The Easycare Sheep Society is holding an open day on the farm of Steven and Ewan Johnston on Saturday 20 June, starting at 11am. The farm in Ballymena, Co Antrim (BT44 9QN) has one of the longest established Easycare flocks on the island of Ireland dating back over 20 years.

Performance recording has been carried out in the flock for the majority of this time, with the focus on selecting genetics that can perform in an intensive grass-based system. This focus on selecting superior performing genetics and prioritising animals that excel in terms of maternal performance while also possessing good terminal traits has witnessed genetics exported to as far away as New Zealand and used as foundation stock in flocks looking to avail of wool-shedding genetics.

The open day will also deliver an update on the Co-Apadt project, which is being headed up by Queen’s University Belfast. The Co Adapt project aims to give farmers greater confidence in managing parasites sustainably, using relevant information to support both animal performance and long-term wormer efficacy. This is topical on the Johnston farm, which has been contending with drench resistance for many years.

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There will also be a demonstration of the Cotter Crate sheep handling system and a talk by Nick Cotter on worm resistance following his Nuffield scholar studies. The event is free to attend and more information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/easycaresheepireland/.