Sheep
Planning for lambing season
Planning for lambing season Damian Costello, Teagasc Sheep Specialist, reminds us to start planning for lambing season. The key focus in the run-up to lambing should be having a plan in place to minimise the level of lamb mortality within your flock. Along with the obvious benefit of ending up with more […]
19 February 2023
Practical implications of conversion to organics on hill sheep farms
Practical implications of conversion to organics on hill sheep farms The appropriate system of sheep production on hill farms is farm specific. It depends on factors such as the quality and amount of enclosed green land available along with the harshness of the hill grazing environment on the farm. Damian Costello, Teagasc […]
18 February 2023
Improving returns in hill sheep with flock health and production planning
Improving returns in hill sheep with flock health and production planning The concept of flock health planning is not new, however, the idea has had a variable history and opinion on how best to achieve widespread uptake remains divided. John Barley, AFBI Veterinary Science Division, told delegates at last night’s National Hill […]
16 February 2023
Spring fertiliser planning
Spring fertiliser planning Teagasc Soil & Plant Nutrition Specialist, Mark Plunkett, joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast podcast to discuss fertiliser planning this spring. With fertiliser costs remaining high, Mark starts by explaining timing, location and rate of nitrogen application this spring with Mark highlighting the crops’ requirements at present. He […]
14 February 2023
Sheep and Goat census deadline is 14th February
Sheep and Goat census deadline is 14th February Sheep and goat census returns deadline is Tuesday 14th February. Keepers are required to record census data on their flock registers and return their census data, preferably online. Find out how to complete the online census return here With the deadline for completion of […]
14 February 2023
National Hill Sheep Conference set for Co. Cork
National Hill Sheep Conference set for Co. Cork The Irish hill sheep sector plays an important role in the economic health of rural economies and the maintenance of the natural landscape in many of Ireland’s most scenic areas. This year, the Teagasc National Hill Sheep Conference focusses on: flock health and production planning; […]
13 February 2023
Late pregnancy nutrition: energy demand, ration composition and protein source
Late pregnancy nutrition: energy demand, ration composition and protein source For the latest OviCast podcast, Ciarán Lynch discusses late pregnancy nutrition with Dr. Tim Keady. Tim discusses the impact of nutrition on performance in the weeks before lambing and explains the increase in foetal growth that occurs during these final weeks of […]
12 February 2023
Late Pregnancy in Sheep and a Lambs First few Weeks of Life
0 Late Pregnancy in Sheep and a Lambs First few Weeks of Life Aoife Seymour, Teagasc Walsh Scholar, discusses the effects of ewe nutrition and vaccination during late pregnancy, colostrum and simple husbandry practices that can be used to ensure every lamb gets the best possible start. She includes a simple guide to […]
7 February 2023
Pre-lambing health treatments for the ewe flock
0 Pre-lambing health treatments for the ewe flock For mid-season lambing ewes, the final pre-lambing health treatments are currently taking place or are due to happen over the coming days and weeks. Damian Costello, Teagasc Sheep Specialist, Teagasc Athenry, outlines the main health treatments being administered on sheep farms around now. Clostridial/Pasteurella vaccination […]
7 February 2023
Silage feed value
0 Silage feed value Tim Keady, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc Athenry, Co. Galway examines factors influencing silage feed value. The main factor influencing silage feed value is digestibility (DMD) (see Figure 1). Increasing DMD increased silage intake during weeks -10 to – 6 prior to lambing. When concentrate supplementation […]
6 February 2023