New Zealand. Farmers drought description.

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Droughts in New Zealand –Kiwi farmers’ terminology

By Dr Clive Dalton

Hungry sheep enjoying poplar trimmings

Very dry summers are occurring in New Zealand at more regular intervals – which the climate change supporters blame on global warming.

When conditions really start to become dry and a degree of panic starts, a host of organisations in each area meet to ‘make a recommendation’ to the government to ‘declare a drought’.  In New Zealand our Minister of Primary Industry has to give a final approval, and grades the drought as ‘medium’ or ‘severe’.

This then dictates the level of financial and social support farmers and growers can receive, to keep them viable until the rain comes and the drought is officially called off.

Bureaucrats are careful not to rush into approving things which will require government to give money out, as opposed to their rapid approval of things that will suck money into the maw of their consolidated fund!

But long before dry weather starts turning into drought conditions, and is brought to the attention of government officials who reside in block houses with no windows, and who must ignore the messages from their rural MPs – Kiwi farmers have long started to describe the state of play, and it’s rapid deterioration.

The best place to hear this is at sale yards – and not pubs, as when it gets really dry, despite farmers’ needs for a cooling drink, they dare not leave the farm to have one, as there is so much stress and worry to be dealt with at home trying to find feed for hungry stock. 

This Dalton-Stevenson drought scale

This was developed over many years by myself and Philippa Stevenson (veteran agricultural journalist, farming editor, and agribusiness commentator) from listening to farmers when they met. 

These were occasions when it hadn’t rained for a couple of weeks, to the desperation of no rain for 4-6 weeks, and then wondering if it would ever rain again!

By grade 3 farmers start to get worried and by grade 5 it’s time to get the drought committee together and start putting pressure on the government.  Listen up  and this is what you'll hear, so you can grade the description, and get a highly accurate measure of what it's like on the farm.

Grade 1: ‘She’s gitten droy’

Grade 2: ‘She’s gittin blardy droy’

Grade 3: ‘Jeees she’s droy’

Grade 4: ‘Croist she’s droy

Grade 5: ‘Jeeesuschroist she’s droy’

Grade 6: ‘She’s as droy as a wooden God mate’

Grade 7:  ‘She’s as droy as a lime burner’s boot’
Grade 8:  ‘Droymate?  The trees are chasin the blardy dogs’
Grade 9: ‘Mate – She’s droy’s as dead dingo’s donga’

Grades 6, 8 and 9 are clearly of Australian origin and have crossed the Tasman as the term ‘mate’ makes this obvious.  The habit of both starting and ending a statement with ‘mate’ is not common in New Zealand, but is spreading with an increase in trans-Tasman rugby league players.

Grade 7 is a Kiwi term, noted by Kiwi journalist Kingsley Field who was brought up in the Otewa valley near Otorohanga in the King Country.  The family farm was near the Waitomo limestone deposits where the raw lime (calcium carbonate) was quarried.

It was then burned in limekilns and converted into ‘burnt lime or quick lime’ (calcium oxide).  This made the calcium more soluble and concentrated to make the soil more alkali and less of it needed to be spread.  Kingsley also described the important role burnt lime played in keeping the contents of the 'long drop' toilet smelling sweetly and fly-free in summer !

His father explained that the lime workers boots got so dried out by the burnt lime, that after a very short time they fell apart.

New Zealand farm working dogs. The NZ Huntaway

By Dr Clive Dalton

The monument to the New Zealand Huntaway at Hunterville.
Farmers can buy a paving stone around the bronze sculptor to record their own huntaway's name and dates of its loyal working career.
(Photo by Molly Dalton 2012)

History

Nobody knows the true history of the New Zealand Huntaway - it was never written down. The early shepherds had imported 'eye dogs' to go around sheep to gather (muster) them, but very soon they found they needed to move sheep off steep hill country and mountainous High Country runs where a dog with a lot more 'force' or 'punch' and with a good bark (noise) was needed. Shepherds wanted a dog that could 'hunt sheep away' from the handler, while the heading dog could go around them to stop them escaping.

