Ohio
Poll Dorset Stud
We put 6,000–7,000 ewes and hoggets to the ram every year, so our sheep have to work for us long before they work for you. The Ohio stud has had one job since 1972: more kilograms of better tasting lamb on the truck, faster, from easy care rams that stay sound. We measure everything on SIL (flock 2937), we love to cull, and when the CPT results were last public we topped growth across all terminal sire breeds in New Zealand — by 22.5% over the second-placed ram.
No passengers here. Every animal and every paddock has to pull its weight — that policy built this business from a running a crutching gang at eighteen to farm ownership and owning the stud we'd bought rams from for three generations. Your rams get held to the same standard.
Sheep That Work For You
Check out our Arkley Farm - Ohio Poll Dorset Stud Facebook page for regular update on life at Arkley Farm
Why buy Arkley Genetics
1
Stud Sires
With a long history of supplying stud sire to other studs both in New Zealand and exported overseas. We are set up to supply you with sires or semen to progress your stud forward. If you are a commercial farmer, skip the lag - buy straight from Arkley Farm.
2
Real Farmers
While we are 5th generation farmers in the area, we are not on the family farm. Our farm has to be financially viable, one of our policies is "no passengers", every animal and every paddock at Arkley Farm must pull its weight. This is a major breeding policy, we love to cull.
3
Commercial Scale
With 6,000-7,000 ewes and hoggets put to the ram every year. We have to have sheep that work for us. The Ohio stud sheep have proven themselves over 3 generations of Gardynes. They will prove themselves to your family too.
4
Performance Recorded
SIL Flock Number 2937, "You can't manage what you don't measure". We record our sheep and utilise the latest technology.
Alongside this we have had a history in topping the growth rates side of the NZ Beef & Lamb Central Progeny Trial (CPT) across all terminal sire breeds for New Zealand. Unfortunately, the results are no longer made public, but we have a copy of last public results from 2014/15
Note: an insane 22.5% $$$ margin against the 2nd ranked ram over all breeds in NZ for Growth
5
Physically Sound
You wouldn't run a Ferrari on bald tyres. Sheep without sound feet, legs and constitution are just walking dog tucker. No matter their figures if they are unsound the dogs get fed. The Arkley guarantee: if a ram doesn't stay sound for two matings, with fair management, we replace him. We've always done it — now it's in writing.
6
Consistent Breeding Objectives
From 1972-2023 there have only been 2 Ohio stud masters with a long overlap. After tagging along ram buying at Ohio for 15 years and then another 15 years doing the buying Peter still has Trevor on board going forward to make the transition smooth.
The breeding objectives are staying the same. Using the latest technology to breed physically sound, high performance sheep that will work for you and put $ in your pocket. Progress is made by keeping on track.
Looking forward, the next generation is already in training.
Commercial Poll Dorset Rams
7
Land Use Change
We farm from the flats to the hills, we are pushed by the change to trees on one side and on our best flats we grow arable and seed crops. We understand that while this is sad, it is the real world. The Arkley answer is to keep breeding better sheep to compete and complement these other land uses. No complaints just solutions.
8
Pushing Boundaries
While our breeding objectives don't change, neither does the attitude of keeping up to play with the latest technology. Lately IMF (Intramuscular Fat), genomics, DNA foot scores, Carla, EID and AI (both types!) are all at the leading edge of the Ohio stud.
Ohio Poll Dorset topping the NZ CPT across all breeds for growth - by 22.5% above the 2nd best ram
Stud History
Established in 1972 by Roland & Daphne Potter at Pukerau near Gore, then joined soon after by their son Trevor. Ohio Poll Dorset became one of the top Poll Dorset studs in New Zealand, supplying sires to both commercial and stud farmers.
In 2023 Pete & Esther Gardyne, third generation commercial farming clients of Ohio, leased the Ohio farm and purchased the stud. With Trevor still on board in an advisory role, the stud is set to continue its progress into the future.
Breeds
Poll Dorset
The basis of the stud is the Pure Poll Dorset flock. Bred for survival, growth and meat quality. These rams are growth kings with the biggest eye muscles and higher IMF.
This pure breed maximises the Hybrid Vigor potential for our commercial flocks especially if they have a texel component in their ewe flock.
Poll Dorset Texel
Our Poll Dorset Texel breeding program has just been boosted by purchasing the premium pick of the Wharetoa Meatmaker (fancy name for Poll Dorset Texel) stud.
As well as the solid Poll Dorset base, these rams have the classic Texel big bum and as a mix of the two white face terminal sire breeds are well suited to a maternal cross situation that focuses on producing lots of meat on the truck fast.
While our focus is on breeding terminal sires, we also breed them to be great maternally.
We are seeing a sizable shift to farmers who love terminal sires asking, "Why not include Poll Dorset in their maternal ewes". The answer is they will lose some fleece weight (not many seem concerned by this!).
As with the shift to terminal sires once our farmers try Poll Dorset as part of the maternal mix the main question becomes "Why we didn't do this earlier".
For our maternal clients, we have a full maternal index on our rams to help you choose the rams that will push your breeding program and farm production forward.
CONTACT US
If you want to talk about your sheep breeding objectives and program. We can investigate if we can help you have "sheep that work for you". Or if there are other opportunities for the Arkley team to help you progress your business. Call Pete.
Pete Gardyne +64274263311
arkleyfarm@gmail.com
