Pakaraka Farm, farmed by Ross and Gilly Alexander has the ram breeding enterprise of a larger family farming business.

The business consists of 2 farms, the Mt Damper property in Taranaki - 1000 hectares, farmed by Lloyd and Rebecca Alexander and Pakaraka Farm in the Waikato which is 270 hectares and another 100 hectares leased. In total we are running 14,000 stock units including 5,500 breeding ewes.

 

The original objectives in 1968 were to breed an animal with increased production and profitability, while these objectives haven't changed there have been numerous add-ons to these ideals.

 

Eczema Tolerance, the first add-on is now the heart of our breed of Romney. A live sheep is first. The positives that come with eczema tolerance is a high correlation with resistance to grass staggers and zeralanone. We, the ARDG were the fi rst commercial ram breeders to test for facial eczema starting in 1979 with fi eld tests and then with spordesmin in 1984.

 

Worm resistance testing is now into its sixth year, with advice coming from AgResearch Scientists and the co-operation of Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group and funding from MAF. The results are positive and encouraging.

 

Meanwhile the drive to have a bold upstanding ewe, structurally sound, rearing twins is just part of what is expected from us as ram breeders.

 

For more detailed information view Pakaraka Farm files here. (Note: Adobe Acrobat Viewer required. Click here to download).

 

 

Ross and Gilly Alexander

Pakaraka Road

RD2

Tirau

 

Ph / Fax: (07) 883 4780

E-mail: gilly.alexander@xtra.co.nz