How Genetic Strategies Can Solve Farming Problems with Robert Peacock

This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we discuss all things livestock breeding, with a focus on breeding for worm resistance. Our guest is Robert Peacock who runs Orari Gorge Station.

Farm Name: Orari Gorge Station

Stock Numbers: 9,000 ewes, 700 cows and 2,000 hinds

Stock Class: Sheep, beef and deer

Breeds: Romney, RomTex, SufTex, Hereford

Farm Type: 10% flat, 15% rolling hills, 70% South Island hill country

Orari Gorge Station has been in the same family for nearly 170 years and is currently home to the fourth, fifth and sixth generations (Robert is a member of the fifth generation). The station winters 25,000 stock units, including 9,000 breeding ewes, 700 recorded Hereford cows and 2,000 English Red hinds. There are three sheep studs: Romney Maternal, RomTex Maternal and SufTex terminal, with 1,200 fully recorded ewes bred annually. The station is a mix of South Island hill country (with elevations of up to 1,000 metres), rolling clay downs and river flats.

With several studs, the workload can be a bit to juggle but it is worth it. “We're our own biggest client,” explains Robert. “We use about 100 ram hoggets a year on our commercial ewes and across the three studs.”?

In their Romneys, the goal at Orari Gorge is to breed a structurally sound, productive and easy-care Romney. The low-input traits, especially worm resistance (a trait they have been refining for years) get particular attention. However, Robert puts great emphasis on a balanced breeding program, without focusing too much on a single trait, in order to breed an all-round top-performing sheep.?

So, why the focus on breeding for resistance to worms? Robert says it’s always something he has been interested in. He completed his honours in breeding for worm resistance in the mid-90s. When he returned to the family farm in 1999, he says he started recording it “ ... by default”. The previous manager had begun the process by extending drenching periods, which left Richard with some good selection lines.?

Over 30% of New Zealand farms now have resistance to triple combination drenches and it's become very serious for a lot of people. Robert highlights the difference between the quick changes you can achieve with management compared to the longer-term benefits of a genetic solution: “For example, grazing and cattle ratios – they’re quick, instant and easy to see – but the moment you change those practices back again, you've still got the same problem. Whereas with genetics, you don't get the quick fix. It's a slow burn. But once you start building it into your flock, it's permanent and it's cumulative. It's what I call compound interest. It's gradually going to build up and up.”?

Even without drench resistance, drenching is a costly affair both in time and money. “Shepherds love being out on the hill mustering. Drenching and dagging, they're not so keen on,” reflects Robert.?

“Worms are still costing the New Zealand sheep industry well over a hundred million a year, roughly $70,000 on average per farm.”

The concern with breeding for worm resistance is that people often assume they are poor performers in other traits. But, with a carefully thought-out breeding plan, this is not the case. “When I started measuring, we were able to find some top performers that were also good at resistance. And then, with a bit of selection, we've had more and more top performers being good at performance and at resistance. And once you've got those, they're pretty quick to multiply out,” shares Robert.

Orari Gorge is one of the few WormFEC Gold members, a group of farmers who have been breeding toward worm resistance for at least eight years and have proven genetic gain in the area.?

Robert’s belief in genetics was further reinforced by hosting the B+LNZ Genetics Low-Input Progeny Test at Orari Gorge. “We tagged 1,100 of our commercial ewes and they were mated by AI to 17 rams from a variety of breeds from all over the country. These were proven stud rams with breeding values,” explains Robert. Lambs were DNA tested and various low input traits were recorded from dag score, to tail length, methane and worm egg count.

“People often question how much of your farm is management versus genetics. And people often talk about genetics only being 10, maybe 20, per cent. But when you put all the lambs in one paddock, then the difference is 100 % genetic,” Robert points out. “If they're in the same mob for five months and some are growing like hell – and stay clean and have a low worm count – and some are not growing very well – and daggy – yet they're all managed the same ... the difference is purely genetics.”

At Orari Gorge, the team has been measuring feed efficiency in their cattle after a recent trip to America with Beef and Lamb New Zealand and MPI. It became apparent to them just how important feed efficiency was. They were also one of the first breeders to record methane production in their sheep.?

By always staying one step ahead, Orari Gorge’s breeding approach demonstrates how genetics can help tackle some of farming’s biggest challenges. As Robert says, “... genetics is like compound interest.” The benefits keep growing and, in a rapidly evolving industry, those gains are more critical than ever.

If you would like to find out more about Orari Gorge Station, you can visit their website.

You can learn more about WormFEC Gold here.

Tune in to the Head Shepherd podcast to hear more of this conversation.