New Zealand Farm Animals Guide: Breeds, Species, and Seasonal Activities

**Romney - Most Common Breed (45% of NZ sheep):** **Characteristics:** - Developed in New Zealand from English stock - Dual-purpose (meat and wool) - White face and legs - Medium-large size (ewes 55-65kg, rams 90-110kg) - Hardy, adaptable to varied terrain - Good mothers with high fertility **Wool:** - Medium wool (30-35 micron) - Carpet and upholstery use - Strong, durable fiber - Fleece weight 4-6kg **Where You'll See Them:** - Throughout North and South Island - Hill country and lowland farms - Most versatile NZ sheep **Merino - Premium Wool Breed:** **Characteristics:** - Fine wool specialists - Smaller, lighter than Romney - White, wrinkled skin - Adapted to high country - Hardy in extreme conditions - Slower growth rate **Wool:** - Superfine wool (17-24 micron) - Premium apparel use (base layers, suits) - Soft, non-itchy - Most valuable NZ wool - Fleece weight 3-5kg **Where You'll See Them:** - High country stations (Canterbury, Otago) - Mountain and tussock terrain - Scenic high-altitude properties **Perendale - Hill Country Specialist:** **Characteristics:** - Developed in NZ (Cheviot x Romney) - White face with wool on forehead - Medium size, very hardy - Excellent mothering - Thrives on steep terrain - Easy-care breed **Where You'll See Them:** - Hill country throughout NZ - Steep, challenging terrain - North Island hill farms **Other Common Breeds:** **Coopworth:** Large, dual-purpose, excellent lambing **Texel:** Muscular, premium meat breed **Suffolk:** Black face and legs, meat breed **Corriedale:** Dual-purpose, fine wool **Border Leicester:** Large, Roman nose, crossbreeding **Seasonal Sheep Activities:** **Winter (Jun-Aug):** - Pregnancy scanning - Winter feeding (supplementary feed) - Shelter management - Pre-lambing preparation **Spring (Sep-Nov):** - Lambing season (most exciting!) - Lamb tagging and marking - Docking and tailing - Mothering up ewes and lambs **Summer (Dec-Feb):** - Weaning lambs - Shearing (main shearing) - Lamb finishing for market - Pasture management **Autumn (Mar-May):** - Ram introduction (mating/tupping) - Second shearing (some farms) - Selling finished lambs - Culling old ewes

**Dairy Cattle Breeds:** **Friesian/Holstein (70% of NZ dairy herd):** **Characteristics:** - Black and white patches (distinctive) - Large size (cows 550-650kg) - High milk volume - Calm temperament - Most recognizable dairy cow **Milk Production:** - High volume (6,000-7,000 liters/year) - Lower fat and protein percentages - Efficient milk producers **Jersey (8% of NZ dairy herd):** **Characteristics:** - Light brown/fawn color - Smaller than Friesian (350-450kg) - Large eyes, deer-like appearance - Docile, friendly - Efficient feed converters **Milk Production:** - Lower volume (4,000-5,000 liters/year) - Higher fat and protein content - Premium milk components - Valuable for cheese and cream **Friesian-Jersey Crossbred (22% of dairy herd):** - Combines volume and quality - Varied appearance - Good fertility and health - Most popular crossbreed **Beef Cattle Breeds:** **Hereford:** - Red body with white face - Medium-large size - Very hardy, docile - Good mothers - Traditional NZ beef breed **Angus:** - Solid black (or red Angus) - Compact, muscular - Premium meat quality - Increasingly popular - Good for crossbreeding **Charolais:** - Cream/white colored - Large, heavily muscled - Fast growing - Lean meat - Often used in crossbreeding **Simmental:** - Red and white, or gold - Large dual-purpose breed - Good growth rates - Versatile cattle **Wagyu:** - Black, premium beef - Intensive marbling - Luxury meat market - Growing NZ presence **Seasonal Cattle Activities:** **Dairy Farms:** - **Jul-Sep:** Calving season - **Aug-May:** Milking season (10 months) - **May-Jul:** Dry period (cows not milked) - **Year-round:** Pasture management **Beef Farms:** - **Aug-Oct:** Calving season - **Nov-Feb:** Weaning calves - **Mar-May:** Selling/finishing cattle - **Winter:** Supplementary feeding

