Ram management: Breeding is under way or about to start in almost all breeding flocks. Management of rams can be more challenging than on lowland farms but the focus should remain on quick identification of fertility issues. Ideally raddling of rams will play a key role in early identification of any fertility issues and also in accurately predicting lambing dates.

It is not always feasible to flock hill ewes regularly to raddle rams on hill and mountain grazing and in such cases a practice often used is to raddle rams after the first cycle and monitor repeat rates. Alarm bells should sound if repeat rates increase quickly and exceed 15%. Changing rams between groups where single-sire mating will also help reduce the damage caused by ram infertility or subfertility while running rams in groups will also provide protection.

Copper toxicity: I have heard of a few lucky escapes of late with farmers administering minerals as part of the sheep welfare scheme measure of mineral supplementation post-breeding. The issues relate to minerals containing copper being mistakenly administered to breeds which are susceptible to copper. Texels are especially sensitive to copper poisoning while Charollais and Suffolks and their crosses along with some other continental breeds are also at risk.

Hill breeds are less susceptible and it is copper deficiency which is often the greatest issue here. This is often brought on by animals grazing high-molybdenum soils which in turn can interfere with copper metabolism. It is therefore important to check the ingredient listing and inclusion rate of minerals closely. Other factors to be aware of are feeding concentrates with high levels of copper for a prolonged period. This is why it is important not to feed concentrates formulated for cattle to sheep. Swards which have received high levels of pig slurry can also often increase the risk of copper toxicity.

LambPlus: The deadline to join LambPlus for 2021 is only a few weeks away on 1 December 2020. Existing and new members must complete the LambPlus sign-up form and return it to Sheep Ireland before the deadline. The application also includes the completion of a flock inventory so it is advisable not to leave it to the last minute.

There are numerous benefits to participating – Sheep Ireland genetic evaluations which are updated on a weekly basis, online recording systems/reports and access to the Sheep Ireland App, an ultrasound scanning service, access to genomic testing for genomic evaluations, parentage verification and Department-approved scrapie verification, along with access to the Sheep Ireland ram sale and genetic evaluations for other sales catalogues.

The sign-up fees are €50 for Group 1 breeds and €100 for Group 2 breeds. Group 1 breeds are those which use the Sheep Ireland database to host their society flock book and include the Belclare, Beltex, Blue Texel, Charollais, Galway, Rouge, Texel and Vendéen breeds. Group 2 breeds are other breeds outside of this list and Sheep Ireland explains the higher fee for these is due to increased administration. Hill flocks and commercial flocks joining Sheep Ireland are free for the coming year. The sign-up form can be downloaded at www.sheep.ie or call 023-882 0451 / email query@sheep.ie.