Sheddmaster Rams
The sheep industry is changing dramatically and we are evolving with it.
Producing a sustainable animal that is low input with reduced labour costs and needs for drenching, dipping and shearing will help reduce labour overheads. The Sheddmaster is an infusion of our maternal composite with shedding and haired breeds from both New Zealand and Australia.
The result is a low maintenance and high performing animal that is highly tolerant to facial eczema. This allows farmers to purchase a surefire facial eczema tolerant shedding sheep without compromising on performance in other production traits.
Why Piquet Hill?
Our breeding objective
To breed a low input sheep that is going to produce high numbers of lambs at above average weaning weights, while minimising costs of production such as shearing, drenching, crutching, dipping and labour.
Our Key Drivers
The key drivers of the Sheddmaster are to identify sheep that show a high propensity to shed and then intensely record these animals for production traits. With no need to shear, we are able to focus all our resources on producing a sheep that is prolific and high yielding.
Our point of difference
Unlike most shedding breeds in New Zealand the Piquet Hill Sheddmaster programme was based initially on a large pool of genetics to produce the elite flock that we now have. Our view has always been that we want to breed a sheep that doesn’t require shearing while still holding onto the performance attributes of the maternal composite that has been developed over the last 20 years. With a flock of 1,500 ewes consisting of 500 elite recorded ewes, we have been able to develop a hardy, eczema tolerant sheep that performs in our challenging environment.
Influential Sires
4969.225/18
An Outcross ram bred by Daniel Wheeler in Canterbury with industry leading fertility and FEC. Meatmasters are made up of Texel, Damara, Wiltshire and Finn. They are a commercially focused breed that has a haired coat. Used over Hogget’s and has bred some very nice ewes.
7748.WS176/17
Was one of the first Wiltshire rams we purchased. Purchased from David Arvidson as an aged sire and bred by Stephen Sheen in Canterbury. A larger framed animal with good growth and survival. His impeccable feet and longevity have made him a ram we have used extensively.
2351.W53/19
A Wiltshire ram bred by Ross Richards in Taumaranui. Richwilt W53/19 is of a sire line out of the Arvidson flock that is extremely FE tolerant. He has sound feet and legs and has moderate growth. Richwilt W53/19 was FE tested at 0.8 and passed at a nil reaction, which shows how important he will be in developing FE tolerance into our programme.
7708.190084
An outcross shedding composite ram we used for AI. Bred by Matt Kelly in Victoria, Australia he is a very early shedding ram with worm resistance in the top 10% for the breed. Also used at Mt Cass in South Canterbury, 84/19 will be well benchmarked and has been used in the central progeny test in 2023.
2395.27/19
A classy, full-shedder. Bought off Peter Foss. Early shedding and always holds his condition.
2395.2/18
The well-footed ram that we have used extensively since we purchased him. Has stood the test of time.
Current Sires
7708.190084
An outcross shedding composite ram we used for AI again this year. Bred by Matt Kelly in Victoria, Australia he is a very early shedding ram with worm resistance in the top 10% for the breed. Also used at Mt Cass in South Canterbury, 84/19 will be well benchmarked and has been used in the central progeny test in 2023.
2351.145/21
A son of 2351 out of a coopworth ewe. A full shedding ram with impeccable structure and good data. Passed an FE test at .5
2351.W53/19
An AI sire that we used again this year after having encouraging FE results back from tested sons. 80% of progeny tested at .4 passed at nil reaction.
7748.143/22
A full shedding 2351 son out of a Wiltshire/Composite ewe. Passed an FE test at .4 and has been used over MA ewes as a hogget.
7748.32/22
A half Maternal Composite half Wiltshire.