Melrose is a 6505ha partnership farmed by Dugald and Andrew Rutherford. The contour of the North Canterbury property varies from flat rolling paddocks to steep, native hill country and stock numbers sit at 5000 mid-micron ewes, 3500 hoggets, 800 ultra-fine wethers, 360 cows, 300 dry cattle and 300 deer.

Stud breeding began in 2008 with the purchase of a Corriedale stud that had 40 years of breeding for footrot resistance behind it. Once on Melrose no stud ewe over 12 months was drenched. The ewes now run entirely on hard hill country including at single sire mating. Over winter and post weaning the ewes run with large commercial mobs – the aim being an easy care sheep.

Melrose firmly believes stud sheep should be raised under harder conditions than a commercial environment, and their policy is that if some of the mob are not under pressure, they’re being too soft on them.

Mark Ferguson / NZ Merino made a significant difference to their breeding direction in 2012 with the introduction of a number of Australian sires — the quest for soft, white wool began.

Melrose is recorded on SIL and has a 5-star rating on Sheep Genetics. This reflects the number of traits and quantity of animals in each drop they record. They have also participated in every Central Progeny Test that NZ Merino has run, as well as having a ram in Beef and Lamb’s main Central Progeny Test and 3 sires in Beef and Lamb NZ’s Low Input progeny tests.

After 14 years they are close to their target of 20 microns, white wool on sheep with industry-leading values in growth, weaning rate, fat and muscle, worm resistance and dag score. All stud sheep are run with footrot-infected merinos and none of the stud or commercial sheep have required treatment for footrot since 2008.

Melrose genetics were a valuable contribution to the initial SX Fine Wool flock and in recent seasons some SX Fine Wool sires have been used at Melrose.