Farm gate hogget and spring lamb prices have thankfully steadied and strengthened after the recent collapse.
The upturn in price is, unfortunately, not at a level to account for a significant increase in costs faced this year, but hopefully it will at least go some way in covering them.
The greatest asset available to farmers is focusing on grass management to drive performance
The rate at which prices collapsed, in conjunction with the market uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, is worrying.
There is little producers can do, apart from batten down the hatches and ensure that unnecessary costs are avoided. The greatest asset available to farmers is focusing on grass management to drive performance.
The degree to which a rotational grazing system can be operated will depend on the farm infrastructure
The aim at present is to get the grazing season on track as quickly as possible. At this stage, ewes and lambs from March lambing flocks should be batched into larger groups for grazing. This will facilitate the implementation of a rotational grazing system.
The degree to which a rotational grazing system can be operated will depend on the farm infrastructure.
The optimum is being in a position of splitting paddocks, where necessary, during peak growth rates, or tailoring group sizes to graze out swards and offer fresh grass every two to three days.
But even where this timeframe is not possible, animal and grass performance can still be boosted by reducing the period ewes and lambs have to spend in the same sward.
Long-term, a renewed focus on silage quality will reduce supplementary feed costs next winter
Getting swards grazed out tight early in the season (3.5cm to 4cm) is not a problem for most and this will contribute to promoting high-quality regrowth.
Long-term, a renewed focus on silage quality will reduce supplementary feed costs next winter, but this will be covered in more detail at a later stage.
Creep feeding dilemma
Where grass supplies are depleted and early-March lambing ewes are still receiving meal feeding, some farmers are looking at the option of directing meal to lambs via creep feeding.
Some farmers who normally creep feed are also questioning the merits of putting higher costs into lambs this year.
Creep grazing via a gate with 225mm or 9" spacing can deliver similar response in performance to restricted creep feeding without any of the cost.
The decision to creep is not straightforward and requires a number of factors be taken into consideration. The first question is, how fast are growth rates and grass supplies likely to recover to a position of meeting ewe and lamb nutritional requirements?
There should be no debate with ewes rearing triplet lambs or yearling hoggets suckling two lambs
If supplies are likely to remain tight and ewes have already endured a tough time and are lacking in body condition, then the merits of creep feeding, even on a temporary basis, become more positive.
There should be no debate with ewes rearing triplet lambs or yearling hoggets suckling two lambs, as creep feeding is essential in underpinning the performance of both the ewe and her lambs.
This group is sometimes broadened to a batch of thinner or sick ewes / lambs that will benefit from preferential treatment.
The ultimate goal of creep feeding is to get lambs finished quicker and drafted for sale at a higher price.
Making drastic changes to such a system now in order to reduce costs may be counterproductive
Some farmers also creep feed to free-up grass for competing enterprises, such as a suckler enterprise, where grass demand will rise as the season progresses.
Making drastic changes to such a system now in order to reduce costs may be counterproductive, if it means you end up with higher numbers of lambs and still have to feed significant quantities later in the year to finish them.
Cutting out creep feeding in a system which struggles to get lambs performing off-grass may also require a switch from finishing lambs as rams to wethers, to address fat cover challenges. The other practical factor is whether creep feeders are available on the farm.
Limiting costs
Where creep feeding continues, there are still practices that can be taken to limit both costs and volumes consumed.
Teagasc has undertaken many studies on creep feeding, with research showing the age of slaughter can be reduced by in the region of 28 days.
Creep feeding should not, however, compensate for poor grass management.
Table 1 details the effect of concentrate feed levels and grass availability on lamb performance from birth to weaning.
Similar levels of lamb performance were achieved, with lambs grazing at a grass height of 6cm without creep supplementation and lambs grazing at a grass height of 5cm and supplemented with 300g per day.
The lesson from this is that creep feeding can be used strategically when grass supplies are tight. Once grass supplies recover, the volume of creep offered can be reduced.
Lambs reared as triplets should receive creep at a rate of 300g to 500g daily up until weaning. Lambs reared as triplets should receive creep at a rate of 300g to 500g daily up until weaning.
A scenario where lambs are offered high levels of creep and not likely to have any potential of finishing earlier in the season when prices are higher should be avoided.
In an ad-lib situation, lambs can quickly become focused on eating creep and not actively graze, leading to intake rising by as much as 50% to 100%.
Creep grazing
Creep grazing is often not possible due to poor infrastructure /fencing or fragmented lands.
Where possible, creep grazing has the potential to increase weaning weights by 2kg and achieve a similar lift in performance to creep feeding. It can be easily achieved using a creep gate (spacing at 225mm or 9”) placed beside a field gate and will facilitate lambs being offered a restricted level of concentrates in troughs as they get older and intakes significantly increase.
