Mark Davidson, Dungannon, Co Tyrone
Breeding is well under way on Mark’s farm. The farm carries 240 mature ewes, which have been split in two groups for early- and mid-season lambing. Split lambing is better suited to housing and easier on labour.
The early-lambing group consists of 100 ewes, which ran in three evenly-sized batches with the rams. The rams were turned out to the ewes back in mid-September and ran for three weeks.
Belclare ewes ran with the Suffolk ram, Suffolk ewes ran with the Texel ram and the crossbred ewes also ran with the Texel ram.
The plan is to leave a break of 10 days before the rams go out with the mid-season lambing flock.
The 140 mid-season lambing ewes will also be split in three groups to run with rams, while a sweeper ram will run with the early-lambing ewes.
Only the sweeper ram will be raddled to identify ewes in the early group that repeat, so they can be removed from the group at housing.
There are also 70 ewe lambs to go to the ram, with breeding scheduled to start on 1 November. These animals will be served by a Charollais ram.
Kate Kingan and Peter Mant, Tynan, Co Armagh
Kate and Peter also run a split lambing flock. The first group of ewes lamb indoors in February, while the second group of ewes are lambed outside.
The early-lambing group consists of 86 hoggets and 134 mature ewes. The rams were removed from these animals on Friday 16 October, having ran with the ewes for three weeks.
Rams used included two Suffolk rams on the mature ewes and an Ile De France and a Belclare ram covering the hoggets. All rams were raddled and markings indicate a good hit to first service.
The plan is to leave a two-week break between breeding for the indoor and outdoor lambing group, so rams are being rested until the end of the month.
Rams will then be turned out with the outdoor lambing group and a sweeper ram will run with the group of indoor lambing ewes to cover any repeats. Any ewes covered by the sweeper ram will then move into the outdoor lambing group.
There are close on 350 ewes in the outdoor group, of which a sizeable percentage are Romney breeding that suit lambing outside.
Dermot McAleese, Loughguile, Co Antrim
Breeding for Dermot’s upland flock started on Monday 19 October, with 200 ewes going to the ram.
Ewes were footbathed, treated for fluke, given a mineral bolus and run through the shower in preparation for breeding.
The upland ewes are normally run as one grazing group over the summer, but were drafted into separate breeding groups on Monday morning. They will remain in separate groups until breeding finishes.
The 200 ewes are a mix of Mule, Texel-cross-Mule and older Blackface ewes from the hill flock. Bringing the older hill ewes into the upland flock for a final breeding year extends their life span and increases farm output.
Two Suffolk and one Texel ram will run with the Mule ewes, while a Blueface Leicester and a Blackface ram will run with the older horned ewes in the upland group.
All rams have been raddled and will run for four weeks. But if breeding activity is light over the next few weeks, the rams could get up to six weeks to serve ewes.
Teaser rams ran with the ewes for two weeks prior to the start of the breeding period this week, so ewes should be cycling and ready for mating.
The teaser rams have been removed and will move up to the hill ground to run with the Scottish Blackface ewes.
Paraic McNeill, Annaclone, Co Down
Breeding is at an advanced stage on Paraic’s farm, with 170 mature ewes all covered, with the exception of four animals.
Housing limitations mean Paraic and his father Seamus lamb the flock in three batches, two of which consist of mature ewes and a final group of ewe lambs.
The first group of 100 ewes went to ram on 12 September. This group consists of the best ewes in the flock, from which Paraic aims to get future replacements.
Suffolk ewes went to Texel rams, Texel and Mule ewes went to Suffolk rams and the best Texel ewes went to a Belclare ram.
Ewes were condition-scored after weaning. Ewes in a body condition score (BCS) of 4.0 were put in the first breeding group, as Paraic feared these animals may get too fat if breeding was delayed too long.
Breeding activity was slow during the first week with the ram, but increased significantly during the second and third week. The rams have now been removed from the first breeding group.
The second group of ewes has 70 animals, which were BCS 3.0 to 3.5 when going to the ram on 3 October. There are 80 ewe lambs due to go to either a Charollais or Beltex ram on 1 November.
