Edited By
Michael Gottstein
Head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer
Welcome to the Teagasc Sheep Advisory Newsletter for July. In this edition, Head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer, Michael Gottstein shares management notes on grassland management and reseeding, weaning and managing ewe condition, and keeping lambs performing post weaning.
Grassland management
Good grassland management throughout July is critical for both lamb performance and to allow ewes to rebuild body condition ahead of the next mating season. Target grass height for weaned lambs is 9cm and out at 6cm. Use ewes in good body condition or suckler cows to clean out paddocks in a leader-follower system. If grass starts getting ahead, skip paddocks/fields rather than trying to speed up grazing and not grazing out properly. Taking out these paddocks/fields as surplus bales is the best option.
Reseeding
July is the month to complete any planned autumn reseeding. Reseeding in July gives the new sward more time to establish. It gives clover a better chance to establish and it allows time / better ground conditions for post-emergence spraying of weeds and grazing to thicken up the sward before winter.
Weaning
The optimum age to wean lambs at is 14 weeks old. Delaying beyond this reduces lamb performance and delays the opportunity for ewes to be dried up and given appropriate treatment to regain body condition. For hogget ewes rearing lambs, it may be beneficial to wean even earlier to give them a chance to recover as they are still growing.
Drying up ewes
Drying up ewes should be done over a week to ten days. Ewes should be restricted on a bare field/paddock with access to water. Housing ewes is not a good idea, as it increases the risk of mastitis. Once dried up, ewes should be assessed for body condition; thin ewes should be given access to good grass to regain body condition prior to mating.
Improving body condition score in ewes
Ewes that go to the ram in good body condition score (3.5) will improve next year’s flock performance. By putting weight on ewes, you are making life easier next year. Often farmers are concerned about ewes being too fat. This is not a problem we see at farm level. Thin ewes are the problem. It takes time to put on body weight and for flocks going to the ram next October the time to start giving thin ewes access to good grass is NOW!
Ewes in optimum body condition at mating (BCS 3.5) improve flock productivity because:
- Increases litter size
- Reduces lambing spread
- Reduces health issues
- Improves lamb survival
- Improves lamb growth rate
Mineral supplementation
Mineral supplementation on farms where minerals are in short supply and deficiencies have been identified generally come to a head post weaning, as the lambs are totally dependent on a forage-based diet.
The main mineral being supplemented to growing lambs tends to be cobalt. With cobalt supplementation, it is important to have the cobalt available as often as possible as it is not stored in the body to any great extent.
Cobalt should be supplemented orally at least every two weeks or by a slow releasing bolus. If you are unsure about the efficacy of mineral supplement being used, then treat every second lamb and mark them and monitor performance. The performance of the supplemented lambs should be significantly above the untreated group to justify the investment in terms of time and money on supplementing lambs.
Lameness
Is lameness chewing away at your lamb performance? Most flocks I visit have a lameness problem. The exception are flocks that have stand in batch footbaths. If you are still operating with a few plastic trays in your race, then do yourself and your sheep a favour and build a batch footbath. It will revolutionise lameness control on your farm.
A batch footbath can be easily constructed in an existing shed by fitting a few lentils to construct the bath area. The footbath should be large enough to hold at a minimum 20 ewes or the number of sheep that your race holds if that is greater than 20 ewes.
Lameness, its causes and the control options available, were discussed at detail at our National Sheep Conference on June 18. View the presentations delivered at the conference here.
Date for your diary
On July 15 at 7pm, a BETTER Sheep Farm Walk will take place on the farm of Brian & Blathnaid Keane, Garr, Davidstown, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Eircode Y21 XOY2. All Welcome.
Topics to be discussed include:
- Introduction and farm performance
- Lameness control
- Maximising lamb performance and parasite control
- Ewe body condition score and preparing for mating
For more information on the BETTER Sheep Farm Walk, visit here.
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