Transforming from an intensive system using high volumes of concentrates to a grass-based production system is not an easy move. A fear of failing to achieve similar levels of performance is often highlighted as a barrier to change, while some farms do not have the necessary infrastructure to capitalise on grass and find themselves reverting to meal feeding to underpin performance.

John Bell’s sheep farm, outside Castletown Geoghegan in Co Westmeath has come through this transformation. It is a process that has taken a few years to complete but the changes made in doing so, particularly in improving farm infrastructure and grassland management, mean the farm is now in a much better position to sustain high levels of performance from a grass-based system.

Farm system

The sheep-only farm totals 46ha (114 acres) and is laid out in one block. Land type is a mixture of dry clay soils and lower-lying peat-type soils. A flock of 480 ewes and about 130 replacements, many of which lamb as yearling hoggets, delivers a stocking rate of about 12.5 ewes per hectare.

The breeding programme is also geared at maximising output, with Belclare rams used on a percentage of ewes to breed prolific maternal replacements while terminal Charollais, Suffolk and Texel rams are mated with the majority of ewes to exploit higher growth rates.

Belclare breeding is used in a criss-cross breeding programme with the terminal sires. John’s reasoning is that he prefers a ewe that is capable of producing two good-quality lambs while also looking after herself and this cross works for him.

Productive flock

This year’s scanning rate was 2.1 lambs per ewe in the mature flock, with a pregnancy rate of 98%. Typical weaning rates are highly impressive at 1.7 lambs per ewe to the ram. The ewe lamb flock is mated to Charollais sires for ease of lambing and consistently scans an average pregnancy rate of 1.6 lambs.

A mid-season production system is operated with the mature ewe flock while yearling hoggets lamb towards the end of March when there is less pressure on facilities. The breeding season for ewe lambs was reduced in 2016 to just shy of three weeks to shorten the lambing season. It will also see a change to management, with dry ewe hoggets generally sold as John believes pregnant ewe lambs have naturally selected themselves as the more productive animals. This year, however, the 30 dry yearling hoggets (barren rate of 18%) will be retained.

Grassland management

Teagasc business and technology adviser David Webster explains that completion of an eProfit monitor a few years ago was the catalyst for the change to the system and focus on grassland management. “John knew that his system was heavily reliant on concentrates but the results of the eProfit monitor really laid bare how much of the farm’s positive output was being swallowed up in escalating meal bills.

There were two choices – keep filling the creep feeder and settle for lower returns or put a plan in place to tackle costs. John faced the challenge with huge focus and commitment and has transformed his farm.”

Soil fertility levels and sward composition were already at relatively positive levels so the first port of call was addressing grazing infrastructure and implementing a rotational grazing system. Large fields which were mainly present were strategically divided with permanent fencing.

Given its higher cost, permanent fencing could not be rolled out across all areas of the farm and so good use was, and still is, made of temporary fencing to provide a more economical way of creating smaller paddocks.

A three-strand post and reel and electrified polywire system is used to temporarily divide larger areas during the grazing season. As opposed to set-stocking, mature ewes rearing twin lambs are initially split into four grazing groups post turnout and then grouped into three main grazing groups, which is suitable for rotational grazing.

A single lamb batch is also run, while there are three other groups including single- and twin-suckling yearlings and triplet-suckling ewes. This reduces the residency period in paddocks and increases utilisation and has led to lambs achieving high levels of performance.

Surplus lambs that cannot be cross-fostered are artificially reared with ewes that are capable of rearing triplet lambs grazed separately. Ewes receive supplementation for a number of weeks to help reach peak milk yield. A similar system is operated with yearling hoggets rearing twin lambs but unlike many other farms lambs do not receive creep up to weaning as John feels that with good grassland management and giving these animals preference to the best-quality grass should suffice.

Targeted supplementation

John points out that he is not against any meal supplementation but the focus now is to use it strategically. Concentrate supplementation is introduced in late August, with ram lambs the first animals to receive meal. Meal feeding is then targeted to a wider selection of lambs in September at a low level. This is necessary at the high stocking rate, with John achieving a balance between minimising meal use and keeping lambs moving off the farm fast to help build autumn grass supplies.

IGA farm walk and conference

The farm is this year’s host farm for the Irish Grassland Association Sheep conference and Farm Walk.

The event, sponsored by MSD Animal Health and Mullinahone Co-op, takes place on Thursday 11 May with a morning conference in the Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar, followed by the farm walk.

The morning conference session is slightly different from previous years with two sessions. The first session includes a paper from Philip Creighton, Teagasc Athenry, titled Grassland – Unlocking Its Potential for Sheep Production. This paper is based on results in the research demonstration flocks in Athenry, where systems featuring a number of stocking rates and prolificacy levels are being investigated.

The second presentation is from first-rate Tyrone farmer Isaac Crilly. Isaac’s farm is best known for operating at a massive stocking rate of 450 ewes on 28ha, with many notable features such as ewes wintered on an all-concentrate diet and excellent labour efficiency.

Session two is where the morning conference differs slightly as it takes the form of a panel discussion with industry experts discussing the potential risks, challenges and opportunities for the Irish sheep sector. It includes Declan Fennell of Bord Bia who will give an insight into market prospects while Dr Kevin Hanrahan of Teagasc will explore the potential impact of Brexit.

Joe Ryan of Meat Industry Ireland will outline the body’s sheep development plan, which aims to grow throughput by one million lambs, grow sheepmeat exports by 20,000t annually and add €150m to output value.

The event costs €30 for IGA members and €60 for non-members (includes a year’s membership). Visit www.irishgrassland.com or call 087-962 6483 for info.