The best approach is to split large areas, if possible, and graze down sections rather than letting ewes have access to a large area.

This will serve two main benefits: ewes will not graze all the fresh grass and then be left with a high volume of lower quality material that will be harder to get them to graze out, plus grazing in sections will allow areas to be closed off as they are grazed and recover for grazing next spring.

This was the standout message at this week’s Teagasc autumn grazing sheep farm walks. The main messages will be covered in detail next week, but all walks focused on the requirement to give paddocks a 120-day rest period, with the target for a flock lambing the first week of March to have 40% of ground closed by the first week in November.

Read more

Options for grazing surplus grass and catch crops

Sheep management: early pregnancy feeding