But the Huntaway also had to 'head' sheep but without any 'eye' like the heading dog. The Huntaway's bark and dominant presence 'facing up' to the sheep was the secret in controlling and moving them. A Huntaway's bark can be switched on and off by command which is very important, as noise at the wrong time and in the wrong place, can lead to disasters such as a smothering of sheep where they pile up on top of each other and suffocate.

Bred solely for performance
The NZ Huntaway is one of the few animals that has been selected solely on the basis of 'performance'. Human 'fancy' and silly notions were never involved. If the pups from a mating didn't show any working instinct by about 6 months of age, they were euthanased as nobody wanted them for pets.

Also fortunately, there was no enthusiasts, breed society or Kennel Club to lay down rules about what a Huntaway should look like. Looks were the very last feature breeders were concerned about in a Huntaway as long as it did its job.

This is changing, (sadly in my view) as the Huntaway has been discovered to be a very loyal companion dog, and if we are not careful, their working genes will be weakened by selecting for 'pet' gens and diluting the working genes. This has happened with the Corgi, the Long-haired Collie (Lassie type) and the Sheltie. These were all working dogs before breeders started breeding them for the show ring and as companion animals.

This is happening at great pace in the Border Collie in New Zealand which is now a very popular companion dog for active people, and is now winning obedience competitions.

Functional traits
Huntaways have a hard life and on big farms they must easily cover up to 100km on a busy day, mustering and working sheep in yards and woolsheds. They need a great 'constitution', however that's measured. It involves a physique and physiology that doesn't break down under heavy load. The working dog is an athlete, and it's nutritional needs are similar to those identified by researchers studying sled dogs.

Legs, joint's, ligaments, and feet joints and pads are particularly vital parts. In recent years, hip dysplasia has been identified in the 'breed', if we dare call it a breed in the classical sense, which thankfully it is not. This weakness is being eliminated by X-ray idenitificaton, selection and culling. Twisted bowel also caused trouble in Huntaways for a number of years but breeders reckon it's been eliminated by honest pedigree recording and culling.

As Huntaway breeders bred larger dogs for more force and power, hip dysplasia developed more rapidly, and inbreeding to particular dogs that were regular winners at dog trials made things worse. It's both a genetic and an environmental (nutritional) problem and is being successfully managed from both these angles.

Mongrels or 'designer dogs'

A stockman's dog team
(L to R). NZ Huntaway, Australian Blue Heeler cattle dog, NZ Heading Dog

In the world of classical dog breeding, a Huntaway would be described as a 'mongel' (of unknown parentage). But in modern genetic terms, it's a wonderful example of using a 'gene pool' and throwing into the mix all the dog genes from around the place that have shown any ability to do the job required.

The story goes that farmers started with the Border Collie, mixed in some Beardie (Sheep dog from Northern Scotland), Old English sheepdog (from the English Downs), the Smithfield (working dogs from Smithfield market in London), Labrador, Fox hound, Retriever and goodness knows what else. German Shepherd was not involved.

A bit of Australian Kelpie could also have gone into the mix. The Kelpie was bred in Australia from Border Collies and breeders are adamant that no Dingo was used in their ancestry, though many don't believe this!

The Keplie and Queensland Blue Heeler in New Zealand are kept as breeds on their own, and you never let a Blue Heeler (also called the Australian Cattle dog) near sheep! The history of this dog has been well documented and is a fascinating story. There's Dalmation in its ancestry and the Dingo was used to remove its bark.

Both Kelpies and Blue Heelers are now popular companion dogs, so their working genes could be under threat over time, unless farmers protect their genetic working stock.

Stirring the pot
The next stage in Huntaway breeding was to give the pot a good stir, and select out ( solely on performance) pups that showed potential. These had to have a kind nature and show keen interest in sheep and/or cattle, and be keen to bark at stock with a good deep 'voice' when excited.

They have to do this by six months old as most farmers believe that feeding them beyond that is not economical. There are pups that are late starters, but they seldom get the chance to show potential.

