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Sheep numbers continue to increase steadily in Donegal, with the number of breeding ewes over 12 months of age rising by almost 50,000 head from 2010 to 2015. This lift in the Donegal ewe flock has widened the gap in ewe numbers to the next-highest ewe populations in Mayo and Galway and is stemming from renewed interest in sheep enterprises.
The renewed interest is being driven by a number of factors. Inclement weather during the grazing season in recent years has increased the costs of suckler and beef enterprises, particularly those on more marginal soils, and led to ewe numbers possibly replacing a percentage of beef animals. Changes to commonage rules have witnessed more hill sheep enter the frame, while another factor that is badly needed in the sheep industry has been a welcome injection of youth into the sector.
This injection of youth is reflected in the Grieve household in Trievebrack, Castlefin, Donegal, where father and son, Gerard and John, entered into a partnership in 2015, while brother Gerard Jr has established his own flock. The partnership agreement has also seen the mixed suckler and sheep farm enter into an expansion phase with the area of land farmed in the partnership increasing to 53ha through a lease agreement.
John, Gerard Jr and Gerard Grieve with their Teagasc sheep adviser Tommy Doherty.
The farm has already set about gradually increasing the ewe flock, with 140 ewes put to the ram in 2016. This is split into 70 ewes lambing in mid-February and the remaining 70 lambing in mid-March onwards. The plan in the coming years is to continue to gradually increase numbers in line with improvements in grassland management and handling facilities, with a target of 200 ewes.
The 51-cow suckler herd is also split in calving, with about 25% to 30% of the cows calving in December and the remainder calving in a tight eight-week period in February and March. The reason for the split in both enterprises is straightforward – it makes best use of facilities and grass supply and also helps to generate a more even cashflow. The suckler system operated up to now has been to sell weanlings at seven to eight months of age. With access to more land, an option of increasing suckler cow numbers has been explored but decided against. It is felt that the best fit to increase the beef side of the operation is to bring progeny through to beef with males finished as bulls and heifers finished at under 20 months of age.
The mature Charolais stock bull is breeding excellent quality progeny.
Calf quality is good and will suit a system of changing to bring all stock through to beef.
Early lamb production
Cashflow has become a critical component of every enterprise, particularly with all direct payments now focused late in the year. Gerard explains that this is one of the primary reasons for operating an early lamb production system. “With sheep, you are not going to get rich but having lambs to sell does keep money coming in at a time when the farm is facing expenses with meal costs, fertiliser and the likes.
“The early lamb production system is a higher cost to operate. We are lambing in February and try to make better use of grass than if lambing earlier.
“It is important to get lambs away while the price is good and limit the amount of feeding that the ewe needs to get. It also suits grass supplies later in the year as these ewes can be tightened up when ground is being taken up for silage,” he says. John adds that lambing at this time also suits labour as it ties in with supervision of cows calving.
The aim in the early and mid-season lambing flock is to keep management as straightforward as possible. An all-in, all-out system is operated with replacements purchased and terminal Charollais, Suffolk and Texel rams used, with all lambs destined for slaughter. The 70 ewes lambing in February scanned 1.81 lambs per ewe joined, with four ewes empty and three ewes carrying triplets.
Ewes are currently being fed ad-lib good-quality silage, which tests on average from 70DMD upwards. This is also an important focus on the farm because land type means cows generally do not get to grass until April. Meal supplementation will be introduced to ewes four to five weeks pre-lambing at 0.3kg to 0.4kg, rising to 0.7kg to 0.8kg in the final weeks of pregnancy.
Ewes are let to grass as soon as weather allows with meal feeding usually continuing for about two weeks to ensure that ewe energy intake is sufficient to meet rising demand and also stretch out grass supplies.
Creep is also introduced to lambs and the focus is on producing a butcher-type lamb for sale in Raphoe mart.
Grassland management
The focus in the mid-season flock is to limit meal input, with a drive in recent years to improve grass management by implementing a reseeding programme and paddock grazing. The farm is involved in two discussions groups. The sheep group is facilitated by Tommy Doherty, a recent addition to the Donegal Teagasc advisory team, while the beef group is facilitated by B&T adviser Gary Fisher.
Having a supply of grass in spring is something that Gerard has always been mindful of and ewes were housed at the start of December once the final grass supplies were gone.
“You sometimes hear people saying that it costs less to keep ewes outdoors for longer on your own land or on winter grazing and not wanting to house until the same time each year. This year, we are housing about three weeks earlier. For us, it makes more sense to house ewes with management easier and ewe condition holding better.”
In the longer term, the target is to be able to operate a mixed grazing system on the fragmented farm that is laid out in four parcels in a one-mile radius. This will require investment in sheep fencing but use will also be made, where possible, of temporary fencing.
Health treatments
As land type is a mixture of more marginal black soils and better-quality lands, liver fluke has traditionally been a risk. Ewes were dosed three weeks before housing with a product targeting all stages of liver fluke and will be treated again three weeks post-housing with a product that targets immature and mature fluke. They will also receive a treatment at turnout that treats mature fluke with the aim of giving ewes a clear bill of health going to grass. Besides liver fluke, ewes will also receive treatment for lice in the form of a pour-on.
Lower labour
While flock and herd numbers are expanding, the focus on the farm is on limiting the amount of additional labour required. John and Gerard are working with Tommy Doherty in designing a sheep-handling unit that will allow higher flock numbers to be handled with greater ease. The sheep shed has also been upgraded this year – all timber slats were replaced with plastic slats.
Along with new plastic slats, new water troughs have been installed to ensure ewes have access to freshwater at all times.
All three Grieve men are handy with their hands and completed all works replacing the slats, along with fitting new water troughs and constructing and erecting new feeding barriers where required. Gerard says that installing water troughs that provide for better water exchange and ensure fresh water is available was an easy investment to justify given its important role.
Similar to the sheep enterprise, the focus in the suckler herd is to operate as straightforward a system as possible. The majority of replacements are purchased first-cross heifers from the dairy herd.
Gerard explains that the replacement policy in recent years marks a significant change to the previous policy in place where Charolais cross heifers were retained. “There is no doubt that I was breeding super quality cattle but costs were also rising and land was taking a hammering with cows well in excess of 800kg hard to keep out and poaching ground quickly in wet weather. I came to a crossroads and decided that a total revamp of the sucker herd was needed and began replacing cow type. Cow mature weight is now closer to 650kg to 660kg. Cow type may be lower-quality dairy cross cows but using a top-quality Charolais bull (pictured below) is compensating for much of this.”
Weaning weights are being driven by milk yield and terminal genetics. Bulls are typically averaging 350kg to 380kg, with the heaviest bulls sold this autumn weighing 425kg. The Grieves also find that this cow will perform satisfactorily once she is looked after. As mentioned previously, silage quality is good and cows calving at present will also receive 2kg to 3kg concentrate supplementation until cows are back in calf. Calves will also have access to a paddock during the day which will also help to break the cow-calf bond. This positive breeding performance is also helping longevity. Older cows in the herd are producing their eighth or ninth calf, with the number of calves produced per cow per year in excess of 0.91 calves continuously.
The farm is applying for planning permission and TAMS approval for a shed that will allow the switch to be made to finishing male progeny in an under 16-month or under 24-month system, whichever looks the better option following a budget being completed. It is felt that the Charolais-cross progeny will be an ideal fit for such a production system with some traditional breeding in the background of cows helping to finish male and female cattle at a younger age.
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