Fodder supplies

This week’s focus feature on winter feed highlights the value of reviewing straw supplies given that earlier housing will be on the cards for many.

While most farmers have ample supplies of winter fodder there are some farms that suffered badly from drought that could be under pressure, in the east of the country in particular.

Review fodder supplies early, as it will give better opportunities to source additional feed if required. On average, ewes will consume in the region of 1kg silage dry matter.

As a rule of thumb 10 sheep will consume 1t of pit silage at 25% dry matter every 25 days or 1.2t each month. In terms of bales, 10 ewes will consume one round bale of silage weighing 650kg at 30% dry matter every 20 days.

The dry matter content of silage is one of the valuable pieces of information obtained through silage analysis.

The volume of silage in a pit can be calculated by multiplying the length by the breadth by the average height and divide this figure by 45.

Ewe condition

The main sheep feature on page 33 also highlights another aspect of what has been a challenging year for many. An analysis of ewe body condition score shows 15% of ewes on average falling below a BCS of 3 at mating time.

The percentage of ewes below optimum condition was as high as 24% to 31% on a few farms and while it was lower for others it was still above the norm for the time of year.

This information should highlight to farmers the importance of handling their ewes regularly and taking appropriate action swiftly.

The situation is likely to be no different on hill farms and could in fact be more serious where production systems can’t justify similar levels of concentrate feeding earlier in the year and required purchases of fertiliser.

The challenge of improving ewe body condition is being complicated at present by the torrential rainfall in recent weeks and rapidly deteriorating ground conditions. It is presenting particular challenges in grazing out heavy covers.

In theory dividing up paddocks or batching animals in to a larger group post-mating will help in grazing out heavier covers faster, but a balance needs to be achieved in grazing out swards and not compromising on ewe intake during mating or in early gestation.

While not ideal, there may be no option but to graze heavier covers for a period and move stock on quicker to allow swards which are soiled time to recover.

Depending on sward quality ewes can be segregated post-mating, with ewes lacking condition offered better-quality herbage.

Temporary fencing

Reports in the last week show sheep starting to move to temporary grazing, with grass appearing on beef farms due to weather forcing housing.

Where temporary electric fencing is being used then it is best where sheep are not accustomed to it to train them in adequately from the outset.

The best process is grazing sheep in an area where a good voltage can be confined to the wire at the outset.

It is advisable to use three or four strands of electric fencing and keep upright posts closer so that animals do not get an opportunity to break through the fence.

Once accustomed it will be much easier to graze areas with fewer strands of wire and a greater distance between posts.