Spring is well underway at Glenlands
Spring has certainly arrived at Glenlands, and so far the season has been kind to us.
We have enjoyed some great weather through lambing, with excellent lamb survival rates this year. The lambs are looking great, and the ewes are milking well, which has been particularly pleasing to see as we have worked our way through docking.
As we write this newsletter, our hoggets are around 50% through lambing within their first week, so things are certainly busy on the farm!
The good spring conditions have also meant our animals are still keeping on top of pasture growth. We could now do with some rain to keep that growth continuing and, hopefully with some rain on the way soon, get us comfortably ahead of feed demand as we move further into spring.
Docking is underway
Docking is well underway and it is always an exciting time for us, as it gives us one of our first really good opportunities to see how the year’s lamb crop is shaping up.
So far, we have been really pleased with what we are seeing. Lamb survival has been great, the lambs are looking strong at docking and the ewes are milking well.
For us, this is where the work that goes into our breeding programme starts to show.
Our aim with Glenlands SheepMaster has always been to breed a sheep that works for the farmer — productive, resilient animals that require less intervention while still delivering where it counts.
That means continuing to select for the traits that matter to us and to commercial farmers: fertility, growth, survivability, body condition, parasite resistance, soundness and ease of management, alongside the natural shedding characteristics of the SheepMaster.
Ultimately, we want sheep that can get on with the job.
What our clients are seeing
Of course, seeing our own lambs performing is one thing. Hearing how Glenlands genetics are performing for our clients on their own farms is even better.
We recently received this message from one of our clients:
“We are very happy with the ram we bought off you last year. We have some good lambs on the ground.”
And another client recently got in touch with some wonderful feedback after purchasing Glenlands rams:
“I’ve been meaning to email you both just to say how happy we are with your Rams. Their progeny are outstanding and everything we were hoping for. As you know we haven’t been in the sheep game for a long time (over 30 years) and were looking for a sheep that would cross graze well with the Deer and Angus Cows on our 500ha steep hill country farm.
We have had no foot problems, no dags or flystrike (luckily as we don’t have a woolshed anymore). The Lambs are fantastic, strong from day one and a bonus that 60% come off Mum and straight to the prime sales. We will be back in 2026 for another Ram or 2.”
Feedback like this means a great deal to us because these are exactly the outcomes we are trying to achieve through our breeding programme.
It isn’t simply about producing an animal that looks good on sale day. It is about breeding sheep that go away and perform for farmers in real commercial farming conditions.
2026 Glenlands SheepMaster Stud Ram Sale
Thursday 26 November 2026 at 1pm
Viewing from 11am
Preparations are now well underway for our 2026 Glenlands SheepMaster Stud Ram Sale, and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Glenlands in November.
This year we will have on offer:
- 40 2th Rams
- 30 2th Ewes — unless sold prior
The sale will be held here at Glenlands farm and will also be available online through bidr® for those who are unable to make it on the day.
Our breeding programme continues to focus on producing a balanced, practical sheep for commercial farmers.
For us, sustainability and profitability need to go hand in hand. We are working towards sheep requiring:
No crutching • No shearing • No tailing • No flies
while continuing to select for the productive traits farmers depend on — including fertility, productivity, early maturity, walkability, easy management, hardiness and drought tolerance.
If you are considering a Glenlands SheepMaster ram this year, please feel free to get in touch with us before the sale. We are always happy to talk through what you are looking for and the type of ram that may suit your farming system.
Glenlands featured in Farmers Weekly
We were thrilled to recently have Glenlands SheepMaster featured in the NZ Farmers Weekly 2026 Ram Sale Showcase.
The article, “Breeding sheep that work for the farmer,” tells some of the story behind what Dean and I are trying to achieve here at Glenlands and why our breeding programme is focused on producing a balanced animal that is productive, resilient and easy to manage.
It also talks about the development of our SheepMaster genetics and the importance we place on breeding sheep that can perform without creating more work for the farmer.
Read the 2026 NZ Farmers Weekly Ram Sale Showcase
Working with Redshaw Livestock
This year also marks a new chapter for Glenlands as we work alongside Redshaw Livestock, our livestock partner for the 2026 Glenlands SheepMaster Stud Ram Sale.
For us, having the right people working alongside our farming business is important, and Redshaws brings a great combination of local knowledge, experience and connections.
Redshaw Livestock’s roots go back to 1985, when Laurence Redshaw established LI Redshaw Ltd after beginning his career as a livestock agent in the Wairoa-Gisborne region. The business gained selling rights at Stortford Lodge in 1988 and continued to grow its team and presence throughout the region.
In 2026, Redshaw Livestock became part of the Rural Livestock Ltd group, a 100% New Zealand-owned network with more than 100 agents nationwide.
Today, the local Redshaw team consists of 10 stock agents servicing Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Manawatū, Wairarapa and Taupō. It gives farmers the benefit of an experienced local agent who understands their area and market, while also having the connections and buying power of a nationwide network behind them.
We are really looking forward to working with the Redshaw team as we head towards our November sale.
If you would like to discuss this year’s offering, you are welcome to contact us or any of the Redshaw Livestock team.
Looking ahead
Spring is always a busy time at Glenlands and there is still plenty ahead of us – hogget lambing to finish, docking to complete and, before we know it, sale day will be here.
For now, though, we are very pleased with how the season has started. Good lamb survival, strong lambs and ewes milking well give us plenty to be thankful for.
Now we just need that spring rain!
We look forward to sharing more with you as we get closer to the sale and hope to see many of you here at Glenlands on Thursday 26 November 2026.
Dean & Antoinette Martin
Glenlands SheepMaster Stud
1330 State Highway 5
Glengarry, Napier
Ph: +64 27 250 2850
Email: info@glenlandsfarm.co.nz
Website: www.glenlandsfarm.co.nz
Facebook: facebook.com/GlenlandsSheepMaster/
SAVE THE DATE – GLENLANDS SHEEPMASTER STUD RAM SALE
THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2026 • 1PM
Viewing from 11am • On-farm & bidr®
