Creep feeding
Darren Carty on 05 May 2021
Sheep Management: drafting lambs, grass tetany and lactating yearlings
The current positive sheep trade can be prolonged where lambs are moved at optimum weights and free sheepmeat coming onto the market from overweight carcases is avoided.
Brian Nicholson on 28 Apr 2021
Farmer Writes: fearful over mid-season lamb prices
There has been much talk of the excellent prices lamb and hoggets have been making at present and about time too. However, I am a little fearful of what will happen as mid-season lamb comes on stream.
Darren Carty on 14 Apr 2021
Staying ahead of the dip in grass growth
The change from harsh northeasterly winds should hopefully improve grass growth but precise management is still required to ensure grass supplies remain ahead of ewes.
Darren Carty on 17 Mar 2021
Sheep Management: drafting hoggets, the creep feed dilemma and early weaning.
The current record hogget prices are leading many farmers to rightly assess their system and question if any changes need to be implemented to take advantage of the buoyant trade.
Derek Robinson on 28 Oct 2020
Farmer Writes: highs and lows of 2020 lamb growth
Co Down sheep farmer Derek Robinson reckons he has a few lessons to learn from lamb performance in 2020
Kieran Mailey on 05 Sep 2020
Beef management: Five tips to get the most from creep-feeding
Creep-feeding calves will soon be common sight on suckler farms, to boost weight gains in autumn and prepare animals for weaning.
Darren Carty on 05 Sep 2020
Newford update: first bullocks slaughtered and final breeding results
There were three bullocks slaughtered on Thursday, while scanning in the final batch of 20 cows revealed a positive in-calf rate of 89%.
Kieran Mailey on 22 Aug 2020
Beef management: five tips to prepare calves for weaning
Although spring-born calves are unlikely to be weaned for at least another month, starting preparations now will help to cut down on problems once calves come off the cow.
Kieran Mailey on 05 Aug 2020
Setting up paddocks for creep grazing
Allowing calves to graze in front of cows will improve weight gains and helps to prepare young animals for weaning in autumn. Kieran Mailey reports.
Adam Woods on 29 Jul 2020
Beef Management: BEEP weights, autumn reseeding and farm safety
Adam Woods takes a look at BEEP weighing, autumn reseeding and farm safety tips in this week's beef management notes
Kieran Mailey on 28 Jul 2020
Beef management: time to introduce the creep feeder for weanlings
On suckler farms where calves are sold as weanlings in autumn, it is time to introduce the creep feeders to boost weight gains ahead of special sales.
Kieran Mailey on 22 Jul 2020
BETTER Farm NI: planning for autumn management
As herd management gears up for the autumn period, Kieran Mailey outlines some of the tasks that will be completed on the programme farm over the coming weeks.
Declan Marren on 19 Jul 2020
Creep feeding or creep grazing – maximising liveweight gain in calves
Many farmers will be debating whether or not to introduce the creep feeder to spring-born calves in the next couple of weeks, but there are alternative options.
Kieran Mailey on 08 Jul 2020
NI Sheep Programme: planning for flock expansion in Co Down
Co Down sheep farmer Paraic McNeill plans to expend his ewe flock to 300 head thanks to the success of his paddock system.
Derek Robinson on 01 Jul 2020
Farmer Writes: lambs try to escape the drought
The recent dry conditions brought some added costs and workload for Co Down sheep farmer Derek Robinson
Adam Woods on 17 Jun 2020
Beef Management: rush control, first dose timing and drought
Adam Woods has the latest advice fro beef farmers in this week's management notes
Barry Cassidy on 17 Jun 2020
Rain a welcome relief on many farms
While the rain will restart grass growth in many areas, tillage farmers in drier areas have seen major damage to their crops.
Darren Carty on 08 Apr 2020
A year for focusing on production from grass
With some concerns around market performance mid-season producers should try and insulate their systems as good as possible and keep costs in check
Darren Carty on 08 Apr 2020
Sheep Management: nematodirus risk, creep grazing and liver fluke.
Farmers should be aware on an increased of nematodirus in lambs and keep an eye out for characteristic sigs or advice from the Department of Agriculture's forecasting group.
Darren Carty on 25 Mar 2020
Sheep management: marketing spring lambs and lambing hill ewes
Producers who traditionally traded spring lambs in mart sales will now have to explore alternative avenues of trading lambs.