Ram Sales
Benmore Station offers four distinct types of rams, all performance tested, with breeding values generated and shared with clients whenever possible.
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​Our clients are based across the South Island, with some in the North Island as well.
Rams are available for private selection — if you’d like more information or wish to make a booking, please get in touch with Bill or Andrew.​
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Benmore Merino
For many years, these rams made up the majority of those we bred and sold. They were selected primarily for wool production, with an increasing emphasis on robustness and doability. Starting from a Merryville base, we have incorporated Nerstane and Earnscleugh genetics to further improve the productivity of these lines.
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The Merino rams we produce are well suited to servicing both Reda and Icebreaker contracts, with our wool regularly meeting Reda specifications. These sheep are ideally suited to traditional high country properties where wool production remains the primary focus.
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Benmore Poll Merino
This is an exciting sheep type that has been carefully developed over the past decade. Starting from a strong Merino base, we have introduced elite production genetics from Merinotech in Western Australia, an industry leader in rates of genetic gain.
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By carefully harnessing this genetic progress while retaining the signature Benmore wool type, we have created a true dual-purpose Merino that excels on our own properties and those of our clients. Selection within these lines balances wool performance with reproduction and carcass traits, while the sires introduced are also leaders for worm resistance.
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These sheep are ideally suited to high country properties that have undergone development or irrigation, and perform equally well in lower country systems.
Benmore Half-bred
Our half-bred programme is built on a base of Poll Merino genetics. Performance-recorded Poll Merino rams are mated with carefully selected Romney rams to produce our half-bred sires.
We have farmed half-bred ewes under irrigation for many years and consistently market the majority of lambs at weaning, with only a very small proportion sold as store lambs.
These ewes also produce a significantly more valuable fleece than comparable crossbred ewes.
As a result, these sheep are an excellent option for farmers looking to transition toward finer wool while maintaining strong lamb performance.
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Benmore Quarter-bred
Building on our Poll Merino genetics, we are now also breeding quarter-bred rams. These sheep are three-quarters performance Poll Merino and one-quarter Romney, and we have been extremely impressed by their capability. They perform on par with our commercial half-bred flock, while producing significantly finer and more valuable wool.
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These rams are ideally suited to farmers targeting Smartwool contracts or marketing wool in the 21–24 micron range. They present a genuine opportunity for sheep farmers looking to move away from the crossbred wool market and into fine wool production, without sacrificing performance.