Over 1,000 farmers attended the Teagasc hill and lowland sheep conferences in the last week. This included over 400 farmers attending yesterday’s lowland conference in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, Co Meath and over 300 farmers attending the conference in the Malton Hotel, Killarney on the previous day. The hill sheep conference held last week in Westport also attracted over 300 farmers.

All conferences focused on the topic of health and nutrition with advice particularly relevant to dealing with the higher litter sizes recorded this spring. All conferences majored on the importance of getting late pregnancy ewe diets correct.

Meanwhile, scanners report strong scanning results carrying forward into ewe lamb flocks with many flocks reported as scanning an extra 0.2 to 0.3 lambs per ewe. Scanners also report a higher number of ewe lambs mated with farmers taking advantage of ewe lambs being in greater condition and ideal breeding conditions and above normal grass supplies.