Articles

There have been many people who have sown a catch crop to fill the forage gap this autumn and winter.  It is essential that these forage crops are utilised appropriately to ensure maximum animal performance and utilisation of the crop.

For those who have taken the opportunity to bale rushes as potential for bedding or just to tidy up fields, now is a great opportunity to reduce the dominance of rushes in the sward. 

You may not have as much silage as usual this year, but what you do have may be of higher quality.

With grass in short supply, some might consider weaning earlier than usual to remove the ewe competition and provide more to the lambs. Twelve weeks is the optimum age to wean lambs, however some might wean earlier – it depends on the condition of the ewes and the availability of good quality pasture.

Stress in animals will reduce performance and render them more susceptible to disease. Poppy Frater gives some tips to minimise this stressful time.

Based on conservative projections, we can calculate the target stocking rate for growing lambs over the next month to maximise performance off grass.

Winter grazing management influences the quality and quantity of grass in the spring.

More and more research illustrates the effect of condition score on the rearing success of the ewe flock. For example, Teagasc, the Irish Research and Advisory Agency, have recorded a 10% increase in rearing rate for ewes that are one condition score greater at mating time (within the range of 2.5-4). This makes a compelling argument to focus on ewe condition between weaning and mating time to improve returns next year.