Magna Poll Dorset Sheep

Breeding

Magna Poll Dorset Stud was established in 1994 with 15 in-lamb ewes from Totara Hills Stud in the Manawatu. Ewe numbers have since grown to approximately 200.

Bloodlines in the sires and ewes include our base stock from Totara Hills, Kakaho, Windermere, Springhill, Atholstane, Adelong, Larnoch and Ormiston, combining in different measures to give us our own bloodline of Magna.

The Poll Dorset ram is an ideal terminal fat lamb sire for both commercial and lifestyle farmers as the progeny are very placid, fast growing, early maturing sheep.

Our rams are very quiet and well used to handling. Magna is an accredited Brucellosis-free flock.

We have rams available from November each year, and often have a selection of breeding ewes

available each January. Full records are available if required.

 

 

 

Characteristics

What can we say about the Poll Dorset breed of sheep? We love them! They are a very productive, easy-tempered and friendly animal with many wonderful characteristics that are listed below.

• Poll Dorset is a meat breed with down-type, bulky, colour- free wool
• The lambs are fast growing (see photo of ewe and lamb on the right)
• Excellent mothers, with high success in easy mothering-on, if necessary
• Placid sheep (see photo of Doug in an open paddock with the sheep)
• Excellent milking breed, used extensively in sheep-milking industry.
• High fertility and twinning (some triplets as you can see in the photo)
• Lambs can be bred from early because they are fast growing - averaging 40kg in 8 weeks
• Ewes can produce 3 lambings in 2 seasons (ability to breed out of season)
• Poll Dorsets come into season earlier than most breeds - excellent for warmer Northland and North Auckland
• Excellent breed for fat lamb trade
• Poll Dorset breed - long, lean, well muscled carcase - characteristics transferred to crossbred progeny
• Multi-purpose breed which will thrive in a variety of situations