Sheep Advice News Today

Preparation for lambing is in full swing. I generally get all non-sheep-related jobs done before all hell breaks loose here in mid-March.

For the majority of livestock farmers, spring is physically the hardest season, with long days, broken sleep and the physical exertion of lambing and calving.

A focus on body condition score is paying dividends for Tomás O’Toole, who farms near Moyard, Clifden, Co Galway.

The final month before lambing is critical on any farm. For dairy or suckler farmers, pre-calving is one of the most talked-about areas to get nutrition right that really affects production and calf and cow health.

Preparations for the springtime are in full swing on Eddie Gavin’s mixed farm in Co Carlow, with ewes scanned and housed and silage analysis completed.

The two main challenges facing tillage farmers are the maintenance/increase in cropland area and the sourcing of adequate quantities of seed for 2024.

The economic environment we farm in has necessitated a number of changes to our sheep management and ewe type over the last 10 years.

Christmas is thankfully over. I have always felt that it goes on way too long. I would happily disappear from Ireland from mid-November until Christmas week, drop in for the festivities and then get back out of the country until at least the end of February.

Our ewes are undergoing a period of maintenance feeding after breeding and this will continue until after scanning.

The new Native Tree Area scheme where you can plant up to one hectare of land and get up to €2,000 per year for doing it tax-free for 10 years is very appealing. In fact, it’s a no-brainer.