ABOUT BROOKFIELD

    About Brookfield

    The structure is in place to achieve exactly this. This involves the entire ewe flock being run at Omatane, 20 kilometres east of Taihape on a 1600 acre medium to steep hill country property with only native grasses and lamb unshepherded. Any ewes which do not rear lambs are removed. We have very accurate recording of data using electronic tags which is vital. Their weaning weight and autumn weights are done at Taihape then the lambs are brought down to Kiwitea in mid March and put on good feed to see which ones can really grow when ample grass is available. The ram hoggets go up to Ridge Road to the steep hill country for three and a half months over winter and this is to see which rams hoggets can hold their body weight right through winter when limited grass is available. This structure is so important, as we see how fast they can grow when ample grass is available and then what ones can’t handle it when limited grass is there over winter. All ewe hoggets are mated and after  weaning in December the ewe hoggets go back to Mike Cottrell’s at Taihape for the rest of their lives.Every ewe must rear lambs every year to an exceptable weight or is culled. 
    Taihape had a very severe drought in 2013 and all stock except for the ewe's had to be shifted off the property but the flock being mated on nothing but brown stalks still scanned 159%. This year 2017 and Taihape has had a great Autumn and the flock has scanned 198% our highest ever so with 197 sets of triplets so lets hope the weather is kind. Mike has since had 12 to 15 inches of snow so just hope we get nothing like that at lambing time or it will really test our thicker skinned sheep.  

    Also being a member of the TRIGG group enables us as of right to access any ram within the group to mate ewes too. This brings in new blood from proven romney rams which is essential. We also run a separate progeny trial at William and Richard Brown's property South of Kimbolton  where 11 of the best breeders in New Zealand from Keri Keri in Northland to the southern Wairarapa enter there best ram. This trial lets everyone know exactly how their sheep grow in relation to the best in New Zealand. All breeders in this trial are fully linked so we do complete across flock analysis of current breeding romney rams and ram and ewe hoggets.

    We now have romney rams with reasonably good level of tolerance to facial eczema  which has a huge financial cost to sheep farming in some parts New Zealand. All sires have been 50K DNA since 2000 and this has helped by showing which sires leave daughters with excema tolerance and FEC reduction. In 2012 we purchased Waimai 185/11 for $9,000 a highly tolerant sire tested to .6mls with a nil rise. He is a correct,good solid ram with good colour and great growth.Since then we have added 4 more highly FE tolerant sires tested to .6 with nil rises to the sire team so now we have ram hogetts which have 3 generations of .6 tested FE sires

    Constitution we believe is the most important trait of all, to sheep farmers and is the one trait we are most proud off. We have a very high level of fertility in our romney's and we breed and keep only structurally correct animals. Our sheep are very open faced and have medium wool. We really enjoy the challenges of breeding and are very focused on producing the best Romney Rams we can in New Zealand.

    Click on the Our Partners tab above to hear how each person is evolved in producing these romney rams.
    By clicking on the Performance tab above you will see the records of all ram hogetts for sale and their sires.

    Brookfield Romney Rams are dedicated to delivering to New Zealand farmers the highest quality Romney Rams possible with the evidence and proof to back up that quality.
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