Grouping ewes and lambs: Last week’s sheep feature focused on grassland management recommended farmers to group ewes and lambs in larger grazing groups to be in a better position to graze off heavy covers faster. There have been some queries about timelines for batching ewes and lambs into larger groups.

Once ewes and lambs have bonded well and lambs are thriving and following ewes they can start to be batched, with many farmers doing this at a week to 10 days of age. Joining in a larger area than will typically be grazed in the rotation for a couple of days will give sheep more space and allow them to become accustomed gradually for a day or two.

The optimum group size depends on the size of the flock and field/paddock size. Farmers with large flocks have no problems with groups of 100 ewes plus, with the limiting factor generally being handling facilities capable of accommodating such numbers at any one time.

Teagasc advises a minimum of five to six grazing divisions per grazing group and the potential ideally for further subdivision as this will allow greater control of grass when peak growth hits and allow areas to be taken out of the rotation to maintain grass quality. For a 100-ewe flock stocked at 10 ewes/ha this could be five 2ha paddocks or six 1.6ha paddocks, with more paddocks delivering greater utilisation.

The current tranche of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) II closes on Friday 5 April with the next tranche opening on 6 April. Where the aim is to get moving faster on erecting fencing or purchasing handling equipment, it is advisable to try to get your application into the current tranche. The next tranche remains open for three months, meaning potential approval will be pushed out a number of months.

Rush control: This week’s sheep feature is an article from the Department of Agriculture concerning optimum rush control with weed wipers/lickers. Where rushes have grown into a mature stage, the success of treatment will be greatly reduced. The best approach in such cases is to top/mow and treat the regrowth when it is in a green vegetative stage and actively growing to promote better uptake of chemicals and a more efficient kill. The same approach is recommended for both treatment with a weed wiper/licker or sprayer.

An overall treatment programme must also look at enhancing grass growth through addressing soil fertility and drainage issues so that grass has a better chance of competing with rush growth. Soil pH is a major factor and soil samples should be taken to identify the need for lime application.

Scald in lambs: There are reports in some areas of scald in lambs at a younger age with heavier grass covers and changeable weather not likely to be helping. Footbathing is necessary but difficult to implement with young lambs. Where small numbers are concerned, spot treatment with a foot spray may be an option to get on top of issues, with regular footbathing the best remedy long term. The health status of ewes in terms of lameness will also have an influence on the degree of issues in lambs as the season progresses. Any such problems should be addressed now.