Inspection preparation

This week’s sheep feature on page 60 discusses completion of the scheme action booklet for the Sheep Improvement Scheme.

Inspections will soon be commencing for a number of schemes as per EU regulations.

The Department guide, summarised for many actions on page 60, outlines the information which is required in the case of an inspection.

With regard to the genotyped ram action, the date of purchase needs to be recorded along with the ram’s identification number.

Inspectors will check to see that there is a dispatch document associated with the ram purchase and that the ram is confirmed as being eligible at time of purchase.

Breeding catalogues will suffice as proof, while such data can be looked up at any time on Sheep Ireland’s ram search function.

This also allows farmers to search for eligible rams by breed and by county.

While on the topic of inspections, breeding is also a good time to ensure all sheep are up to date with regard to possessing two ear tags/bolus and ensuring the flock register is up to date.

Where tags are being replaced, the most common option is applying two new tags and correlating the tag change in your flock register.

Ram management

While many farmers pay a good deal of attention to ewes in the run up to mating, rams are often forgotten until such a time when it is often too late to take any remedial action. Rams should be fit but not fat, with a target body condition score in the region of 3.5 to 4.

Where rams are lacking condition, a small volume of supplementary feed in the run up to mating will pay dividends in improving ram activity once joined with ewes.

It is important to keep a good eye out for any lameness issues, as this can have a detrimental effect on ram libido and also impede normal mounting behaviour.

Where ram lambs in particular are purchased, it is important to take account of their previous environment and manage the transition to the new farm optimally.

Unfortunately, many rams will have been on an intensive diet pre-sale and it is important to transition rams gradually on to a grass diet. This can be completed by offering concentrates and gradually stepping back feeding levels to 0.5kg daily.

Where offering supplementary feed, some farmers find that it is useful to set up some lambing gates to a temporary pen. In this way rams get accustomed to entering the pen without being handled, and it makes rams easier to catch and raddle when breeding commences.

This is especially useful for land blocks where handling facilities are poor.

Where breeding is concerned, newly purchased rams should be supervised when joined with ewes to ensure that rams are actually servicing ewes and not just mounting. Raddling alone will not pick up such issues until the second service, when a colour change will highlight potential problems.

Fertiliser application

The final date for applying chemical nitrogen and phosphorus is Saturday 14 September, with the prohibited period for spreading commencing on 15 September. Farmers will be required to record closing stocks of fertiliser similar to in 2023.

The deadline for recording closing stocks in 2023 was 15 October and the same deadline date is planned for 2024. Farmers must submit a record even where there is no fertiliser on the farm after 14 September 2024.