While the dip in temperatures over the last week to 10 days has slowed growth, the year to date has been much kinder on sheep farmers than previous years. The poor weather last spring and low grass growth rates saw costs escalate quickly, resulting in many farmers tweaking their system to better cope with the possibility of a similar scenario.

This was the case for Enda Stephens who runs a mixed sheep and suckler enterprise in Togher, Tuam, Co Galway. Traditionally, ewes lambed around 20 February. The farm was hit on three fronts in 2016. Grass growth was lower than normal and this occurred at a time of greater grass demand with a batch of Scottish Blackface ewes also purchased to increase stocking rate and breed replacements.

Demand was also heightened at the most critical time frame for grass supply, with yearling hoggets lambing for the first time in a number of years.

To cope better with grass demand, the lambing date in 2017 was pushed out two weeks, with lowland ewes lambing from 10 March onwards and the batch of Scottish Blackface ewes lambing from 25 March onwards. Yearling hoggets were also not bred last autumn due to mature ewe numbers rising. The changes have delivered benefits although the true extent may be masked by the very favourable winter and spring growth.

Farm infrastructure

The improved performance this spring is also being driven by a number of management changes that have been taking place in recent years and cumulatively are reaping rewards for the farm. Farm infrastructure has been greatly improved by taking advantage of TAMS I and TAMS II funding to split large fields in two. This has reduced fields that were upwards of eight to nine acres in size to four to five acres with a number of fields around the farmyard which are used for lambing split into two- to three-acre paddocks.

Enda says that he is really seeing the benefit of these changes in the last 18 months.

“I try as far as possible to graze out fields bare in spring to have good-quality grass always coming back for stock. The smaller fields make it easier to make animals graze down lower and the big advantage is being able to move animals to fresh grass more frequently. Looking at some of the bigger fields, I am probably getting twice as much out of them as I was.”

Smaller paddocks work equally well for mixed grazing. This improved infrastructure is one of the reasons contributing to an increased stocking rate.

“I was growing more grass and making baled silage that I don’t really need and is costly to make. I switched to outdoor lambing a few years ago which has greatly reduced workload and have been purchasing some Mule and Hiltex replacements in the last two years to better suit the system and get back to my ideal ewe-type which is a Texel or Suffolk bred up from these. With more grass I decided to purchase a batch of Scotch ewes and these are working well. Lamb quality may not be as good as from my lowland ewes but I have no trouble with the ewes and they are easy to run and I have some nice hoggets coming through.”

Improved performance

Another feature that is also delivering is the implementation of a reseeding programme for the farm. Poorer performing fields have been targeted for reseeding and sowing with a crop of tyfon has also helped in delivering a boost for finishing lambs.

“The fencing has allowed me to reseed smaller areas that might have been put off in the past due to larger fields. You can see the benefits in spring. These fields recover much faster”.

Building regular lime applications is also another aspect Enda says is improving sward performance. He highlights a tonne of lime being much the same cost of a bag of manure but delivering a much greater and longer-term response.

Enda’s farm came to our attention when he was awarded a prize by the South Mayo Sheep Producer Group at their 2016 AGM. Along with Pat O’Brien from Headford in Galway, Enda was awarded for his consistent high-quality presentation of lambs and commitment to the group.

Modest in his achievement, Enda says that he is not doing anything out of the ordinary and is implementing what works best for his farm.

Drafting

Lambs are drafted regularly and once lambs hit a weight that will deliver a 19kg to 21kg carcase, they are selected. Enda believes that retaining lambs for too long is a false economy as it costs money to gain weight which is not paid for if lambs go overweight. Regular drafting is aided by help from daughters Shona and Cara and son Eanna.

The focus is on keeping lambs thriving from grass and reducing input costs to try and deliver the maximum profit. Lambs born early are finished as rams, with lambs born later castrated as Enda finds it easier to put flesh on these lambs.

“It doesn’t always work. Last year it was difficult to put flesh on ram lambs but I think that was a feature of the year. You will always have a lamb that catches you out on weight but regular handling hopefully doesn’t let too many slip through the net”.

South Mayo Lamb Producer Group

The South Mayo Lamb Producer Group includes about 190 members in south Mayo and north Galway. The group supplies Dawn Meats, Ballyhaunis, with a pricing schedule agreed on a weekly basis that rewards producers for delivering lambs to the required specification.

Chair Pat Waldron says that an added benefit is the weekly collection points and acceptance of lambs irrespective of supplies.

Pat also explains that the group aims to promote optimum breeding strategies by awarding a bursary of €100 for rams purchased in society sales costing €300 or more. The group also organises a breeding sale which takes place each September with members also receiving a premium of €20 for hoggets costing over €150.

Along with this, there is a social element to the group, with meetings and events well-attended. Pat’s number is 087-419 6428 for farmers interested in finding out more. Membership is closing soon.