Sheep Welfare Scheme and mineral supplementation post-mating

The option of mineral supplementation of ewes post-mating is the most common option selected by participants in the Sheep Welfare Scheme, along with pregnancy scanning.

Some farmers have been enquiring if supplementation can take place in advance of mating to coincide with flushing ewes or if it needs to begin on the day rams are released.

Supplementation can commence in advance of mating and can tie in with other management practices. For example, farmers can administer boluses or drenches two to three weeks in advance of mating when ewes are being offered access to better-quality grass.

The overriding rule states that supplementation must last from the day rams are joined with ewes to at least 60 days later.

This means that if the supplementation route chosen does not last for the full 60 days, animals must receive repeat treatment at the required time frame to ensure there is no break in supplementation.

Farmers should note that combinations of supplementation may be used. For example, a farmer could administer a bolus or drench that lasts for 60 days five to 10 days pre-mating and introduce mineral licks from day 50 to 55 post-mating to ensure supplementation is provided for the full 60 days.

Product information

Remember, the label of the product used must clearly state the product is suitable for ewes. It must also specify a duration of cover for ewes – for example, “this product is effective for X days or X weeks”, etc.

The product must also specify a dose rate and, in the case of boluses for example, it might be “one bolus per ewe“ or for mineral buckets, the label may read “one bucket per 30 ewes will last for 15 days”.

In relation to purchasing mineral supplements, once the manufacturer of the product, the wholesaler or retailer are registered with the Department as a food business operator, the product will be considered eligible for the purposes of the Sheep Welfare Scheme.

Inspection preparation

Department officials are currently carrying out inspections, including animal identification checks.

Most cross-compliance sheep inspections will usually have 48 hours notice, as sheep need to be penned for inspecting.

There are generally three main areas focused on – a desk check of the flock register and dispatch documents; a field check of sheep to count numbers present; and a check of the tag status of animals present.

Starting with the flock register, an inspector will have the details of previous sheep and goat census returns and will analyse that the flock register is active and up to date.

They will cross-reference dispatch documents and tag numbers collected in the field check to ensure that events, such as tagging, movements in or out and deaths, are recorded properly.

It is a requirement to keep and make available copies of dispatch documents for sheep entering or leaving the holding for at least three years previous.

In particular, inspectors will check that dispatch documents have been accounted for in the flock register and also that dispatch documents have been filled out correctly.

This includes aspects such as recording the full 12-digit tag number (herd identifier and individual animal identifier) where there are sheep from outside the farm of origin being recorded.

As touched on already, the field check includes counting all sheep on the holding, while a percentage of the flock will also need to be penned so that tag numbers can be read or any missing tags noted.

Clean livestock policy

Regardless of whether sheep are housed or finished outdoors on grass, forage crops or a combination of forages and concentrates, it is important that steps are taken to prevent excessive soiling of the fleece, according to Michael Gottstein of Teagasc.

Shearing lambs has been shown to produce no production benefits in a number of trials carried out on store lambs in Athenry. That said, there are management advantages to shearing store lambs.

Be aware that shearing lambs close to slaughter may result in the skin getting dirty and result in remedial shearing not being an option. Consequently, lambs should not be bare shorn within six to eight weeks of slaughter.

When presenting sheep for slaughter it is important to remove excessively soiled wool from the neck, belly and around the tail area, as well as any soiled wool around the front legs. Presenting sheep dry is also a big help.

Teagasc has published a guide for farmers and livestock transporters which can be accessed at www.teagasc.ie/publications/2017/clean-livestock-policy-for-sheep-a-guide-for-sheep-producers.php and at www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2017/Clean-Livestock-Policy-for-Sheep-Transport-Guide.pdf.