Tumeke Animals
Our point of difference
Commercially driven, not Stud driven, since 1967.
Our recorded sheep receive no preferential treatment, They are farmed, performance recorded and selected in a typical hill country environment with commercial stocking rates, steep hills and a cold climate.
All our sheep are fully recorded, with full ancestry information on both dams and sires going back to 1967 with Tumeke Coopworths, 1989 with Tumeke Landcorp Lamb Supreme and 2002 with Tumeke Suffolk Supreme.
Low inputs
With particular emphasis on minimal drenching, ie worm resilience. Ram hoggets in particular will receive high exposure to worms with a minimal drench regime and then selected accordingly. In the last few years, we have also moved decisively into worm resistance, aiming to reduce most of the contamination by eliminating the bottom 10% of animals that are doing 80% of contaminating.
Constitution and structural soundness
We've resisted the temptation to compromise on this. All sheep are "appraised" by Guy Martin, Livestock Confirmation Ltd., and selected accordingly - the core essence, presence and soundness continue to improve and solidify by using Livestock Confirmation in our selection process.
Longevity and survival
Our thorough selection criteria encourage this. Backed up with selection for mothering ability, sires particularly good for lamb survival and some selective mating of older elite ewes.
TUMEKE COOPWORTHS
Tumeke Originals
Based on the original Carthew Coopworth, these sheep are super fertile (consistently scanning over 200%), extremely good mums (consistently docking around 200%), most productive and efficient sheep, especially on hill country… they multiply, survive and thrive!
Tumeke Coop Rom X
Tumeke New Bloods
Over the last few years we have introduced some Romney bloodlines into our Coopworth mix, resulting in a ½ Romney ½ Coopworth cross. We’ve been wrapt with our choice, this cross is solid and performs well with weaning results consistently over 180%. Our Coop Rom X are here to stay!
Tumeke FE Coop
Tumeke Rebels
In the early 2000 we started breeding for Facial Eczema tolerant sheep. We started using FE gold approved rams but we’ve been disappointed with the quality of their progeny, especially the phenotype variation. Knowing our genetics and our animals structural soundness, we decided to dose our own top Sires and are only using the ones who passed @ 0.6. Ten years on, we’re thrilled with the results and our own structurally sound FE Coop flock. The next step will be to find a more “tumeke” way of testing for FE tolerant sheep… watch this space!
Tumeke Lamb Supreme
Tumeke Nicholls
Our white face terminal sheep … these guys are tough and grow fast! The Landcorp Lamb Supreme is a registered breed and was created by Geoff Nicholl, Landcorp, with a single focus in mind: lean meat -early growth - fast! We formed an alliance with Landcorp in 1998. By accessing their top Lamb Supreme genetics and running a big ET (embryo transfer) program we created an “instant Landcorp Lamb Supreme flock” outside Landcorp. We are the only ones who have this breed today in NZ!
Selecting for thicker skin, intramuscular fat and finer shoulders, makes the Tumeke Lamb Supreme an ideal hogget mating sire choice!
Tumeke Suftex
Tumeke Dark
With clients looking for a black face terminal sheep, we sourced the best Suffolk rams and put them over some of our top Landcorp Lamb Supreme ewes … resulting in our Suffolk Supreme flock. Being a bit too “soft” for our liking, we introduced top Suftex genetics into the mix over the last seven years and have been impressed with the results … we now have high-performing, robust terminal sheep with good colour for easy marking.
Tumeke Romney
Tumeke Kiwitahis
A new addition to the Tumeke Team!
In early 2022 we were presented with the opportunity to buy one of the largest, well established and fully SIL recorded (since 1984) Romney studs in NZ – Kiwitahi. After having Guy Martin, Livestock Confirmation Ltd., go through, assess and select all the ewes, ram & ewe hoggets, we’re now the proud owners of a 100% Romney Stud.
Kiwitahis philosophy of breeding easy care, high performing sheep who are structurally sound while being farmed at 700m above sea level fits in and lines up nicely with our Tumeke breeding operation.
With Romneys still being the most popular and widespread maternal sheep breed in New Zealand, we’re thrilled to be able to offer this breed to our clients from November 2022 onwards.
