Marketing sheep: The hogget trade remains sluggish with factories following carcase weight cuts with price cuts. There are talks of some plants also moving to implement price penalties for hoggets killing at carcase weights of above 25kg to 27kg.

Whether or not this materialises remains to be seen, but it is important that producers are aware of the situation and do not retain hoggets to excessive carcase weights. The premium for heavier hoggets in mart sales has also narrowed, leaving no incentive to invest significant sums in feed costs for no return.

In contrast, the cull ewe trade has strengthened with factory agents exhibiting a greater appetite. It pays to assess if the mart or factory trade is the best outlet.

Carcase weight limits in factories range from 43kg to 46kg with some factories willing to offer higher weight allowances for a small percentage of ewes to secure sales. The marketing of ewes in live sales can also have a significant effect on competition levels – avoid batching ewes together where there is a significant difference in weight/flesh cover as there are buyers willing to compete with greater intensity for high-quality ewes.

Orf vaccine: There have been some queries from farmers in the last week regarding availability of the orf vaccine, of which there are supplies in the market. The vaccine, Scabigard, is a prescription-only medicine meaning it has to be purchased through your vet. Follow manufacturers guidelines closely and remember to handle the vaccine carefully, including wearing gloves.

Topping ACRES plots: Grassland actions in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) such as extensively gazed pastures cannot be mown or topped between 15 March and 1 July. It is important to note that the area monitoring system is being used to monitor compliance and can identify non-compliances such as mowing or topping during the prohibited cutting period.

Clostridial vaccine: MSD Animal Health, the manufacturer of Heptavac P-Plus, released a statement last week notifying farmers that it expects to receive large deliveries of its clostridial disease and pasteurellosis vaccine throughout March. The company states that the deliveries will be in a range of pack sizes including 100ml, 250ml and 500ml.

The company stated that it is currently experiencing a constraint on the supply of Heptavac P Plus, explaining that there is limited stock available in the market at present. Its advice to farmers is to speak with their vet or usual supplier to receive the most up-to-date information on the availability of the vaccine in your area. It adds that the company has also taken steps to increase production volumes.

BETTER farm participation: Teagasc is seeking farmers interested in becoming a member of their BETTER Farm Sheep Programme with farmers particularly sought in Cork and Kerry.

The programme involves development of the sheep enterprise through close collaboration with Teagasc specialists and adoption of the latest production technologies. An expression of interest can be found at here and must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 21 March.