Sheep farming

The latest sheep farming news and sheep prices from the Irish Farmers Journal. Keep up to date with all farming and production news developments in the sheep farming sector.

Sheep
Five pedigree sheep killed in ‘horrendous’ dog attack
James Hanly
The incident occurred at Monahan’s pedigree Texel farm in Co Monaghan in the early hours of Sunday 19 January, during which four in-lamb ewes and one two-star Texel ram were killed.
Five pedigree sheep killed in ‘horrendous’ dog attack
 
 
12 cattle herds identified with Schmallenberg in 2024
Beef
12 cattle herds identified with Schmallenberg in 2024
Teagasc lowland sheep conference dates announced
Sheep
Teagasc lowland sheep conference dates announced
Negative tests rule out second outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Germany
Beef
Negative tests rule out second outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Germany
Second suspected outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany
Beef
Second suspected outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany
VIDEOS
MANAGEMENT
Keeping pregnant ewe lambs ticking along nicely
Darren Carty
Keeping pregnant ewe lambs ticking along nicely
Research has shown that for pregnant ewe lambs to have the best chance of rearing a lamb, they should be gaining in the region of 80g liveweight during early and mid-pregnancy.
Sheep Management: feeding ewes, fodder supplies and organic feed
Darren Carty
Sheep Management: feeding ewes, fodder supplies and organic feed
With sheep representing a much higher value, feeding programmes that reduce mortality will deliver an even greater return on your investment.
MARKETS
Sheep price update: factories move to take heat out of trade
Darren Carty
Sheep price update: factories move to take heat out of trade
Plants have reduced their quotes at the start of the week by 10c/kg to 20c/kg, but remain keen for sheep.
Bright outlook forecast for sheepmeat at Bord Bia Meat Seminar
Darren Carty
Bright outlook forecast for sheepmeat at Bord Bia Meat Seminar
Tight supplies in Ireland and right across Europe, with production predicted to fall by a further 1.8%, will underpin a strong trade in 2025.
GRASS & FEEDING
Feeding plans and the Sheep Improvement Scheme
Darren Carty
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.
Evaluating finishing options for organic lambs
Darren Carty
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.
BREEDING & HEALTH
Woodies Badgerface dispersal tops at £6,700
Rachel Gallagher
Woodies Badgerface dispersal tops at £6,700
Rachel Gallagher reports on the Woodies flock sale that ran online through Harrison and Hetherington.
Hereford Bluefaced Leicester sale tops at 2,000gns
Rachel Gallagher
Hereford Bluefaced Leicester sale tops at 2,000gns
Rachel Gallagher reports on the recent Bluefaced Leicester sale held at the Hereford Livestock Centre.
FARM PROGRAMMES
Tullamore Farm: attention turns to calving in Offaly
Rachel Gallagher
Tullamore Farm: attention turns to calving in Offaly
Shaun Diver has an update on what's been happening on Tullamore Farm this week.
Upland innovation in Co Waterford
Brendan Dunford
Upland innovation in Co Waterford
While the views from the Comeraghs are breathtaking, Willie Drohan's view of the landscape’s future is more clouded with concerns over long-term viability of hill sheep farming.
Watch: cover and companion crops in Co Louth
Siobhán Walsh
Watch: cover and companion crops in Co Louth
Gareth Culligan is a tillage farmer from Co Louth and is working on improving his soil and reducing chemical use on his farm.
Would you like to take part in From the Tramlines?
Siobhán Walsh
Would you like to take part in From the Tramlines?
The Irish Farmers Journal is currently looking for farmers to take part in From the Tramlines for 2025.
Roscommon farmer praises quality of Triple AAA Golden MaverickSPONSORED
Roscommon farmer praises quality of Triple AAA Golden Maverick
Aidan McDonnell, based near Roscommon town, explains how using Triple AAA Golden Maverick has resulted in ‘minimal sickness’ among his herd.
CalfCare ’25 roadshow to promote calf health and good calf rearing practicesSPONSORED
CalfCare ’25 roadshow to promote calf health and good calf rearing practices
Seventeen farms nationwide will host CalfCare ’25, a collaborative roadshow by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) and Teagasc’s DairyBeef 500 campaign, promoting calf health and good calf-rearing practices.
Healthy hens, longer lay with MSDSPONSORED
Healthy hens, longer lay with MSD
With around eight million laying hens in the whole of Ireland, egg production is a growing sector
All-new Toyota Land Cruiser: a trusted ally for Irish farmersSPONSORED
All-new Toyota Land Cruiser: a trusted ally for Irish farmers
The Toyota Land Cruiser has long been a staple in the Irish farming community, renowned for its rugged reliability and exceptional capability in challenging terrains.
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