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This week's notes cover sheep scab and lice, grazing catch crops and notifying the Department of temporary movement of sheep for grazing.
Catch crops sown under GLAS can be grazed from 1 December. Preventing digestive upsets in lambs being turned from grass onto catch crops is an important component to address.
It can be best achieved by allowing animals access to the crop with a run-back area, which allows animals to become accustomed over a period of time. Utilisation will be difficult after recent heavy rainfall and can be helped by strip- or paddock-grazing, using temporary electric wire or net fencing.
For this to work, the shock from the fence must be good at the outset, because if sheep break through the fence they will be harder to control after this.
Where supplementing lambs on the crop, moving feeding troughs regularly and positioning them in the driest areas will help reduce soiling of wool, as will crutching lambs before they are turned onto the crop.
Where lambs are being drafted directly from the crop, they may need a period indoors first on straw bedding or slats if ground conditions are poor and wool has become soiled with clay.
Temporary movement
Where sheep are being temporarily moved to a holding to graze crops, the requirement to notify your local District Veterinary Office depends on the type of holding animals are moving onto.
Where animals are moving to a farm with no livestock present, or a fragmented parcel away from the main block of land with no livestock present, then there is no need to notify the Department of the move.
Where livestock are present on the holding, then the movement must be notified with the Department.
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