Our History
Here is a snapshot of the ARDG history
- Clink on the following link to read the Country Wide Sheep 2018 magazine article celebrating 50years. View pages 116-118
issuu.com/nzfarmlifemedia/docs/cw_october_sheep_2018?e=30859997/64564400
- For more information on the history of the Romney in New Zealand, see 'About the Breed"
- Formed in 1968.
- In February 1969 participating breeders contributed 1% of their breeding flocks to the (then) central flock run by Rex Alexander of Waiuku.
- In that year that original mixed age flock lambed 154%.
- The following year 52% of that flock was lost with facial eczema.
- In 1979 the first field trials for F.E. testing were set up in South Auckland.
- In 1984 the first sporidesmin testing of rams for F.E. was set-up.
- In 1993 the central flock was disbanded and sire referencing across flocks by Ag Research was begun.
- In 2000 parasite testing was begun in conjunction with the Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group and Ag Research.
- In 2010 Molecular Breeding Values (DNA) are being added to historical breeding values to give greater accuracy to selection
- Today in 2024 our group is testing 100 Sires at 0.7 dose rate for FE Tolerance, we are all members of WormFec Gold
About The Romney Sheep
The Romney sheep has its origins in the marsh lands of Kent in England. Imported into New Zealand in the 1850’s they now account for over 50 percent of the New Zealand flock. The first Romney breeder association was founded in 1904 (the same year blood groups where discovered), haven’t we come a long way in such a short time! It wasn't until 1956 that the simple Romney name became the accepted term rather than Kentish Romney or Marsh Romney.
A dual purpose sheep the Romney flourished under New Zealand’s harsh climate, especially as hill country was cleared and the animals moved off the flat lands onto the hills. They showed desirable traits such as foot rot resistance, high fertility, good milk production, thus allowing them to feed the twins and triplets they were so good at producing. Romney’s also possessed a calm temperament, when compared to some other sheep breeds and have a vigorous lamb, showing rapid growth. In 1882 the first export lamb sale to the UK occurred, the departure date, 15 February is still recognised today as New Zealand Lamb Day. Today the prime lamb market is even more vital to the sheep farmer with weaning weights and growth valves being vital traits.
The Romney is a longer fleece producer yet retaining a midrange micron. Despite the rise and fall of wool prices, the animals still need to be shorn and the Romney’s wool weight and quality are important breed traits. The versatility of the Romney has led to the crossbreeding and creation of other breeds such as Perendale and Coopworths, common in New Zealand.
During the 1960’s the selection of desirable physical traits of the sheep without todays knowledge and technology to back up this selection process created a bigger sheep but resulted in a reduction in fertility and resilience to some diseases, facial eczema being a key disease the sheep were susceptible to. The New Zealand climate was very different to the Kentish Marshlands and the sheep had evolved some excellent resilience but needed the help of breeders determined that there had to be a way to breed resilience for this disease and increase the breeds overall production.
In 1968 a group of like-minded sheep breeders developed the ARDG, Auckland Romney Development Group, the acronym can also be coined Advanced Romney Designer Genetics, this name is now being adopted by this innovative group of ram breeders to better reflect the advances the group are marking in genetic gains. With the ability to combine genetics from different flocks and record their performance, some excellent gains have been achieved. For example lambing percent, ewe to tailed lambs in the 1970’s was 84, by 1986 it had risen to 132, during this time the average ewe fleece weight also increased. Today the lambing percentage at tailing is closer to 155 average for the ARDG flocks and the farmers using their rams.
In 1979 the first field trials were set up for F.E testing. Today the ARDG rams are tested at the highest possible dose available in New Zealand and have effectively created a sheep totally resistant to this insidious disease. The introduction of DNA testing with our breeding partners Zoetis, along with Sheep Improvement Limited (SIL), Ramguard, and Ag Research, the ARDG breeders select the very highest ranking sires, over all traits, for use over their recorded flocks. Ewes are selected on recorded performance and Ram selection is a rigorous and almost ruthless process where only the very best are allowed to go forward for mating or sale to other studs or sheep farmers throughout New Zealand.
A dual purpose sheep the Romney flourished under New Zealand’s harsh climate, especially as hill country was cleared and the animals moved off the flat lands onto the hills. They showed desirable traits such as foot rot resistance, high fertility, good milk production, thus allowing them to feed the twins and triplets they were so good at producing. Romney’s also possessed a calm temperament, when compared to some other sheep breeds and have a vigorous lamb, showing rapid growth. In 1882 the first export lamb sale to the UK occurred, the departure date, 15 February is still recognised today as New Zealand Lamb Day. Today the prime lamb market is even more vital to the sheep farmer with weaning weights and growth valves being vital traits.
The Romney is a longer fleece producer yet retaining a midrange micron. Despite the rise and fall of wool prices, the animals still need to be shorn and the Romney’s wool weight and quality are important breed traits. The versatility of the Romney has led to the crossbreeding and creation of other breeds such as Perendale and Coopworths, common in New Zealand.
During the 1960’s the selection of desirable physical traits of the sheep without todays knowledge and technology to back up this selection process created a bigger sheep but resulted in a reduction in fertility and resilience to some diseases, facial eczema being a key disease the sheep were susceptible to. The New Zealand climate was very different to the Kentish Marshlands and the sheep had evolved some excellent resilience but needed the help of breeders determined that there had to be a way to breed resilience for this disease and increase the breeds overall production.
In 1968 a group of like-minded sheep breeders developed the ARDG, Auckland Romney Development Group, the acronym can also be coined Advanced Romney Designer Genetics, this name is now being adopted by this innovative group of ram breeders to better reflect the advances the group are marking in genetic gains. With the ability to combine genetics from different flocks and record their performance, some excellent gains have been achieved. For example lambing percent, ewe to tailed lambs in the 1970’s was 84, by 1986 it had risen to 132, during this time the average ewe fleece weight also increased. Today the lambing percentage at tailing is closer to 155 average for the ARDG flocks and the farmers using their rams.
In 1979 the first field trials were set up for F.E testing. Today the ARDG rams are tested at the highest possible dose available in New Zealand and have effectively created a sheep totally resistant to this insidious disease. The introduction of DNA testing with our breeding partners Zoetis, along with Sheep Improvement Limited (SIL), Ramguard, and Ag Research, the ARDG breeders select the very highest ranking sires, over all traits, for use over their recorded flocks. Ewes are selected on recorded performance and Ram selection is a rigorous and almost ruthless process where only the very best are allowed to go forward for mating or sale to other studs or sheep farmers throughout New Zealand.