Grass supplies post-weaning

This week’s rainfall will help grass growth rates, but the intermittent nature of both rainfall volumes and location means that tight grass supplies will take time to rectify.

The pinch point for many flocks will be to have a supply of top-quality grass available to transition lambs through the weaning process, while minimising any significant check in performance.

Recovery on aftergrass swards has been slow for farmers in the east of the country, while traditional closing dates were delayed for many farmers in the west.

It is important to take steps at least two to three weeks before weaning to have a supply of grass available. This can take the form of applying fertiliser on grazed swards, providing them with a rest and having a fresh supply of grass present.

It does not mean that grass on offer must be in the form of aftergrass or topped swards which have recovered.

Swards that have received a sufficient rest period can be successfully grazed while still maintaining performance, provided lambs are moved on to fresh grazing when appropriate and not forced to graze lower-quality material at the base of the sward.

Marketing lambs

The value of batching ram lambs suitable for live export where presenting live for sale was discussed in last week’s paper. The trade has ignited in many marts, and with a premium price ranging anywhere from upwards of €6 to €10 per head, this message should be an easy sell.

Weight does not seem to be a significant issue with buyers active for lambs ranging from 44kg to 50kg plus. To generate the maximum return lambs should be batched on type and weight. This message is not just confined to ram lambs and should be adopted for all finished lambs and also when we enter the store lamb trade.

TAMS extension / Sheep 2023

The timing of this week’s announcement that the deadline for applications under tranche 1 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes is being extended to 30 June is ideal in the context of Sheep 2023 taking place on Saturday 17 June.

The event, which takes place in Gurteen Agricultural College, Roscrea Co Tipperary (E53 TP93) from 10am to 5pm provides an excellent opportunity for farmers interested in investing in handling equipment to see equipment marketed by the main players in the one area.

There is also a valuable sheep handling demonstration that highlights the important aspects of designing a good handling unit.

The Teagasc grassland demonstration will also focus on the topic of driving performance through grazed grass. A fencing demonstration will discuss a range of fencing options including their cost and a look at changes to fencing brought about by the ban on the use of creosote-treated posts.

These are just a small part of a much larger demonstration of 13 technical villages focusing on breeding, health, nutrition, organics, the environment, health and safety, meat markets, education, thematic networks and agricultural education.

There will be almost 800 sheep present competing on the day, either in shows or as part of an extensive range of show breeds.

The focus on breeding is also timely given the new requirement in the Sheep Improvement Scheme of purchasing genotyped rams. This requirement will be discussed in detail, and farmers will have a chance to see what steps breed societies are taking to meet this demand.