Lambing at Waipuna Station

• Published date: 11 October 2023
• Publication title: West Coast Farming Times, The

It's 7.30am at Waipuna Station as Ken Ferguson leaves home to check on his 1200 lambing ewes. In the side by side are keen young heading dog Meg and a shepherds crook. Today, both prove to be unnecessary. So does Ken. That's a successful lambing beat

It's spring and Waipuna Station is coming to life. Ken's side by side whirrs from paddock to paddock against the stunning backdrop of West Coast pasture, river and bush. It's a busy time of year on this 1000ha effective property. There are 350 Angus cows calving, 950 in calf hinds, 1200 ewes and over 500 hoggets lambing. Ken Ferguson, head of maternity does not look the least bit daunted.

Throughout the farm, the ewes are busy at work. Waipuna has invested in Wairere Romney genetics, renowned for their easy birthing and good mothering. Today they are showing their maternal worth.

Lively lambs less than a week old, tag around behind their mothers as they graze their way through the shelter of the windrows. In each paddock there are steaming hot, yellow, lambs dropping to the ground. The ewes lick their lambs clean, and softly bleat to them. The smell, the taste, the noise, all forming a maternal bond that will help the lamb survive.

As Ken drives, ewes look up and some move away with their lambs, but nobody looks particularly rattled. Business as usual. These are good mothers. Ken's happy with them. They are doing exactly what he has bred them to do, 'doing it for themselves'. That, says Ken, is what he wants to leave behind.

Humans have had some hand in it though. Healthy ewes have healthy lambs, and Ken alongside sons Hamish and Ben have made sure the ewes arrive at lambing in optimal condition. All udders have been checked, vaccinations have been given for campylobacter, toxoplasmosis and clostridial diseases. Ewes are shorn mid pregnancy to increase lamb survival, and drenched before mating, off the shears, and prior to lambing.

Waipuna Station pregnancy scans all their ewes, and this year's result was 187%. This means, the majority of the flock will produce twins or triplets (multiples). Following scanning the triplets and 'skinnies' remain on pasture, and the rest of the ewes and hoggets winter on a crop of swedes. Closer to lambing Ken stocks the multiples in the...