Small steps to progress

Kleiheuwel Trust, based in Bredasdorp, recently achieved one of the top 10 best prices in the history of South African wool sales, and the highest price so far during this season’s BKB wool auctions. Pam and André Christie-Smith spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their production approach.

Kleiheuwel, situated near L’Agulhas in the Western Cape’s Overberg region, has a rich farming heritage. It was once part of the historic Zoetendals Vallei farm that belonged to the Van Bredas of Bredasdorp, who owned South Africa’s first commercial Merino flock in 1817.

While Merinos are no longer produced on the original farm, Kleiheuwel has continued the Merino tradition, and the flock had steadily improved with each passing generation.

“My father, John Albertyn, and my husband André and I have all put great effort into breeding sheep with good wool qualities, resulting in the flock looking totally different from what it did two generations ago,” says Pam Christie-Smith, who belongs to the sixth generation on the farm.

Good Genetics

The Albertyn family started keeping records of the flock in 1942, and travelled across South Africa in search of superior Merino rams to improve it. In time, John Albertyn bought all his rams at production auctions from breeders such as Staatmaker Merinos, Patryskraal Merinos, and Komarsekraal in the Southern Cape. André Christie-Smith is following suit.

“The genetics of these animals are exceptional, and the sheep are adapted to our production conditions as they are produced around the corner from us,” he says. “We buy about 20 rams a year and replace them after three years.”

His ram selection strategy is straightforward: “My purchasing decisions are based on BLUP records, specifically wool quality and whether the mother had a history of twins. Because I’m not a stud breeder, I don’t buy the most expensive animals, but usually end up buying animals slightly below the average sales price of the day.”

Wool length is a priority, and he has switched from shearing once a year to every six and eight months as prices are discounted for fleece longer than 90mm.