Sheep

Management of ewes and lambs post turnout – grouping up to kick-start rotational grazing

Management of ewes and lambs post turnout – grouping up to kick-start rotational grazing The lambing of mid-season flocks is well underway and near completion on many farms. The ultimate goal is turning out ewes and lambs to grass covers that will meet their feed requirements with little or no concentrate supplementation […]
30 March 2021

Best practice on spent sheep dip and footbath solutions

Best practice on spent sheep dip and footbath solutions The practice of sheep dipping in summer or winter or both, is an important annual practice on sheep farms. Sheep dips, such as Organophosphates and Pryrethroids, are extremely effective but must be safely disposed of afterwards to protect aquatic life, as Shaun Roarty, […]
25 March 2021

Grass Tetany in Ewes

Grass Tetany in Ewes Grass Tetany is a common disease of lactating ewes during the spring time. It is an acute and frequently fatal condition that primarily affects lactating sheep at grass. This condition is caused by a deficiency in blood magnesium levels. Michael Gottstein, Teagasc, Head of Sheep has more information […]
16 March 2021

Planning winter housing facilities for sheep

0 Planning winter housing facilities for sheep The provision of new sheep housing facilities is eligible for grant aid under TAMS II – 60% aid for the young trained farmer and 40% for all other applicants. Damian Costello, Teagasc Sheep Specialist and Michael Conroy, Teagasc Advisor outline the key considerations when designing new […]
9 March 2021

Turnout Turmoil

0 Turnout Turmoil Eamonn Patten, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Ballinrobe has guidelines for turning out ewes and lambs to grass. He includes a few pointers on managing indoors when weather conditions are not suitable for lambs going out, i.e. within a day or two of lambing. The weather at lambing time is often quite […]
9 March 2021

Reducing labour at lambing: improving ewe mothering ability through breeding

0 Reducing labour at lambing: improving ewe mothering ability through breeding Genetics, the study of genes and genetic variation, is a powerful tool at the disposal of farmers to identify the genetically elite animals to be the parents of the next generation. All improvements achieved through breeding are permanent and cumulative, Áine O’Brien, […]
2 March 2021

How to deal with Toxoplasmosis abortion

How to deal with Toxoplasmosis abortion Three mistakes are often made when ewes abort: Failure to quickly isolate aborted ewe(s) & potentially infectious material; Failure to clearly identify the cause of abortion; Failure to put in place prevention methods; Edward Egan, Teagasc Advisor, Co. Meath has advice on dealing with Toxoplasmosis If […]
25 February 2021

CatchmentCare & Teagasc Sheep Dipping Demonstration

CatchmentCare & Teagasc Sheep Dipping Demonstration Teagasc Donegal is part of a very important educational tool for sheep farmers and Agricultural Advisers in every county in Ireland. It’s the first video where a best practice approach to plunge sheep dipping, and the correct disposal for the spent dip afterwards, has been demonstrated […]
25 February 2021

Pregnancy scanning a key management tool for hill farmers at this time of year

Pregnancy scanning a key management tool for hill farmers at this time of year Nearly all of the Teagasc BETTER Farm hill sheep flocks have finished pregnancy scanning in the past couple of weeks. Overall the scanning rates and litter sizes are quite good. Pregnancy scanning is a very important management tool […]
23 February 2021

Spring Fertiliser on sheep farms

Spring Fertiliser on sheep farms All going to plan ewes can be turned out to grass as they lamb with minimal supplementary feeding, if any, required post turn-out. From a management, cost and labour point of view, this must be the aim. An early application of Nitrogen is important, as Philip Creighton […]
16 February 2021