The Point is a “fifth generation family farm on the Kaikoura Peninsula” and we stayed for a night while in the area. The farm used to span 600 acres of the peninsula and had 2,000 sheep. Now, the farm is 90 acres and has 300 sheep.
We were the only ones, so got to pick the spot with the best view.These are very young, still with their mom. Later, we got a closer look at the pure black one.Peter is the owner of the farm. This is part of his backyard – he has 6 grandchildren who he entertains often.The kids bottle fed a 8 week and a 2 week old lambs. In the sheep shed, we learnt about the Merino sheep, which were the first sheep introduced to New Zealand by Captain Cook. Because it is slow growing, it is used for its wool.
His sheep are a South Suffolk-Drysdale cross, which are fast growing and dual purpose (providing both meat and wool).
South Suffolk – quick growing breed with leaner meatDrysdale – genetically engineered for its hairiness.Peter on his sheep-shearing stage. The big white one is a Drysdale ram who’s called “Ram-Man”. He’s 6 years old, and the Drysdale sheep are shorn twice a year (all other breeds are shorn once a year). Their wool is used for carpets! The small black one is Blackie, and she’s a year old (she was a lamb last year).This is the ewe that he’ll shear to show us how it’s done. They leave the horns on the male sheep for head protection for their fights with other rams. There’s typically one ram to 60 ewes. The horns are cut off the ewes to make it easier for shearing. Peter said that the farmers typically don’t shear their sheep – shearing gangs travel from farm to farm or station to station. A professional shearer can shear about a hundred sheep a day, and they make about $3 per sheep. The wool is sorted: the small bits off the belly, head and legs make $0.50/kg while the wool from the body earns $1/kg. They earn about $6/kg per sheep that’s shorn twice a year!Peter shears the ewe in a few minutes, and all that remains on the sheep is lanolin (the yellowish waxy substance on its skin). It’s an oily waxy substance which repels wind and water, and helps protect the sheep in the extreme environments.The farm dogs Stone and Beau.
