Snow damage to sheep flocks still not apparent

The consequences of heavy snowfall for farmers with sheep in yards are known but it is early days to establish how outwintered flocks and in particular hill flocks have been affected.

Darren Carty

2 March 2018

Snow damage to sheep flocks still not apparent

Ewes with strong lambs at foot have come through the night OK where good shelter was available. Ensuring ewes are well fed will keep these animals going over the cold spell.

Outwintered flocks with access to forage are also doing OK. The greatest risk is on higher ground that farmers have not been able to access.

Getting an accurate picture of the consequences of heavy snowfall overnight on many sheep farms will take some time. In midlands counties such as Meath, Westmeath and Offaly, there are very heavy drifts in places with roads impassable, while the same can be said along the eastern coast with the other counties in Leinster and Munster all affected to varying degrees.

Getting an accurate picture of the consequences of heavy snowfall overnight on many sheep farms will take some time.

In midlands counties such as Meath, Westmeath and Offaly, there are very heavy drifts in places with roads impassable, while the same can be said along the eastern coast with the other counties in Leinster and Munster all affected to varying degrees.

It is therefore hard for many to ascertain just how bad the situation is with outwintered lowland and hill flocks. Your safety should remain the primary objective and you should not take unnecessary risks. Hopefully sheep will have found shelter and not ventured into high drift-risk areas.

If venturing away from the yard, only go to areas that is safe to do so and make sure that somebody knows where you are going and your expected time of return. The advice is also to carry a fully charged mobile phone. Vehicles, including tractors, can easily get stuck in heavy snow so take care where you attempt to travel.

Others with sheds exposed to east winds are facing big challenges in trying to remove snow that drifted in overnight. Some farmers have had no option but to let ewes and lambs out to yards or sheltered paddocks while they try and rectify and clear sheds. Some are waiting until later in the day to clear sheds in the hope that the wind dies down before reapplying fresh straw.

Your safety should remain the primary objective and you should not take unnecessary risks

Where the straw is very wet there may be no option but to remove bedding or to try and make a channel where water can soak away from bedding. Be careful also where passing in and out of sheds with a high accumulation of snow on roofs as falling snow can cause serious injuries.

Ewes with strong lambs outdoors that had good shelter are reported in many cases as having come through the night OK.

Where snow is covering the grass, the important aspect here is to ensure that ewes are supplemented sufficiently as this will in turn have a big influence on milk yield and keeping lambs fed. When feeding high levels of meal (over 1kg), try where possible to split the feed and also ensure that ewes have access to water and forage.

Flocks lambing at the moment are also facing big pressure for space in individual pens. While not readily feasible, making temporary accommodation in passageways or batching animals in group pens may provide some relief. Ewes with single lambs could also possibly be let back into lambing pens as these will present the lowest risk of mismothering.

Cleaning out lambing pens is also likely to be curtailed on many farms. Applying lime and a deep layer of straw will help to keep a lid on the build-up of bacteria and disease establishing.

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