This is a subscriber-only article
Sheep farmers in NI can produce grass yields to rival their beef and dairy counterparts by making simple improvements to grassland management, Dr Elizabeth Earle from AgriSearch told farmers at the National Sheep Association (NSA) event at Ballymena Mart on Monday.
On the GrassCheck programme last year, sheep farms grew 9.4t DM/ha of grass on average, compared to 10.5t DM/ha on participating beef farms and 11.7t DM/ha on dairy units. Participants were able to utilise 80-90% of grass grown.
“These are realistic targets for any farmer to aim for,” Earle maintained.
She said that grass can meet up to 95% of the annual energy requirements of sheep and costs 6-7p/kg dry matter (DM) to grow, which is significantly cheaper than a typical concentrate cost of around 27p/kgDM.
Managing paddocks in a rotation using the “rule of three” was highlighted as a simple but effective step to increase grass yields, dry matter intakes and animal performance, while reducing herbage wastage.
Find a system that works for you. It could be three-day moves or five- to seven-day moves
This rule involves grazing a paddock for three days when the grass plant is at the three-leaf stage, and then letting it grow for three weeks.
It means a 24-day rotation across eight paddocks. However, Earle pointed out that a system with fewer paddocks which requires less movements can also be effective.
“Find a system that works for you. It could be three-day moves or five- to seven-day moves,” she said.
The target for maintaining high-quality leafy grass is to graze covers from 2,700-3,000kg DM/ha (around 8-10cm in height) out to 1,500-1,700kg DM/ha (4-5cm).
Next level
To take grassland management to the next level, sheep farmers were encouraged to measure grass covers weekly and use a software programme to produce a grass wedge which matches grass supply to demand.
“The data gives you the confidence to know when you have too much grass and what paddocks need to be taken out for silage,” said Saintfield sheep farmer and GrassCheck participant Crosby Cleland.
Sheep farmers are well placed to deliver the environmental measures which are set to form a significant part of post-Brexit agricultural policy in the UK, NSA chief executive Phil Stocker has said.
Our countryside in the UK has been managed by grazing animals for around 5,000 years
Speaking at the NSA Sheep NI event in Ballymena Mart on Monday, Stocker pointed to a growing list of examples where under-grazing in the uplands has led to habitat degradation and biodiversity loss.
“Our countryside in the UK has been managed by grazing animals for around 5,000 years. Most of our wildlife and ecology has evolved alongside that farming activity,” he said.
However, the NSA chief also maintained that it would be “dreadful” if the UK ended up with farm schemes which are based only on conservation grazing and have no focus on agricultural production.
“We need to make sure we have a commercial farming system running in those areas where farmers have a market for their product,” he said.
Consumption
The issue of falling lamb consumption among consumers was also widely discussed, with Stocker stating the sector is competing against other meats which are significantly cheaper.
He argued that UK sheep farmers need continued access to existing markets after Brexit, as well as opportunities to develop new outlets for lamb products.
“We are in a stronger position than some sectors in that we have a fairly wide basket of market opportunities. We have our domestic market with supermarkets and catering, the halal trade, which is absolutely crucial, and then we have our export market as well,” Stocker added.
SHARING OPTIONS: