Avoiding infertility issues: Last week’s management notes discussed defining a breeding policy for the flock and segregating suitable ewes for breeding replacements. It did not go as far as to discuss avoiding infertility issues and, in particular, the potential risks if single-sire mating is being implemented. There are a number of ways to reduce those risks.

The starting point, no matter what the mating method, is raddling rams and monitoring breeding performance to check that rams are serving ewes correctly. This is particularly important where using ram lambs. Raddling will also give an accurate estimate on the lambing date (change the colour weekly for a more precise estimation) and alarm bells should quickly sound if there are is a high percentage of repeat breeders.

Another safeguard is running rams in a pair, or greater numbers. Even where this is carried out, it is not entirely foolproof, as one of the rams could be dominant and stop the other ram from performing. The last approach is switching rams between ewe groups, taking care to ensure rams are not changed and are switched back at the same stage of the cycle in second and subsequent cycles.

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Pre-breeding health check: Where the breeding season is starting in the coming weeks, it is important to carry out any last health treatments before the mating season starts to avoid flocking and handling ewes excessively in early gestation.

The most prevalent of these is liver fluke and farms with a history already showing incidences of liver fluke.

It is worthwhile at this stage of the year to alternate fluke products with different active ingredients, as this reduces the rate of resistance developing. Treating for lice and sheep scab will also be high on the radar, with reported cases on the rise in recent weeks. Dipping provides the best all-round treatment. Pour-on and injectable products also provide cover, but beware to check the range of ecto-parasites controlled and, in the case of injectables, if repeat treatment is required seven to 14 days later.

Finishing lambs: There is extensive coverage in this week’s edition on the options and most economical method of finishing store lambs. On pages 40 and 41, Frank Hynes, Teagasc sheep specialist, discusses options and optimum management practices for finishing store lambs.

Teagasc research and advisory staff have written a detailed article on the options to consider and the most suitable finishing route to bring light hill lambs to more marketable French lamb weights (16kg carcase +) in this week’s Focus supplement on winter feed.

Quality assurance: Auditors completing quality assurance inspections are more stringent on health records. One point to note is that the date when the withdrawal period has passed needs to be recorded. Also, take note that sheep and beef farmers need to apply for both categories as one does not automatically cover the other.