This 'mixing pot' approach used by the early breeders - using Darwin's 'survival of the fittest', is in fact a very modern approach. It's what geneticists would recommend today if a new 'breed' or type of working dog had to be bred. The result would now be called a 'composite' or 'designer dog'.

Huntaway types
Look at the colours of the dogs in these pictures and guess what genes are in their ancestry. You can't be wrong as nobody really knows which is wonderful, and nobody is the least concerned as long as they do their job.

NZ Huntaway - classical black and tan colours. This is a young dog about
a year old and just starting full work. Note the solid body and legs, and great heart girth.
A dog trial veteran - black and tan classical Huntaway

NZ Huntaway with Beardie genes. Beardies are tough dogs and despite their
long hair, hot weather doesn't seem to slow them down.
Another example of Beardie ancestry


NZ Huntaway with Labrador genes or just a black dominant gene ?

Another example of way back Black Labrador ancestry ?

NZ Huntaway with red genes from Retriever (?) origins


NZ Huntaway with Beardie genes and possibly hound ancestry.
Who knows? Who cares?
Another couple with similar ancestry?

The 'Handy Dog'
Talking about 'handy dogs' can be controversial. These dogs are certainly not purposely bred any more, and farmers say that there are none around although they are needed. A handy dog will do everything - head sheep, hunt them away, catch ewes and lambs at lambing, work cattle and some farmers joke - they'll bring the paper from the gate.

Their main value is in working sheep in yards and the woolshed. They are sometimes called 'yard dogs'. They are generally the dog that will work for any member of staff which is a great advantage.

There's nothing worse than the one-man-dog who will only work for it's master, especially if someone else needs to use it in an emergency, such as when stock have escaped and you need a dog - badly! I speak from experience here as you end up having to run yourself!

Handy dogs apparently were common in the past but not any more as breeders are influenced by the requirements of dog trials. There used to be trials for handy dogs, and there have been recent attempts to revive them by running 'yarding trials' where dogs have to do general work moving sheep around yards. A good huntaway will of course do such work.

Heading - Huntaway crossing
No respectable breeder crosses a heading dog with a Hunatway to get a combination of both working skills to produce a 'handy dog'. But these dogs do exist on farms and probably happen by accidental matings, and with appropriate training, some turn out to be good for general farm work.

A Handy Dog - with both Heading and Huntaway genes which will do most
things and bark on command. This dog also has the Blue Merle recessive gene.

New Zealand farm working dogs. Heading or Eye Dogs

By Dr Clive Dalton

In New Zealand the term 'heading dog' or 'eye dog' is used to describe dogs bred to go around sheep and gather them into a group, and then keep a close watch or watch on them to stop them escaping.

Origins
New Zealand heading dogs have been bred mainly from the 'Border Collie' which was the main type of dog used by shepherds on both sides of the Scottish Border. The early shepherds who came to New Zealand from the Borders brought their dogs with them, the most famous being James Lillico.

The UK Border Collie is a small dog with long coat and very strong instincts to lie down or 'swat', then crawl up to sheep at close quarters almost to mesmerise them. These traits have been bred out of the New Zealand heading dog which has much shorter hair for our warmer conditions, and stands up on its legs so it can be seen more easily at a distance.

'Coop'. Classical 2010 model Border Collie. Photo by kind permission
of Northumbrian shepherd Helen Brown

This is why the long coat is needed!
Winter 2010

Some of the UK Border Collies bark when they get excited in close contact with sheep, and this also has been bred out of NZ heading dogs. Barking or 'noise' is provided by the NZ Huntaway (See blog).

So to stop a dog in New Zealand the command is to 'Stand' or 'Stand there' and not 'Lie Down' as in UK. Kiwi shepherds believe that a dog moving on to sheep from a standing position causes less panic than a dog that gets up from lying flat.

'Queen'.
Queen was a classical UK Border Collie, and did nearly a decade of loyal service at the Hott farm and Dally Castle in the 1950s for Matthew Dagg. She wouldn't work for anyone else - in fact nobody could even get her out of her box in the byre, even for the tastiest of tidbits.