Farm gate hogget and spring lamb prices have thankfully steadied and strengthened after the recent collapse.
The upturn in price is, unfortunately, not at a level to account for a significant increase in costs faced this year, but hopefully it will at least go some way in covering them.
The greatest asset available to farmers is focusing on grass management to drive performance
The rate at which prices collapsed, in conjunction with the market uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, is worrying.
There is little producers can do, apart from batten down the hatches and ensure that unnecessary costs are avoided. The greatest asset available to farmers is focusing on grass management to drive performance.
The degree to which a rotational grazing system can be operated will depend on the farm infrastructure
The aim at present is to get the grazing season on track as quickly as possible. At this stage, ewes and lambs from March lambing flocks should be batched into larger groups for grazing. This will facilitate the implementation of a rotational grazing system.
The degree to which a rotational grazing system can be operated will depend on the farm infrastructure.
The optimum is being in a position of splitting paddocks, where necessary, during peak growth rates, or tailoring group sizes to graze out swards and offer fresh grass every two to three days.
But even where this timeframe is not possible, animal and grass performance can still be boosted by reducing the period ewes and lambs have to spend in the same sward.
Long-term, a renewed focus on silage quality will reduce supplementary feed costs next winter
Getting swards grazed out tight early in the season (3.5cm to 4cm) is not a problem for most and this will contribute to promoting high-quality regrowth.
Long-term, a renewed focus on silage quality will reduce supplementary feed costs next winter, but this will be covered in more detail at a later stage.
Creep feeding dilemma
Where grass supplies are depleted and early-March lambing ewes are still receiving meal feeding, some farmers are looking at the option of directing meal to lambs via creep feeding.
Some farmers who normally creep feed are also questioning the merits of putting higher costs into lambs this year.
Creep grazing via a gate with 225mm or 9" spacing can deliver similar response in performance to restricted creep feeding without any of the cost.
The decision to creep is not straightforward and requires a number of factors be taken into consideration. The first question is, how fast are growth rates and grass supplies likely to recover to a position of meeting ewe and lamb nutritional requirements?
There should be no debate with ewes rearing triplet lambs or yearling hoggets suckling two lambs
If supplies are likely to remain tight and ewes have already endured a tough time and are lacking in body condition, then the merits of creep feeding, even on a temporary basis, become more positive.
There should be no debate with ewes rearing triplet lambs or yearling hoggets suckling two lambs, as creep feeding is essential in underpinning the performance of both the ewe and her lambs.
This group is sometimes broadened to a batch of thinner or sick ewes / lambs that will benefit from preferential treatment.
The ultimate goal of creep feeding is to get lambs finished quicker and drafted for sale at a higher price.
Making drastic changes to such a system now in order to reduce costs may be counterproductive
Some farmers also creep feed to free-up grass for competing enterprises, such as a suckler enterprise, where grass demand will rise as the season progresses.
Making drastic changes to such a system now in order to reduce costs may be counterproductive, if it means you end up with higher numbers of lambs and still have to feed significant quantities later in the year to finish them.
Cutting out creep feeding in a system which struggles to get lambs performing off-grass may also require a switch from finishing lambs as rams to wethers, to address fat cover challenges. The other practical factor is whether creep feeders are available on the farm.
Limiting costs
Where creep feeding continues, there are still practices that can be taken to limit both costs and volumes consumed.
Teagasc has undertaken many studies on creep feeding, with research showing the age of slaughter can be reduced by in the region of 28 days.
Creep feeding should not, however, compensate for poor grass management.
Table 1 details the effect of concentrate feed levels and grass availability on lamb performance from birth to weaning.
Similar levels of lamb performance were achieved, with lambs grazing at a grass height of 6cm without creep supplementation and lambs grazing at a grass height of 5cm and supplemented with 300g per day.
The lesson from this is that creep feeding can be used strategically when grass supplies are tight. Once grass supplies recover, the volume of creep offered can be reduced.
Lambs reared as triplets should receive creep at a rate of 300g to 500g daily up until weaning. Lambs reared as triplets should receive creep at a rate of 300g to 500g daily up until weaning.
A scenario where lambs are offered high levels of creep and not likely to have any potential of finishing earlier in the season when prices are higher should be avoided.
In an ad-lib situation, lambs can quickly become focused on eating creep and not actively graze, leading to intake rising by as much as 50% to 100%.
Creep grazing
Creep grazing is often not possible due to poor infrastructure /fencing or fragmented lands.
Where possible, creep grazing has the potential to increase weaning weights by 2kg and achieve a similar lift in performance to creep feeding. It can be easily achieved using a creep gate (spacing at 225mm or 9”) placed beside a field gate and will facilitate lambs being offered a restricted level of concentrates in troughs as they get older and intakes significantly increase.
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