Genotyping issues

I’ve had a number of calls from farmers who have submitted genotype samples to ICBF for testing but have had no results back yet. Some of these samples have been sent off two months ago and these farmers are getting worried they won’t be back in time for the 31 October deadline in SCEP. Participating farmers must have 50% of the reference number of females in their herd genotyped four- or five-star on the replacement index by 31 October. Heifers must be 16 months or older to be eligible for the scheme. The biggest issue is on farms where numbers of four- and five-star animals are tight to hit the 50% and these farmers now don’t know whether to buy in or not. ICBF has confirmed that if an animal is in your herd on 31 October and is genotyped a four- or five-star on one of the weekly evaluation runs in November, they will count towards the 50% requirement. ICBF is urging farmers to return tags as soon as possible to make sure SCEP payments go out in time in December 2023.

Sheep grazing

With a lot of grass left on farms, especially in the west, and the prospects of getting it grazed getting less likely, some farmers are asking the question, what they can do with it. While grazing later with weanlings will be an option on some farms, where weanlings are sold this won’t be an option. Some beef farmers will look to purchase store lambs themselves. This is fine if you are familiar with sheep and know how to look after them. Another option is to take sheep in on a B&B basis. I have also heard of a good demand from sheep farmers looking for winter grazing. Good fences are important and make sure the required movement dockets are completed to ensure both parties are cross-compliant. Having a written agreement in place around payment and movement dates is also important to avoid confusion. On some farms, €0.10 -€0.12/ewe/day is being paid – this could be a nice cash injection over the winter months. Make sure you still stick to the closing plan and don’t leave yourself with a bare farm and no grass on 1 March. Make sure that all the required paperwork is completed in terms of movement notifications. If you have a cross-compliance inspection you will be expected to provide the relevant documents for the Department inspector.

Safety at loading

With a lot of extra cattle moving off farms in the coming weeks, safety at loading time is paramount. Taking time to make sure all gates are secure before loading is key. If loading off passageways, plan your escape route just in case you need to exit quickly. Always expect the unexpected and watch for animals turning at the ramp and forcing back. Patience is key and staying calm is also important. Shouting and roaring at cattle or fellow stockmen won’t help. Make sure trailers or lorries have both loading gates working properly and be very careful bringing gates around to close and watch for a flying foot to kick back the gate. While older and younger members of the family are a great help, don’t let them help at this job, their reaction time won’t be fast enough if something goes wrong.