She was very strong eyed, had the speed of a rocket when set away to gather sheep, and was kind on sheep once she had found them, but very strong in control. She could be sent away to gather sheep that were out of sight and would never miss one. She showed the classical trait of top Border Collies of when on the outrun she'd come across a sheep, she'd then take another wider cast, assuming there could be more . She would do this on her own without needing to be commanded to 'go back' or 'keep out'.

She was fearless on recalcitrent cattle. She could 'heel and nose' a cattle beast so quick that it didn't know what had happened. Being expert in this art, she would move in low, bite the heel and then 'swat' flat on the ground while the beast's kicking let flew clear above her head. Her timing was perfect. She almost had a smile on her face at the beast's antics.

She bred a few great pups and it was a very sad day when she left for her final gather.


Heading dog traits
Heading dogs go around sheep (head them off) to stop them escaping, and in the wild, the next step would be to move in for the kill.

This is made easier for the dog as once sheep see a dog, (which is their natural predator), they naturally flock for protection and either run or turn around to face the threat.

The natural instinct of the dog it to take a wide 'cast' to either right or left when it sees sheep, and this can be modified in training, so it can be directed to go wider to find more sheep which may be out of sight.

A major part of this 'heading' behaviour is for the dog to 'eye' the sheep when the dog is in close contact. The dog uses it's strong gaze to almost mesmerise the sheep and move up to them very slowly, being ready to stop any making a dash for freedom.

Some strong-eyed dogs will move up nose-to-nose with the sheep and good trainers can teach their dogs to nip the sheep if they won't move, but they have to make sure this is a nip and not a bite.

This instinct can be used to train a dog to catch and hold a sheep, where it grabs wool around the neck and not flesh, and holds the sheep down on the ground till the shepherd can get to it. This is a very useful skill at lambing time or at docking when lambs are older and very speedy if the dog will catch and hold them.

Good example of strong-eye slowly moving in closer to the sheep

Some very strong eyed dogs can be real biters and in the past it was very hard to cure this. Once they'd moved in close the next move was the sheep's jugular. All you could do was to have a handful of stones handy or threaten the dog with noise and a raised stick. However, today correction can be done much easier with the electric collar that gives the dog a mild shock when it transgresses and this is not associated with the handler.

The 'stalk' when a good dog will only move one foot at a time
while moving up on sheep. The command used to direct this is 'Walk Up'.

Types of New Zealand heading dogs

Colours
The most common and popular colours of NZ heading dogs are black and white, which were the main coloured genes that came to NZ in the Border Collie. This colour combination is ideal for seeing the dog at long distances, especially in the tan shades of dry hills and the NZ High Country tussock.

But with the dominant black colour also comes the recessive red which is not popular as it's not as easy to see at long distances, even on green grassy hills.

All-white dogs are not liked as they look too much like sheep for the shepherd to see at a long distance, and they also really scare the sheep when the sheep realise that a 'predator in camouflage' is confronting them.

The 'Blue Merle' gene also came to New Zealand with the Border Collie and these dogs also can show the 'wall eye' (blue eyes) gene in either one of both eyes.


Examples of NZ heading dogs

NZ Heading dog - Border Collie type

Classical Border Collie colours but short coat


NZ Heading dog - with some black & tan and a bit of blue merle

Predominant black and tan colours

Another nice black and tan combination


NZ Heading dog - long legs, short hair and fine-boned.
You would suspect some Whippet genes in its ancestry?


Another good example of a fine-boned type


NZ Heading dog - 'Meg' a classical example of popular colours


NZ Heading dog - with the recessive red gene (not popular)


Origins of colour unknown. Half the litter were black and white and half this colour. Easy to see at a distance but not a popular colour among breeders.

A good colour combination for distance viewing


Shepherds would be starting to think this dog had a bit too much white on it

The 'wall eye' gene
This a recessive allele of a gene that produces a light blue eye. Either one or both eyes may be affected. It has no negative effect on the dog's vision. The dog below has one wall eye. Dogs with the 'merle' colouring often have wall eyes.