Sheep - Grass and Management

LATEST ARTICLES
Sheep
Kick-start growth with targeted fertiliser application
Darren Carty
The recent improvement in weather and relatively positive forecast is giving a good chance for farmers to get fertiliser applied
Kick-start growth with targeted fertiliser application
Companion forages can lift net profit by upwards of €100/ha
12 February 2025 Grass & feeding
Companion forages can lift net profit by upwards of €100/ha
The inclusion of red or white clover in perennial rye grass swards and also chicory can offer an opportunity to improve production efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Poor-quality silage: is all-concentrates an option?
2 February 2025 Lambing
Poor-quality silage: is all-concentrates an option?
Ad-lib diets work well for some farmers in reducing labour, but how do they compare to silage-based diets on cost and labour input?
Feeding plans and the Sheep Improvement Scheme
A high percentage of flocks have selected the pregnancy scanning action, which requires farmers to group ewes into management groups that improves lamb survivability and reduces mortality.
8 January 2025 Grass & feeding
Evaluating finishing options for organic lambs
Teagasc have commenced studies which aim to establish finishing blueprints for lowland and hill lambs and help stem the leakage of 70% of lambs in to conventional systems.
1 January 2025 Grass & feeding
The Grass Week: wintry conditions spell end of grazing
Even farmers in the northwest had been getting by with some light grazing up until now, but this week has finally called a halt to grazing for 2024.
23 November 2024 Grass & feeding
The Grass Week: ground firm but grass running out
While ground conditions are excellent for the most part, it will be a lack of grass that will force any stock indoors.
2 November 2024 Grass & feeding
The Grass Week: graze hard while the going is good
Conditions for the most part are favourable, so farmers should use this opportunity to get wetter paddocks grazed off.
12 October 2024 Grass & feeding
What you need to know about finishing plans for your lambs
From exploring the merits of shearing lambs to ration formulation and offering roughage with ad-lib concentrates, Darren Carty shares reader queries addressing topics cropping up at present.
9 October 2024 Grass & feeding
Trying to keep autumn grazing on track
Some farms are faced with a lower grass supply and possibly more mouths to feed with corrective options reducing the longer the year progresses.
2 October 2024 Grass & feeding
The Grass Week: last-chance saloon for slurry
There is just a week left to get slurry spread, otherwise it will have to be held over until January or February 2025.
21 September 2024 Grass & feeding
The Grass Week: last chance saloon for fertiliser application
Chemical fertiliser application is closed from Sunday onwards, but there is still time to spread some organic fertilisers.
14 September 2024 Grass & feeding