Read more
Watch: Tullamore Farm heifer sale online catalogue
Sheep management: liver fluke, clean livestock policy and scannig early lambers
Mark Davidson, Dungannon, Co Tyrone
Breeding is well under way on Mark’s farm. The farm carries 240 mature ewes, which have been split in two groups for early- and mid-season lambing. Split lambing is better suited to housing and easier on labour.
The early-lambing group consists of 100 ewes, which ran in three evenly-sized batches with the rams. The rams were turned out to the ewes back in mid-September and ran for three weeks.
Belclare ewes ran with the Suffolk ram, Suffolk ewes ran with the Texel ram and the crossbred ewes also ran with the Texel ram.
The plan is to leave a break of 10 days before the rams go out with the mid-season lambing flock.
The 140 mid-season lambing ewes will also be split in three groups to run with rams, while a sweeper ram will run with the early-lambing ewes.
Only the sweeper ram will be raddled to identify ewes in the early group that repeat, so they can be removed from the group at housing.
There are also 70 ewe lambs to go to the ram, with breeding scheduled to start on 1 November. These animals will be served by a Charollais ram.
Kate Kingan and Peter Mant, Tynan, Co Armagh
Kate and Peter also run a split lambing flock. The first group of ewes lamb indoors in February, while the second group of ewes are lambed outside.
The early-lambing group consists of 86 hoggets and 134 mature ewes. The rams were removed from these animals on Friday 16 October, having ran with the ewes for three weeks.
Rams used included two Suffolk rams on the mature ewes and an Ile De France and a Belclare ram covering the hoggets. All rams were raddled and markings indicate a good hit to first service.
The plan is to leave a two-week break between breeding for the indoor and outdoor lambing group, so rams are being rested until the end of the month.
Rams will then be turned out with the outdoor lambing group and a sweeper ram will run with the group of indoor lambing ewes to cover any repeats. Any ewes covered by the sweeper ram will then move into the outdoor lambing group.
There are close on 350 ewes in the outdoor group, of which a sizeable percentage are Romney breeding that suit lambing outside.
Dermot McAleese, Loughguile, Co Antrim
Breeding for Dermot’s upland flock started on Monday 19 October, with 200 ewes going to the ram.
Ewes were footbathed, treated for fluke, given a mineral bolus and run through the shower in preparation for breeding.
The upland ewes are normally run as one grazing group over the summer, but were drafted into separate breeding groups on Monday morning. They will remain in separate groups until breeding finishes.
The 200 ewes are a mix of Mule, Texel-cross-Mule and older Blackface ewes from the hill flock. Bringing the older hill ewes into the upland flock for a final breeding year extends their life span and increases farm output.
Two Suffolk and one Texel ram will run with the Mule ewes, while a Blueface Leicester and a Blackface ram will run with the older horned ewes in the upland group.
All rams have been raddled and will run for four weeks. But if breeding activity is light over the next few weeks, the rams could get up to six weeks to serve ewes.
Teaser rams ran with the ewes for two weeks prior to the start of the breeding period this week, so ewes should be cycling and ready for mating.
The teaser rams have been removed and will move up to the hill ground to run with the Scottish Blackface ewes.
Paraic McNeill, Annaclone, Co Down
Breeding is at an advanced stage on Paraic’s farm, with 170 mature ewes all covered, with the exception of four animals.
Housing limitations mean Paraic and his father Seamus lamb the flock in three batches, two of which consist of mature ewes and a final group of ewe lambs.
The first group of 100 ewes went to ram on 12 September. This group consists of the best ewes in the flock, from which Paraic aims to get future replacements.
Suffolk ewes went to Texel rams, Texel and Mule ewes went to Suffolk rams and the best Texel ewes went to a Belclare ram.
Ewes were condition-scored after weaning. Ewes in a body condition score (BCS) of 4.0 were put in the first breeding group, as Paraic feared these animals may get too fat if breeding was delayed too long.
Breeding activity was slow during the first week with the ram, but increased significantly during the second and third week. The rams have now been removed from the first breeding group.
The second group of ewes has 70 animals, which were BCS 3.0 to 3.5 when going to the ram on 3 October. There are 80 ewe lambs due to go to either a Charollais or Beltex ram on 1 November.
Read more
Watch: Tullamore Farm heifer sale online catalogue
Sheep management: liver fluke, clean livestock policy and scannig early lambers
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