'Forgotten' half-breds still tick all the boxes

Johnny Duncan calls half-bred the forgotten sheep breed.

He says the reputation of the hardy high-country cross-bred has been lost in recent years as farmers rush to adopt other cross-breeds to lift lamb production.

But Mr Duncan said he had noticed a swing back to the breed as high-country farmers realised its dual value - a low-maintenance, fertile breed producing prime lambs and a fleece that meets the specifications for United States-based sock producer SmartWool.

The Duncan family, John and Judy, Johnny and Geraldine, have been breeding half-breds since the late 1980s, initially at Wedderburn but since 1992 across the Maniototo Plains at Craigneuk, Gimmerburn.

Craigneuk covers 5200ha over two properties that are run as one, with about two-thirds hill and one-third flats, of which 800ha is irrigated.

Commercial merino and half-bred ewes spend all but their last year on the hills, while Romney ewes and young stock are farmed on the flats.

In response to the introduction of SmartWool contracts, the Duncans have fined up their half-breds from producing an average 26.5 micron fleece to an average of 23 microns.

Mid-micron breeders are now part of the New Zealand Merino marketing group, which has developed direct supply contracts with many wool users, a move Mr Duncan supports.

"New Zealand merino are good to work with," he said.

All his half-bred hoggets and 85% of his ewes produced wool that met the contract specifications.

While the contract price this year appears to be lower than that achieved at auction, Mr Duncan said it had previously always been greater, giving suppliers guaranteed income at a premium price.

"Over time, we have been a long way ahead," he said.

A ram-buying client, John Hore, agrees.

He and wife Jenny own the 4000ha Ida-Vale Station at Kyeburn, running 13,000 half-bred sheep, and he said all their wool went into a SmartWool contract at a guaranteed price.

Mr Duncan said that unlike some half-bred ram breeders, they crossed merino rams over Romney ewes.

Some Canterbury breeders cross merinos with English Leicesters, but Mr Duncan has found his breeding programme means less culling and the wool is soft handling.

Supplying SmartWool has put them in the public eye.