The Ultimate breed. Photo / Avalon Genetics website
The Ultimate breed. Photo / Avalon Genetics website
Allan Richardson reckons he has bred a sheep that you don't have to dag, drench or dock.
The West Otago organic farmer who runs Avalon Genetics, told a disbelieving Jamie Mackay that, "out of 5000 Ultimate lambs, I think there's about 4000 that we haven't tailed [docked] this year."
Richardsonhas been farming organically for 21 years now, (a move he says initially caused some friction with his father), but he believes "it's the way to go for the future and that view hasn't changed".
Organic farming is not without challenges, but Richardson believes it has advantages over more conventional farming methods.
"[In conventional farming] We blanket drench, or dip, or treat our animals and all of a sudden all the losers in the team that weren't looking good - all of a sudden look good, and you end up keeping them and breeding from them."
"What we do is the opposite ... The winners get to express themselves, and so do the losers - and we get rid of them."
Also in today's interview: Allan Richardson talks more about the new composite sheep he is breeding called Ultimate, along with the Perendale and Texel rams he sells at Avalon Genetics.
