SWS automatic renewal

Details for year three of the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS) were announced by Minister Michael Creed this week. There will be automatic renewal in place this year, meaning that participants who are happy to continue in the scheme will be enrolled into year three and do not need to take any action.

Year three will commence on 2 February 2019 and farmers can expect to receive a SWS information pack shortly, which contains the action records booklets for 2019 and a copy of the terms and conditions.

The SWS has also opened to new entrants to sheep farming, with applications now being accepted. The Department of Agriculture defines a new entrant to sheep farming for the purposes of the scheme as “an applicant who has applied for a new herd number from 1 January 2018 and prior to the 31 December 2018, or an applicant with an existing herd number who has not held or traded in sheep for a two-year period up to 31 October preceding the scheme year”.

Application forms can be obtained by contacting the SWS section of the Department by email at sheepscheme@agriculture.gov.ie, or via the Direct Payments Helpdesk at 076-1064420. The closing date for applications is Friday 1 February 2019. Farmers who do not wish to continue in the scheme must notify the Department SWS section in writing.

Accurate feeding levels

Many flocks will have now entered late pregnancy feeding and commenced a feeding programme with a rising plane of concentrate supplementation. The weight of concentrate can vary significantly between different pelleted feeds and rations. Therefore, it is important to get a good gauge of feeding levels, particularly if changing to a different feed. This can be easily done by weighing a given volume of concentrate in a regularly used bucket, container, etc, and using this as a standard measure.

Ewe liveweight in late pregnancy is another area where wrong estimates can lead to insufficient nutritional intake. At last year’s Teagasc sheep conference, UCD’s Tommy Boland highlighted the risk of underestimating ewe weight. For example, following a feeding programme at the lower end of ewe liveweight for 60kg ewes, when ewes are actually weighing 80kg will result in a deficit in intake of 6.5MJ ME or 0.5UFL in late pregnancy, equivalent to 0.5kg barley. It is important to accurately estimate your ewes’ liveweight and check the liveweight your feeding programme is based on.

Housing space

Ewes are reported as being in much better condition after the mild winter. It is important that the diet is formulated to best carry ewes through late pregnancy feeding, while the fact that ewes may be bulkier also needs to be taken into consideration with regard to lying and feeding space.

Department of Agriculture recommendations list large (90kg) ewes requiring 600mm meal feeding space, reducing to 500mm for medium-sized ewes (70kg) and 400mm for small (50kg) ewes. The feeding space for forage offered ad-lib is 200mm for large and medium-sized ewes and 175mm for small ewes. Lying space on slats is 1.2m2, 1.1m2 and 1.0m2 for the three ewe types and 1.4m2, 1.2m2 and 1.1m2 for ewes housed on straw bedding.