Shane Moore

Signpost Sheep and Beef Farmer

Shane Moore farms with his partner Kelly and son Ryan in Athleague, Co. Roscommon.  Shane has a sheep and beef farm comprising mainly good free draining soil and includes an area of marginal land usually only grazed by the cattle. The owned land (30ha) is split in two main blocks approx. 5km apart with a third block of 4ha short term rented land. Currently there are 160 mature ewes plus 50 ewe lambs being put to the ram alongside 10 suckler cows.

Challenges: Optimising stocking rate to match grass production on the farm while increasing output through a defined breeding policy for the flock. Currently developing the farm and grazing infrastructure to allow for sustainable expansion of the ewe flock while maximising performance from grazed grass.

Farm Advisor: Michael Conroy, Teagasc, Roscommon/Longford 

Signpost Farm Measures Undertaken

Autumn closing/spring grass

A key part of Shane’s autumn management will be closing paddocks in rotation and on time so as to ensure he has sufficient grass available next spring once lambing commences. Shane will begin closing paddocks from mid-late October with the target being to have 20% of the farm closed by late October. This will rise to 40% of the farm closed by mid-November, 60% by late November and 80% closed by mid-December. There will be a temptation to re-graze closed fields in December/January to delay housing ewes but this will have to be ignored as grass is worth much more in the spring to the freshly lambed ewe than in mid-pregnancy.