That is the Wiltshire and Blackshire breed.

The Wiltshire are a well-known sheep breed that are getting well recognised in New Zealand today for their low maintenance easy care and minimal input. They are a proven worm resistance breed and many other diseases as they are culled heavily for any weakness that is shown.

The Wiltshires can shed sometimes up to twice a year and require absolutely no shearing or crutching. With this they don’t require chemicals for dipping or flystrike. They are also becoming well recognised for their unique, sweet tasting meat and high yielding carcase weight lambs.

The Ewes and Hoggets are run on low fertile, hill country and are drenched only once in their lives at weaning. They have never seen a or heard a handpiece and never will, as these are original Wiltshires and are proven 100% shedders, no exceptions. Breeding a larger stronger sheep is also possible as they never need dragging across a shearing board!

Both MA ewes and Hoggets lamb on the hill with no intervention. In the past two years, through strict culling methods the MA ewes are continually achieving in excess of 160% to the ram and no ewe or hogget losses during this period either. Looking forward is to achieve a very high fertility rate in the hoggets through strict selection also. Rams have been sourced from well-known proven Wiltshire breeders

Latest development is the introduction of the extremely rare Blackshire Sheep which we are endeavouring to develop to be more adaptable to climate change with a focus on facial eczema and more tolerant also to UV sunlight by having the darker skin pigment.

The Blackshire Sheep have come from a very small genetic pool, so with the use of AI and Embryo work it is hoped to quickly diverse the genetics of this unique breed and still maintain a quality black shedding sheep.

Blackshire and Wiltshire sheep sales please feel free to enquire.