This 450 hectare farm is predominately a perendale flock (4,000 ewes) with a perendale stud and a cheviot stud and some finishing cattle also on the farm.
The Perendale stud is 550 ewes selling around 150 rams each year (just under half the male lambs). The Cheviot stud is just over 200 ewes selling around 75 rams each year. Rams are sold privately on farm with a few of the top performing rams sold at the Gore ram sale. The commercial Perendale Flock is put to the top ram hoggets from the stud every year and generally 500 + surplus ewe lambs are sold each year.
The ewe's lamb in September (155%) and the ewe lambs a few weeks later. They feel lambing ewe lambs is an essential tool for farm profitability and identifying top performers within the stud. They are set stocked for lambing. and no assistance is given. The stud flocks are tagged at marking to identify sire. At weaning (between Christmas and new year) the lambs are given a drench but not sorted. They are bought in a few weeks later and sorted according to sex and small and large ones are taken out. Lambs will be shorn in 3-4 weeks. Ewes are shorn every 6 months. They plant about 60ha of forage crops (Swedes and kale every year). However this year they have only planted 30ha so far as its been so dry and the crop is not establishing very well. The lack of rain is currently a big issue and worry in this area as its probably the driest its been for over 10 years. 
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