The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Shrek 2 - double trouble

3 Apr, 2006 06:05 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The pair proved popular with Francesca Hayman - and her father's 600 ewes. Picture / Otago Daily Times

The pair proved popular with Francesca Hayman - and her father's 600 ewes. Picture / Otago Daily Times

Two unshorn rams rivalling Shrek the merino for fleece size have been found on a Clutha River island at Bendigo Reach, near where New Zealand's most famous sheep lives.

Tarras farmer Michael Hayman believes the half-bred merino-english leicester sheep, nick-named Tweedledum and Tweedledee, are about eight years old and have
never been shorn.

Because of the size of their fleeces, Mr Hayman believes Tweedledum and Tweedledee were probably content to live as hermits until the recent arrival of 600 ewes.

"I think with low river flows, my sheep have been lured out on to the island. That's probably how the whole encounter began really," Mr Hayman said.

Mr Hayman became aware of the rams about two weeks ago but rumours about two phantom sheep on the island had been circulating for some time.

They have been in isolation in a paddock at the Hayman family's farm, "Pukemara", since Saturday, separated in case they had lice.

The sheep had probably been missed in a muster.

The rams did not like being moved or handled and had tried butting Mr Hayman's dogs.

They were calmer yesterday and allowed Tarras School pupils to take a closer inspection.

Locals have predicted the fleeces are at least as large as Shrek's, a merino wether captured on April 14, 2004, after six years of solitude on Bendigo Station.

Mr Hayman is not sure what to do with the rams in the meantime but is planning to "defrock" them.

"We'll just treat them as part of the flock."

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

The Country: Cameron Bagrie on tomorrow's OCR call

08 Jul 01:50 AM
The CountryUpdated

South Island braces for more wild weather, third time in three weeks

08 Jul 01:43 AM
The Country

End of an era: Kinleith workers mark closure

07 Jul 11:46 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

The Country: Cameron Bagrie on tomorrow's OCR call

The Country: Cameron Bagrie on tomorrow's OCR call

08 Jul 01:50 AM

Cameron Bagrie, Farmer Tom Martin, Sirma Karapeeva, Jo Luxton, and John McOviney.

South Island braces for more wild weather, third time in three weeks

South Island braces for more wild weather, third time in three weeks

08 Jul 01:43 AM
End of an era: Kinleith workers mark closure

End of an era: Kinleith workers mark closure

07 Jul 11:46 PM
Women make their mark at sheep dog trials

Women make their mark at sheep dog trials

07 Jul 11:12 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP