Kelso Genetics

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Kelso Genetics

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Bred to outperform. Supplying high health, high performance rams across New Zealand. Scale with discipline to deliver profitable genetic options.

Kelso is a family based operation jointly owned by the Marshall, Holden, Bibby and Ellis families. What you can expect from us -

A trusted ram breeder who acts with integrity. Carefully balanced stockmanship with leading technologies. Farming families and enduring relationships that stand the test of time.

06/10/2026

The second Kelso chilly bin winner is...

TSU number 43!

Congratulations to Simon and Becky McKay from Namoi Farm - a Kelso Icey-Tek chilly bin is coming your way!

Allflex Tissue Sampling Unit (TSU) is the device we use to capture DNA samples from our 5000 new season stud lambs each year.

02/10/2026

The first Kelso chilly bin winner is...

A nice Prime.G lamb, tag 60252/26
Congratulations to Carl Read-Jones, Daniel Jordan and the team from Tarawera Station Te Awahohonu Forest Trust - a Kelso Icey-Tek 56L chilly bin is coming your way!

Thank you to everyone who got their ram orders in by the 30th Sept and went in the draw. We had such a great response, we may just have to get a few more!

29/09/2026

Kelso is excited to be managing a fullblood Wagyu breeding programme and progeny trial on behalf of First Light Foods - NZ

Just like we do with our stud sheep, we are performance recording every animal - calving ease, gestation length, birth weights, DNA, growth rates and temperament, while marbling and carcass traits are collected through the progeny trial. The breeding objective is to breed a fullblood herd to supply genetics for the Firstlight crossbred supply chain.

Today we weaned our first cohort of 41 fullblood Wagyu calves and they are looking great. Super quiet to work with in the yards. The genetics for the breeding programme have come out of Trent Bridge Wagyu - NSW, Australia - where they have been breeding high performing Wagyu since 2005.

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24/09/2026

Hot off the press! 💥

Kelso.M is now WormFEC Gold accredited, and Kelso.X - already FE Gold accredited - has also achieved WormFEC Gold status. Kelso is proud to hold both accreditations across our maternal ram brands.

WormFEC Gold is NZ’s leading certification for worm resistance sheep genetics, and FE Gold recognises NZ’s highest level of facial eczema tolerant genetics. If parasites and facial eczema are your limiting factors, we have options for you.

Our maternal rams will breed a high performing ewe flock that stays healthy, no matter what environment they are in.

Breeding for balance.

Get in touch with us today!

20/09/2026

Now with better odds than lotto, be in to WIN 1 OF 4 Kelso Icey-Tek 56L Chilly Bins just in time for summer, how good!

Ram orders are coming in thick and fast, so don’t miss the opportunity. Get your ram order in to Olivia or Hamish before 30th September 2026 and you’re in the draw.

Winners drawn October 2026. Open to new and existing clients. NZ competition only.

15/09/2026

Last week Hamish and I headed south to Invermay Agricultural Centre in Mosgiel, alongside the wonderful team at Genetic Gains Ltd. Genetic Gains are our SIL/nProve bureau who handle all of Kelso’s genetic data very efficiently and who make our lives a whole lot easier!

First stop was GenomNZ, our DNA analysis provider. Seeing the technology and how efficiently they handle our DNA and carry out genomic testing on our lambs every year was very cool to see.

From there we visited BSI Invermay (formerly AgResearch), where we discussed what is coming up for Kelso and the industry and how they can help us get there. We then went on to see the RFI feed efficiency unit, where there was Kelso progeny from one of our maternal sires who entered the Central Progeny Trial last year. Feed efficiency is a trait that is hard to measure in the sheep industry, with the only feed efficiency unit based in Mosgiel - a wee way from Kelso HQ! Don’t worry, feed efficiency is definitely on our radar!

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this slide: “Robustness: the ability to maintain high, consistent performance while staying healthy and surviving, even when faced with environmental stressors, pathogens, or nutritional challenges.” That is exactly the sheep we are breeding at Kelso.

We are truly lucky to have such a talented team of scientists in this country. It is what makes New Zealand genetics the best in the world.

Then on to Techion Fecpak NZ, the team behind our worm resistance testing. Over 1,000 poo samples from our ram lambs are analysed to give us the FEC data that underpins our DPF - Worm Resistance Index. Seeing it all processed in the lab really does make you appreciate what goes on behind the scenes. Techion are working hard to make various testing methods more accessible to farmers nationwide.

On the way north we stopped in to visit clients Johnny and Jane Harrison, David and Kate Acland, and Simon and Nigel Barnett. As always it is great to get on farm and see our clients. The Southern Alps provided a stunning backdrop ❄️

11/09/2026

It makes us happy when our farmers are happy! Pleasing results for George Tatham, Matariki Terraces based coastal Wairarapa.

Hogget reproduction has been part of the Kelso maternal worth index since day one back in 2015 - high fertility, fecundity, and early maturity have always been in our foundation genetics.

Hogget lambing is one of the fastest ways to speed up genetic gain in your flock. Getting ewe hoggets to a good liveweight before mating leads to better hogget lambing performance, and ultimately lifts fecundity across your whole ewe flock.

Great work George, keen to see where this goes.

Breeding for balance.

07/09/2026

Ram palpation is complete for our 850 maternal ram hoggets. Thanks to Dave Warburton from Vet Services Hastings, fair to say it’s a bit of a workout! Luckily for Dave he has a few weeks off before carrying out terminal palpation.

Dave carries out our pre ram sale physical check post shearing and within 3 months of sale. Assessing each ram for two uniform, firm yet free-moving and fully developed testicles with no lumps, inflammation, damage or scarring - ensuring every ram leaving Kelso is sound for breeding.

It pays to get your current ram team checked before you buy your new season 2TH rams so you know how your numbers are tracking for the coming season, and then another palpation 6 weeks prior to mating to ensure there has been no injury or trauma over the summer time.

We also have a local lad, Wilbur Kittow helping out on Fridays as part of his year 13 gateway course. He’s been a real asset to the team in such a short space of time. Cheers Wilbur!

Address

744 Blackburn Road, Ongaonga
Hastings
4278

Telephone

0800 4KELSO

Website

http://www.kelso.co.nz/

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