Breeding for growth, grit and good constitution at Moeraki Downs

Neville Caldwell selects for growth rate, meat yield and constitution. Fertility is considered a given. Supplied.

Just a few minutes inland from the Moeraki Boulders on the North Otago coast, third-generation farmer Neville Caldwell runs a Coopworth-based ram breeding operation where constitution and performance outweigh eye appeal.

Caldwell established his stud about 15 years ago after attending the Gore Stud Sale and deciding he wanted more control over the quality of rams he was working with.

“I thought, if I’m going to pay good money for rams, I may as well start breeding my own,” he says.

The stud now includes around 300 ewes, with Coopworths making up the foundation flock.

 Caldwell also produces Coopdale (Perendale × Coopworth) and Texel-cross rams to suit a range of farming systems. The stud consistently scans around 200 percent, and selection is guided by recorded performance data.

Breeding priorities: growth, meat and resilience

Caldwell selects for growth rate, meat yield and constitution. Fertility is considered a given.

“If a ewe has a single two years in a row, she goes,” he says. “They have to produce twins. Fertility is not an issue here.”

Texel blood provides added muscling, while Coopdale progeny are popular with clients seeking hybrid vigour and toughness. Caldwell says one of his Coopworth rams tested in the top one percent nationally for growth, reflecting a strong focus on carcass traits in recent years.

. The stud now includes around 300 ewes, with Coopworths making up the foundation flock.

Sheep must thrive in real conditions

Rams are expected to perform under natural conditions. Caldwell does not feed them grain or shelter them.

“I’ve been to ram sales where the rams turn up covered and full of grain,” he says. “Mine have to handle what North Otago throws at them – droughts, storms, whatever. If they fade in those conditions, they are gone.”

He has not drenched his stud ewes for about 20 years.

“They’ve got to do it themselves. Lambs get a couple of drenches when they’re young, but after that, they have to stand on their own four feet.”

Data-driven but commonsense driven too

The stud uses EID tagging, SIL reporting, and eye-muscle and IMF scanning to track genetic progress.

Wool weights are also recorded, with ewes typically cutting six to seven kilograms of wool.

Caldwell acknowledges wool returns remain challenging but believes recording remains an important part of stud performance.

Farmer feedback plays a key role.

“One farmer told me his Coopworth-cross lambs outweighed his Pole Dorset-cross lambs,” he says. “Another said it was the cleanest ram he had ever had – no dags on the lambs. That sort of feedback is good to hear.”

Family roots and future genetics

Moeraki Downs has been in Caldwell’s family for three generations. His son Nathan, who manages a farm in the Mackenzie Country, is involved in genetic direction, and his daughter teaches agriculture at a high school in Auckland.

New genetics are regularly introduced through selected rams sourced from across the country. Caldwell and Nathan have travelled through the North Island visiting respected