Move spells new era for AB Centre
Julia Aspinall enjoys working with the country’s most elite sheep.
‘‘I’m dealing with the elite of the elite – top class sheep – and it’s a real privilege,’’ she said.
Earlier this year she relocated the Artificial Breeding (AB) Centre, part of her sheep breeding business Genetic Gains, from Woodlands to Earnscleugh, near Alexandra.
Raised on her family’s high-country farm Mt Aspiring Station, Julia moved from Invercargill back to Wanaka to live in 2018 with a plan to run her business from home and move the AB Centre closer.
‘‘I was faced with the prospect of either moving the AB Centre or shutting it down if I couldn’t find somewhere to go.
‘‘I looked at Wanaka, Hawea, Cromwell and Alexandra and rang everyone I knew.’’
Earnscleugh Station owner Alistair Campbell eventually came to her rescue and offered her an opportunity to lease a 2ha block that he subsequently cultivated, fenced and irrigated for the purpose.
Beside her office buildings she has built a new set of yards to carry out her sheep breeding work.
‘‘I’m extremely grateful to Alistair, I wouldn’t have been able to move the AB centre without his help.
‘‘It would have left a gaping big hole in the sheep breeding industry,’’ Julia said.
Julia collects semen from the country’s highestranking rams, which she runs on her small block, and administers those genetics to stud ewes through the process of artificial insemination.
‘‘It gives stud breeders access to the top rams which are not necessarily for sale.’’
All rams used in the AI programmes must pass a health test, which includes a vet inspection and various blood tests, before they can be transported to Earnscleugh for semen collection.
She also imports and exports ram semen which must pass rigorous safety measures to prevent the spread of diseases.
Growing up on Mt Aspiring Station, the only girl among three older brothers, Julia yearned to work on the farm, but her mother had other ideas.
‘‘I had to help around the house which I hated.’’ Julia, who loved animals, initially wanted to be a vet, but she’s glad that didn’t eventuate.
‘‘I don’t like diseases and infections.
‘‘I’m dealing with the elite of the elite – top class sheep – and that’s a real privilege.’’
Julia’s first job as an animal technician, after graduating from Otago University with a science degree, was at the Invermay Agricultural Research Centre.
After two years there she backpacked around the world stopping in Canada to do a Masters Degree in Animal Science.
On her return to New Zealand her first job involved carrying out embryo transfers in goats during the mid1980s angora fibre boom.
‘‘We did a lot of embryo transfers in goats. ‘‘There’s not much demand for ET now, but we still do some.’’
Julia’s other work includes running the Sheep Improvement Limited (SIL) Bureau and DEER Select, the deer industry’s genetic database.
The Covid-19 pandemic hit right in the middle of Julia’s busy sheep breeding season which runs from February to May.
‘‘We were fortunate that we were still deemed an essential service.’’
She and her staff still carried out 3416 AI procedures in the South Island, which was 1400 less than previous years because of the lockdown.
AI involves removing some of the belly wool from the ewe, before she is sedated with local anaesthetic and then semen is injected into her uterus.
Julia’s biggest job this season was the Merino Central Progeny Test (CPT) at Mt Grand Station at Hawea which involved the AI of 700 ewes with semen from 14 different merino sires from various studs.
‘‘We did 200 ewes a day with three cradles continually rotating and it took us about three and a half days days.’’
Julia’s success rate averages 79 per cent and 10 days after AI rams are used as follow-ups for any non-pregnant ewes.
The progeny from the Merino CPT would then be evaluated for traits such as fertility, meat yield, lamb survival and footrot resistance.
While work carried on through the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown still had a big impact on Julia’s business.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand reduced the number of AI ewes in their low input CPT from 1000 to 300.
Julia enjoys working with all breeds of sheep and doesn’t have a favourite, or if she does, she isn’t telling.
‘‘I couldn’t possibly say, or I’d offend 90 per cent of my clients,’’ she laughed.