**Alpacas:** **Why Alpacas in New Zealand:** - Fiber production (luxury fleece) - Lifestyle farming popularity - Pet/companion animals - Agistment (fiber farms) - Tourism attraction - Gentle, attractive animals **Characteristics:** - Camelid family (related to llamas, camels) - 55-90kg adult weight - Various colors (white, brown, black, grey) - Gentle, curious nature - Communal dung piles (easy cleanup!) - Soft fleece, no lanolin **Two Types:** - **Huacaya:** Fluffy, crimped fiber (95% of NZ alpacas) - **Suri:** Silky, lustrous locks (5%, rare) **Fiber and Products:** - Sheared annually (spring) - Luxury apparel use - Hypoallergenic (no lanolin) - Warmer than sheep wool - Premium prices **Farm Stay Experiences:** - Feeding alpacas - Walking alpacas (some farms) - Shearing demonstrations - Fiber processing education - Photography (very photogenic!) **Deer Farming:** **Species Farmed in NZ:** - **Red Deer:** Most common (80%), meat and velvet - **Wapiti (Elk):** Larger, velvet production - **Fallow Deer:** Attractive, smaller, niche market **Why Deer Farming:** - Venison export (premium meat) - Velvet antler (Asian medicine market) - Trophy hunting - Breeding stock sales **Characteristics:** - Skittish, wary animals - Very athletic (high jumpers) - Seasonal breeding (roar in autumn) - Strong herding instinct - Require high fences (1.8-2m) **Seasonal Deer Activities:** - **Mar-May:** Roar/rut (mating season, noisy!) - **Nov-Jan:** Fawning season - **Summer:** Velvet antler harvest - **Autumn-Winter:** Venison processing **Farm Stay Deer Experiences:** - Viewing from distance (deer are wary) - Understanding velvet harvest - Hearing roar during autumn - Learning about venison production - Appreciating farming challenges

**Common NZ Farm Chicken Breeds:** **Laying Hens:** - **Brown Shavers/Hyline Browns:** Commercial layers, brown eggs - **ISA Browns:** Excellent layers, friendly - **Rhode Island Reds:** Heritage breed, brown eggs - **Leghorns:** White eggs, active birds - **Barnevelders:** Beautiful, dark brown eggs - **Australorps:** Black, excellent layers **Dual-Purpose (Eggs and Meat):** - **Orpingtons:** Large, friendly, buff/blue/black - **Plymouth Rocks:** Barred pattern, good layers - **Wyandottes:** Beautiful lacing pattern **Bantams (Small ornamental):** - Various breeds, decorative - Smaller eggs but regular layers - Often free-ranging **Farm Stay Chicken Experiences:** **Daily Activities:** - **Morning:** Egg collecting (highlight for children!) - **Feeding:** Scattering grain, kitchen scraps - **Fresh water:** Changing water containers - **Free-ranging:** Letting chickens out to forage - **Dusk:** Shutting chickens in coops (predator protection) **Educational Aspects:** - Understanding egg production - Learning about chicken nutrition - Predator protection methods - Free-range vs caged systems - Chicken behavior and pecking order - Seasonal laying patterns (less in winter) **Other Poultry on Farms:** **Ducks:** - **Muscovy:** Quiet, excellent mothers - **Pekin:** White, friendly, meat/eggs - **Indian Runners:** Upright, active, good layers - **Khaki Campbells:** Excellent egg production **Geese:** - Excellent "guard animals" (noisy!) - Embden and Toulouse common - Can be territorial - Excellent grazers **Turkeys:** - Less common on NZ farms - Usually for Christmas market - Large, impressive birds **Safety Around Poultry:** - Most chickens docile and safe - Roosters can be aggressive - give space - Some geese territorial - respect distance - Hand washing essential after handling - Eggs usually collected daily

**New Zealand Huntaway:** **Characteristics:** - NZ-developed breed (unique to NZ) - Large, strong dogs (25-45kg) - Usually black and tan - Bred for barking to move sheep - Deep, loud bark - Tireless workers - Loyal, intelligent **Work Style:** - Bark on command to move stock - Work behind sheep, pushing forward - Use voice to control stock - Cover large areas - Essential for hill country farming **Heading Dogs (New Zealand Heading Dog / Eye Dog):** **Characteristics:** - Border Collie heritage - Smaller than huntaways (15-25kg) - Black and white, various markings - Use "eye" to control sheep - Silent workers - Intense, focused **Work Style:** - Work in front of sheep - Use eye contact and body position - Bring sheep toward farmer - Precise, controlled movements - Essential for yard work and small areas **Farm Work Combinations:** - Farmers typically use both types - Huntaways for distance and hill work - Heading dogs for close work and control - Teams of 3-5 dogs common - Each dog has specific jobs **Other Working Breeds:** - **Kelpies:** Australian breed, good all-rounders - **Australian Cattle Dogs:** Heelers, cattle work - **English Shepherds:** Versatile farm dogs **Farm Dog Culture:** **Training:** - Start training young (6-12 months) - Whistle and voice commands - Years to fully train excellent dogs - Valuable working dogs worth $5,000-15,000+ - Passed down through generations **Dog Trials:** - Competitive dog trials common - Test sheep control skills - National championships - Community events - Source of farm pride **Farm Stay Dog Experiences:** - Watching dogs work sheep (mesmerizing!) - Understanding commands and whistles - Learning about dog training - Seeing dog trials (if visiting during events) - Appreciating dog-farmer bond - Never distracting dogs while working **Important Dog Etiquette:** - NEVER distract working dogs - Don't pat dogs without asking - Working dogs are not pets (though loved) - Dogs may be protective of property - Respect dog/farmer working relationship - Don't feed working dogs treats