First Beltex sale to be held in Southland
The first sale of Beltex cross ram lambs in Southland will be held at the Gore A&P Showgrounds next week.
The double-muscled breed, which originates from Belgium and is an offshoot of the Texel breed, is renouned for its fast growth rates and high yielding carcass.
The Robinson family, of the Glenrobin stud at Glenham, will offer for sale 62 Beltex cross ram lambs.
They include 26 Beltex-Texel cross lambs, 14 Beltex-Suffolk cross lambs and 22 Beltex-South Suffolk cross lambs.
The lambs are being sold in conjunction with Suffolk breeder Symon Howard, of Waitahuna, and South Suffolk breeder Doug Irwin of Mataura.
Howard and Irwin provided the rams that sired some of the ram lambs being offered for sale.
Vendor Brent Robinson said he was impressed with how the spring born ram lambs had performed.
‘’The various crosses all provide something quite unique,’’ Robinson said.
The Beltex-Suffolk cross was a darker faced sheep which would leave distinctive black face lambs, while the Beltex South Suffolk cross was a slightly smaller meatier sheep and ideal for hogget mating.
‘’They are meaty chunkylooking lambs.’’
Robinson said the Beltex also enhanced the muscling of the Texel breed.
Robinson said all the different crossbred lambs complemented each other and he didn’t have a favourite.
Robinson, who owns several purebred Beltex rams, recently paid $21,000 for a ram at Blair Gallagher’s second annual Beltex sale in Canterbury.
It was the second highest priced ram at the sale – the top priced ram made $22,000.
‘‘We’ve had a lot of inquiries. The Beltex is a new breed and something a bit different.’’ Brent Robinson.
Robinson said he was committed to buying only the best genetics and he was thrilled with the results he had been achieving with the Beltex.
His half Beltex lambs had yielded at least 4 per cent higher than his control group of lambs while the quarter Beltex lambs had yielded 2 per cent higher.
Robinson said he had the potential to kill significantly more lambs off mum.
‘’That could be a real game changer.’’
Robinson said there had been strong interest in the ram lambs at his upcoming sale and he was looking forward to it. ‘‘We’ve had a lot of inquiries. ‘‘The Beltex is a new breed and something a bit different.’’
Robinson said he was planning to upgrade to a purebred Beltex flock by crossing back over the Texel.
‘’It might take us three or four years to do this.’’
The sale will be held on Tuesday March 12 at the Gore A&P Showgrounds at 2.30pm with viewing from 1pm.