UK sheep farmers can learn much from their New Zealand counterparts, but there are also lessons to to learnt by the Kiwis from UK producers, according to leading New Zealand ram breeder Derrick Daniels (pictured).

Speaking to Farmers Weekly during a tour of the UK, Mr Daniels said there was no doubt in his mind that UK farmers were better at managing their feed requirements. Many New Zealand sheep farms are too heavily stocked, possibly to the point of being overstocked. This isn't always to the detriment of stock - but UK farmers do, in general, have better-condition sheep than we do.

LOW PRICES

New Zealand farmers have been forced by low prices to generate easier-care sheep and to reduce interventions to virtually nothing; they have developed these systems out of necessity. There are many people trying to replicate these systems here, but the UK has a long way to go in understanding what easier care is. This is partly because of being hamstrung by legislation, explained Mr Daniels.

I think the UK is the only country I've been to where animal welfare is ahead of human welfare. Farmers in the UK are expected to see their stock at least once a day; you can never have a truly easy care system when you're spending a large part of every day simply looking at your sheep.

In New Zealand, I estimate that only 30% of sheep are seen on a daily basis, at lambing, because most of the ground sheep are run on is only accessible on foot or horseback. Equally, with an outdoor lambing system, the minute you go into a lambing paddock you cause problems because you disturb the ewes.

Low prices have also meant New Zealand farmers have developed systems that are devoid of concentrate feeds and many New Zealand sheep farms also manage without any alternative forages. Concentrate feeds are too expensive and most sheep farms lack good enough ground to grow crops such as swedes or turnips.

This is because all the good ground is used for dairying. There is more money in dairy than there is in sheep, so we can't compete for the best farms. Even arable farming can't compete with dairying in New Zealand. The average price for sheep products is NZ$3.64/kg (£1.70/kg), whereas for dairy it is NZ$5.70/kg (£2.70/kg).

Because of restrictions on land and feeding, New Zealand sheep producers have adapted their systems so that most run self-replacing flocks rather than buying in replacements and running flying flocks as most UK farmers do, said Mr Daniels.

This allows them far more control over their genetics and they get to see the mistakes of their selection process in their own flock. They are, therefore, far more critical of their breeding stock and more questioning of their genetics.

And because we can't rely on purchased feed, our sheep have to be able to buffer themselves in times of hardship. We want a ewe that is capable of carrying a bit extra cover to see her through