For participants of the Sheep Welfare Scheme, the number of breeding ewes over 12 months of age entered on your sheep census in December must be sufficient to at least match your reference figure to achieve full payment.

The reference figure for a flock is the average of the number of breeding ewes (over 12 months of age) recorded in the 2014 and 2015 sheep census (exception of higher reference figure awarded on appeal).

2017-born ewe lambs won’t be eligible to satisfy the requirements of meeting the reference number until 2018.

Farmers with insufficient ewe numbers can contact the Department to notify it of a reduction in numbers.

The payment will then be based on the lower number of ewes and this will not affect increasing back up to the reference number in subsequent years.

For example, if my reference number is 100 ewes but I have only maintained 80 ewes throughout 2017, I can notify the Department of the lower numbers and increase again in subsequent years if I wish to do so.

Notification can be made by sending a note outlining the change in numbers to the Sheep Welfare Scheme Section, DAFM, Government Offices, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois, or by emailing sheepscheme@agriculture.gov.ie.

Read more

Sheep management notes: post-breeding nutrition

Sheep management notes: ram lamb management