increase font size
Massey University will hold a Wiltshire field day on 1 June.
The interest in the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep has prompted Massey University to run a special field day at their Riverside farm near Masterton on 1 June.
Professor Steve Morris says Massey now has a flock of Romney x Wiltshire ewes which have been mated and are due to lamb in September and these will be three quarter Wiltshire/Romneys. He says the field day is designed to show farmers what they are doing and likely get some feedback from them as well.
He says the drop in wool prices has sparked greater interest in these self-shedding sheep.
"There is definitely a lot of farmers who have expressed interest and it's actually your articles in Rural News that has prompted this. It's probably one of the biggest responses we have had to a newspaper article," he says.
Other Massey scientists such as Professor Paul Kenyon, Drs Hugh Blair and Rene Corner-Thomas will speak along with Richard Morrison whose family has a long history in breeding Wiltshires.
Professor Morris says at the field day they hope to have scanning data about the lambs available and their arm is to hold further field days at Riverside in the future.
Details: Massey University, Riverside, SH 2, 10 kms north of Masterton, June 1, 9.30am - 1.00pm.
The quest to find innovative practical, scientific solutions to deal with water-related issues at a catchment level has been the theme of an important conference at Massey University last week.
As veterinary student numbers grow to help address New Zealand's national workforce shortge, Massey University's School of Veterinary Science is inviting more veterinary practices to partner in training the next generation of vets.
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
The black and white coat of Holstein- Friesian cows is globally recognised as a symbol of dairy farming and a defining trait of domestic cattle. But until recently, scientists didn’t know which genes were responsible for the Holstein’s spots.
Minister for Universities, Shane Reti, has opened the final new build in a ten plus year project to upgrade the veterinary facilities at Massey University.
Tickets are now available for Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) Out the Gate, returning from 19-21 May 2026 at Te Pae, Christchurch.
Dairy Women's Network (DWN) is welcoming AgriHealth as a new partner.
Northland Field Days patron Ross Newlove remembers the inaugural field days he attended 40 years ago.
Southland farmer Murray Donald has been appointed as chair of Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation focused on reducing harm, injuries and fatalities in the agricultural sector.
National Lamb Day returns this Sunday, 15 February, with Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc calling on Kiwis to fire up their barbecues and celebrate the people and the product that put New Zealand on the world map.
When it comes to arranging the sound system at Northland Field Days, no one does it better than Colin Finlayson.
OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.
