My Farming Week: Seán O’Brien, Carheens, Belclare, Co Galway

I farm: “Over 100ac in Carheens, Belclare, Co Galway, alongside my wife Mary and help from our son Dermot. We lamb about 110 ewes with most lambing in the last 10 days of March and first week of April. We also run about 30 cattle, buying these as weanlings and keeping them about two years.”

Breeds: “Ewes are mainly Suffolk and Texel breeding and we also run a Charollais ram with hoggets. I’m a big believer in purchasing good, purebred rams – that saying of ‘the day you buy is the day you sell’ definitely has merit. Paying a little extra on a ram you like is a good investment, when you consider how long it will influence performance in your flock.”

Sheep breeding: “Rams were let with ewes on 25 October. Weather has been ideal for breeding and I’d say the majority were raddled in 10 days with few repeats – we’ll be busy next spring. Ewes are in good condition, I don’t run stock too tight and find they thrive better for it, especially in a year like this.”

Lamb sales: “The prices at the moment are good, but you would need it with the way costs have gone. I sold lambs for €186 this week and was very happy. They benefitted from the good weather and grass growth in the last few weeks and were probably a couple of kilos heavier than I would normally sell at this stage of the year. I find the mart good and usually sell lambs in Athenry Mart and cattle in Tuam Mart.”

Quotable quote: “A little feeding goes a long way in keeping lambs ticking along nicely. The wet weather this year made it difficult to finish lambs, but I find that feeding a small amount, even as low as a quarter a pound from weaning, helped with keeping a cover of flesh on lambs. Feeding in troughs gives you good control of what you are feeding. About €10 to €12 per head in meal goes a long way in a tough year, making sure lambs are well fleshed at selling.”