12 November 2023

Research update: Aiming to eliminate concentrate supplementation to finish lambs

Philip Creighton, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc Athenry, Co. Galway reports on lamb performance across the groups on the Sheep Research Demonstration Farm.

Rams were turned out to ewes on October 6. Ewe body condition score going to the ram averaged 3.2. The average replacement rate across the groups this year was 27%.

Up to mid-October, approximately 65% of lambs from the grass-only treatments and 75% of lambs from the grass plus white clover and grass plus white clover plus plantain treatments had been drafted. This includes lambs finished from their main forage treatments plus some lambs that were removed and finished on the hybrid brassica forage crop, as mentioned in our last update.

The average liveweight of the remaining lambs is 38.7kg and these have now been moved onto the forage crop for finishing. The aim is to eliminate the need for concentrate supplementation to finish these lambs, as would have been the case in previous years, especially in a challenging year like this for lamb performance.

Closing of paddocks commenced in mid-October to build grass for next spring. The plan is to have approximately 20% of each farmlet closed on average by late October, 40% by mid-November, 60% by late November and 80% by mid-December, with the remainder by late December/early January.

This update first appear in the Teagasc Sheep Advisory newsletter for November. Access the full publication here.

Also read: Monitoring mating liveweight and body condition score on BETTER sheep farms