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Australian Whites NZ

Breed Description

The breed was developed in Australia and known there as Australian Whites, to be a self-replacing, haired (no fleece) meat sheep that requires minimal maintenance. A stabilized breed, bred from Poll Dorset, Texel, White Dorper and Van Rooy sheep breeds. The four breeds were chosen for their breed traits. The breed has only recently been introduced to New Zealand primarily through embryos from registered flocks of AWSB Ass.

They are called ‘Whites’ because of their bright white colouring, especially as lambs.

Austarlian White Ram

Qualities

  • Meat characteristics have shown, high yielding carcass, regularly achieving 50% yield.
  • Low melting point of fat indicating very good eating quality.
  • Fast growing. Rams proving excellent to cross with non-fleece or fleeced breeds producing prime lambs with added weight and early finish.
  • Low maintenance.
  • No shearing.
    – Clean hair shedding.
    – Thick skinned.
    – Minimal to fly or lice risk.
    – Mostly black feet. Their feet yet to be fully assessed in New Zealand conditions.
    – Naturally bare breached.
    – Can withstand environments from snow to outback heat.
  • Excellent mothering
    – Very fertile
    – The ability of some ewes to lamb three times in two years.
  • Longevity of ewes maintaining good udders.
  • Very even in type.
  • Good temperament.

Ewes

  • Mature weight 70-80 kilograms.
  • Body showing good length, depth, and width.
  • Overall soft feminine type including head with finer proportions, clean outline.
  • Tidy udder.
Australian White Ewes

Lambs

  • Strong Survival Instinct.
  • Fast growing.
Australian White Lambs

Rams

  • Mature weight 110-120 kilograms.
  • Long straight topline, well-muscled deep body with good spring of rib.
  • Smooth well-set shoulder.
  • Good muscling over the rump and well down to the hock.
  • Looking from behind hindlegs placed outside front legs.
  • Pasterns strong and not too much angle.
Australian White Lambs
  • Head:
    Head should be masculine with good breadth and depth and clean outline.
Australian White ram head
  • Testicles:
    Well developed, even and do not hang too low.
Australian White testicals
Australian Whites NZ are suitable for mainstream sheep meat
producing farmers to lifestyle farming.
Twelve-months-old ram and ewes
Twelve-months-old ram and ewes
Young nine-month-old rams ready to work
Young nine-month-old rams ready to work

Breed Standards

For registration and breeding of stud animals you must be a registered Australian Whites NZ breed member, affiliated with the New Zealand Sheep Breeders Association with all fees due paid to the Association.

To register pedigree animals, the result of imported embryos, rams and ewes must have three generation pedigrees forwarded to NZSB Association and to be DNA profiled. DNA profile ID number will be recorded alongside registration. To be tagged, each animal’s tag to read with flock number, year born and flock participant code.

Animals the result of imported semen must have three generation pedigree of semen and semen DNA profile ID supplied to the NZSB Association.

Resulting animals born to New Zealand registered parents wanting to be registered must be DNA profiled and parent verified.

Registration forms and DNA parent verification results must be sent to the Association together and the animal registered before 12 months of age.

Registration has to be done before any animal can be transferred into new ownership or leased for stud purposes.

Appendix Animals

Yes, grading up can be done from a non-Australian White NZ ewe. Each generation to be bred to a registered, DNA parent verified ram if New Zealand born. If mated to imported semen or live rams, semen and rams to be DNA profiled, three generation pedigrees supplied to the NZSB Association, and each generation recorded with NZSB Association. At 5th generation animals born to be physically inspected, DNA profiled, parent verified before acceptance into the flock book.

Contact Breeders

Allan & Kathy Benbow
Dannevirke

Nicola & Chris Smyth
Dannevirke

Roger Ramsey
Te Awamutu

Sally Yearbury
Cambridge                              

Australian White Lamb
Australian Whites NZ Breeders