20 January 2024
A Decade of Growth and Learning on the O’Leary Family Farm
Michael Gottstein, Head of Teagasc Sheep KT Programme, shares insights into the farm of Tomas O’Leary and his family, participants in Teagasc’s BETTER and Signpost programs for the past decade.
Tomas O’ Leary, his wife Eileen and children Míchéal, Yvonne and Sinead farm approximately 40 adjusted hectares in two blocks of land in Kerry. The farm currently operates a flock of approximately 260 ewes (212 mature ewes and 50 ewe lambs mated) plus a contract dairy heifer rearing enterprise of 90 Friesian / Jersey cross heifers. The farm is split into two blocks 27km apart.
Mating
Mating commenced on the 7th October, 212 mature ewes where turned out in groups with Belclare, Charollais, Suffolk and Hampshire Down rams. The breeding policy on the farm involves a Belclare Suffolk (Hampshire Down) cross ewe. Belclare ewes are mated with Suffolk or Hampshire Down rams and Suffolk cross ewes are mated with Belclare rams. These are the ewes from which any future replacement ewe lambs are retained. Charollais ram are used to mate ewe lambs and ewes from which Tomas does not intend to keep replacements. The mating season for the mature ewes was five weeks. Ewe lambs were mated for a three week period starting 21st October two weeks after rams were turned out with the mature ewes. Scanning of the ewe flock will take place in late December and lambing will commence in late February.
Sheep Housing
The poor autumn weather has had a significant impact on grass utilisation and consequently sheep have been housed earlier than normally, 2nd December. Mature ewes are currently housed on silage only. Post scanning ewes will be penned according to litter size, expected lambing date and body condition score. Rams are also housed and are receiving 0.5kg of concentrates in addition to adlib silage. Ewe lambs are receiving 0.3kg concentrates per head per day. The best quality silage has been identified and retained for feeding ewes in the last eight weeks.
Lamb Sales
All lambs destined for sale have been sold. The last 10 lambs were drafted for slaughter in early December. In all 362 lambs were sold at factory weights and when added to the 50 ewe lambs retained as replacements that gives a total of 412 lambs reared from 250 ewes (including 69 ewe lambs) to the ram. This gives a weaning rate of 1.65 which is somewhat lower than in previous years partially due to a dog attack which resulted in 12 lambs being killed and three more dying subsequently from their injuries.
Grassland Management
Grass supply has been relatively good this year coming in at 15 tonnes of dry matter per hectare slightly up on 2022 when the figure was 14.6T DM/ha. Poor weather in March and April followed by dry weather in May and early June resulted in less than normal silage being made from surplus paddocks being taken out during that time. Overall silage yields are more than sufficient with targeted silage cuts yielding well.
45 Tonnes of lime were spread in August, 40 tonne of that will qualify for the lime scheme payment. A further 40 tonne is scheduled to be spread in 2024.
Autumn closing plan. Grazing ground was closed off in the order in which it will be grazed in the spring time. 20% of the grazing ground was closed in late October with a further 20% being closed every two to three weeks. Cattle were housed in the middle of October.
Flock Health
At this stage ewes have not been treated for any internal parasites. A liver fluke dose will be given in a few weeks’ time, a product that is effective against immature fluke and haemonchus contortus. The annual clostridial booster vaccination will be carried out end of January.
Dairy Heifers
The 90 diary heifer calves have performed very well since arriving on farm at the start of September. The most recent weighing carried out on the 1st October resulted in an average weight of 202kg being recorded for the 90 heifers. Heifers were dosed for stomach worms at housing and have been vaccinated for pneumonia, lepto and IBR. They will be receiving a liver and rumen fluke dose once house for 10 weeks using an oxyclozanide based anthelmintic.
Retirement from BETTER and Signpost Programme
We in Teagasc have been fortunate to have been associated with the O’Leary farm for the last ten years in the BETTER farm programme and more recently in the signpost programme. It has been an absolute pleasure to accompany Tomas and his family on an incredible journey which has not only improved and developed his farming enterprise, but has also enabled us in Teagasc to use the O’Leary farm as a demonstration farm for students, visiting groups, advisers and farmers. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Tomas and his family all the best in the future and thank him for his participation in our knowledge exchange programmes.
This article first appeared in the Farming Independent.