FOREST RANGE STATION'S FARMING OPERATION
OUR MERINO ULTRA FINE FLOCK ARE BRED USING THE MOST MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN ONE OF THE WORLDS MOST NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS
FOREST RANGE MERINOS are bred for the production of exquisite wool fibre to satisfy the world’s most discerning textile manufacturers’ specifications. They are Australasia’s most advance objectively bred ultra fine Merinos. Forest Range Station is located in New Zealand’s South Island high country which is known for its clean and natural environment which is perfect for raising healthy sheep with extremely fine micron wool.
The breeding programme has been in place for 26 years and has enabled Forest Range to screen 200,000 sheep for diameter, fleece weight and quality.
All sheep in the flock are objectively measured for micron and clean fleece weight. Prior to shearing, Micron and Yield are measured by mid-side sampling of all animals as hogget’s (at one year of age).
The samples are measured in the testing laboratory using OFDA (Optical Fibre Diameter Analysis), a machine which gives added accuracy of diameter variation, yield and CV% of diameter and length.
At shearing these results are used for classing the wool into lines of pre selected micron ranges. Fleeces are also weighed at this time to allow assessment to select superior animals.
As well as using objectively measured data, these sheep undergo a rigorous visual assessment for structural soundness and wool quality prior to qualifying for the Elite and commercial flocks.
The Elite Flock is used for breeding the stud rams that continue the unique process of producing superior ultra fine fibres.