Preparing students for a future in sheep farming

The Ballyhaise Agricultural College sheep enterprise is focused on helping students learn practical skills to support their future career in farming.

In the below video, Fergus O’Rourke, Sheep Teacher at Ballyhaise Agricultural College, introduces the college’s sheep enterprise.

Fergus O’Rourke explains: “The main objective of the sheep enterprise is to support students learning through practical skills development and the application of what they have learned in the classroom. The college is home to a mid-season flock, with lambing beginning in late February, which allows students to practice lambing skills before their work placement in mid-March.”

Operating as a closed flock and stocked at 10 ewes per hectare, the sheep enterprise consists of 170 ewes and 30 ewe lambs. Significant emphasis is placed on soil fertility and grassland management to support the drafting of most lambs from grass.

As to what students attending Ballyhaise Agricultural College will experience, Fergus O’Rourke explained: “Here on Ballyhaise, first year students are actively involved in the day-to-day running of the sheep enterprise, where they get experience right across the sheep production cycle including lambing, feeding, healthcare, breeding and drafting lambs for finish, to name but a few.

“When students progress to second year, their attention moves to the management of the enterprise. An example of their input into the management of the farm includes their weekly grass walks and using PastureBase to decide what paddocks to be grazed or removed as surplus silage.

“By allowing students make decisions regarding the enterprise, it allows them to see the consequences of their decisions and their impact on farm performance which should prepare them well for their future career in farming,” Fergus O’Rourke added.

For more information on Ballyhaise Agricultural College, visit here.