Weekly Times 29th September 2007
Weekly Times 23rd November 2005
Stock and Land - 2003
NZ judge good for the Australian Prime Lamb Industry.
By Jane Hooper
Top New Zealand sheep breeder Mr Bill Medlicott is to judge the Southdown breed, at the Royal Melbourne Show September 19th 2003.
Superior export quality meat is the primary focus of the New Zealand meat industry. To this end NZ has created an industry that fosters feedback during all stages of the meat production process and encourages breed types that can fulfil the demanding, exacting requirements of the multi-million dollar NZ export industry.
The ideal lamb for export is an early maturing animal that is lean and yields a high carcase percentage of meat.The NZ meat industry has found that the dominant sire for creating quality first-cross export lamb is the Southdown. Today's Southdown is a longer, larger framed animal that produces early maturing, lean, high meat yielding lambs. Current success with recent Southdown sales in the NZ market place indicates the popularity of the Southdown breed, with demand for Southdown rams exceeded supply.
Mr Medlicott's association with Southdowns started as a boy with his father. In 1978 Bill became the principal of the Clifton Downs Stud. Bill's association within the sheep industry as a seed stock producer is unique. His understanding of market requirements for export lamb is comprehensive with years of contact with abattoirs and exporters, as well as with in recent times through his son finishing thousands of lambs to a prescribed quality and weight for export demand. Bill states that the modern Southdown confirmation is the best for Prime Lamb in NZ. Mr Medlicott stresses the importance of continually searching for knowledge and seeking ways to improve the breeding of sheep best suited for giving the desired result in commercial flocks and sustaining the quality of the export meat industry.
Commercially the Southdown sire has a larger leaner carcass, a full hindquarter and a longer deeper loin. This equals a greater "high quality" meat yield lamb. Combining this with early maturity means a lower cost to the producer and therefore a greater overall return.