Tagging lambs: Reports suggest some farmers who purchased store lambs earlier in the year are now trading lambs in response to weather deteriorating. Sellers not accustomed to tagging rules should note that lambs cannot be retagged and must be traded with the tags they possessed at purchase. The only exception to this is where lambs are upgraded to EID status (one electronic tag and one permanent tag) for breeding purposes. If lambs have been sourced from more than one farm, the full 12-digit number must be recorded on the dispatch document for each animal – it is not sufficient to only record the individual animal ID number.

Crutching lambs: The practice of crutching lambs involves shearing the wool around the tail and generally also includes trimming of belly wool. It is particularly an advantage where lambs will be grazing a forage crop such as rape, kale or turnips or run on heavy lands with lambs kept drier, aiding better performance.

It will also help to avoid marketing issues in factories at a later stage by presenting lambs in cleaner condition. Charges typically range from €0.80 to €1.30 per lamb with better deals negotiable for higher numbers.

There are always queries at this stage of the year about the merits of shearing store lambs. Research carried out in Teagasc Athenry shows no benefit from shearing lambs housed and finished indoors in terms of daily performance.

There may be benefits in management, such as wool not blocking slats or creating more space in pens. While shearing will also generally improve cleanliness of lambs destined for slaughter, there is a word of caution as some processors discount recently shorn lambs, explaining that it lowers the value of hides/pelts. If in doubt, check with your processor first.

TAMS sheep fencing: The Department of Agriculture has provided an update on the inclusion of sheep fencing for grant aid under TAMS. The Department says it is in discussions with the European Commission to amend the Rural Development Programme (RDP) to include sheep fencing as an item eligible for TAMS grant aid.

A spokesperson for the Department says the amendment process is formal and the Department expects approval to include sheep fencing to be issued in the first quarter of 2016, after which sheep fencing will be added to the next tranche. It is expected that the scheme will operate in a similar format and similar specifications as the scheme that was in operation until recently.

Slaughter information: Factory reports are variable on the presence of liver fluke in lambs being slaughtered. Lambs coming from dry ground are showing very little if any presence, while those grazing heavier lands are starting to show increasing liver fluke burdens.

If slaughtering lambs, it is advisable to ask in advance if livers can be checked. Some plants do this automatically, with the results stated on the sales invoice. Beware of withdrawal dates at this stage of the year, as many products that treat early immature or immature fluke have a withdrawal period of 40 to 60 days.

Farmers need to be aware that some fluke and worm combination products only treat mature liver fluke and as such may not be providing the necessary protection.