Lambing started around 17 March and it has been a busy few weeks since then. I farm along with my parents, although I carry out most of the day-to-day work myself.
Our farm carries 500 ewes which are managed as two separate flocks. The first flock has around 200 ewes, of which around 170 had lambed by last weekend.
The flock is mostly made up of homebred Mule ewes which were bred to Texel, Suffolk and Blueface Leicester rams.
To boost ewe numbers, we run our cast Blackface ewes from the hill flock alongside the Mules. These cull ewes get a final year of breeding before being offloaded.
Ewes with twins are grazing improved grassland on the lower part pf the hill. Blackface ewes move back up to hill graze around late April.
Although all of our land is classed as SDA, we refer to this flock as being our upland ewes.
They still graze hill land, but are generally kept on the lower slopes which tend to grow better grass. That said, it is still hill grazing and can be challenging to manage.
Some of this hill ground has been improved for grazing. We also try to harvest silage from this area, as well as grazing our spring-calving cows.
Scanning
The upland flock was scanned back in the first week of January and ewes averaged 185%. After scanning, these ewes were housed for pre-lambing management.
Our sheep house makes use of mesh and plastic slatted floors, which is more practical than using straw bedding.
Winter feeding
Once housed, ewes are fed silage every day using a diet feeder. Silage was analysed and has a D-Value of 65%.
Concentrate feeding started in early February, around six weeks before lambing kicked off.
Rather than go with a simple flat rate for meal feeding, concentrates are stepped up week by week towards the start of lambing.
Concentrates are also fed through the diet feeder, with a 20% protein blend purchased for £250/t (€284/t) this spring.
Turnout
Over the past fortnight, weather conditions have been ideal for getting ewes and lambs out to grass.
All ewes with singles go straight to grass from the lambing pens, which is usually 24 hours after lambs are born.
All ewes at grass are being supplemented with a 19% protein cob costing £230
The ewes with twins and triplets are moved to a larger, loose house on an outfarm, which is one mile from the home yard.
Twin-bearing ewes are kept inside for another day before going to grass. All ewes at grass are being supplemented with a 19% protein cob costing £230 (€261/t), which is fed daily using a trailed snacker.
The farm carries 500 ewes, of which 300 are Blackface breeding that graze hill ground.
Our second flock is made up of 300 Scottish Blackface ewes which are bred to either Blackface or Blueface Leicester rams.
Breeding went well last autumn and ewes scanned at 150%. As of last weekend, we have around 140 ewes still to lamb.
The rest of the ewes stayed on the hill, before coming down to the lower ground
The majority of the hill ewes are lambing outside. However, when ewes were being vaccinated with Heptavac P, I split out 60 ewes which I felt were too thin ahead of lambing.
These are the only Blackface ewes that were housed and are getting additional feeding to help improve body condition.
Ewes are being rotated around grazing and silage fields
The rest of the ewes stayed on the hill, before coming down to the lower ground surrounding the yard around one week prior to the start of lambing.
Ewes are being rotated around grazing and silage fields. As ewes are lambing outside, they have to be checked manually. The last check at night is at 12am.
Ewes are then checked at first light and every three hours thereafter.
Prolapse
There has been a bit of an issue with the hill ewes prolapsing this spring.
It is generally occurring in the ewes carrying twins, which was possibly caused by the change in grass when ewes moved down to the lower ground.
Supplementary feeding
Supplementary concentrate feeding for the hill ewes started back in January with animals getting the same 19% cob as the upland flock.
Ewes are also being supplemented with silage in feed trailers.
Post-lambing
After lambing, the ewes with single lambs are moved back up to the hill as soon as possible.
The ewes with the twins are grazed on the lower slopes for a few weeks before moving back to the hill ground.
Keeping these ewes on the better grass helps to boost milk production in early lactation. It also makes it easier for concentrate feeding.
As we work on hill ground, grass growth is limited until late April time. Therefore, ewes are normally supplemented with concentrates until the end of the month.
Silage
Ewes are moved off the silage ground around mid-April. This lets us get fertiliser on the ground and close it up for first cut in early June.
We have our own equipment to harvest silage
Weather depending, my plan is to get fertiliser on to silage ground around 18 to 20 April with around 43 acres to close up.
We have our own equipment to harvest silage, with grass being ensiled using a forage wagon.
This means we can make take the opportunity to save grass as soon as weather permits in early June.
While silage fertiliser has yet to be applied, we spread protected urea and slurry across the grazing ground in March.
Read more
NI Sheep Programme: split lambing eases workload in Co Down
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Lambing started around 17 March and it has been a busy few weeks since then. I farm along with my parents, although I carry out most of the day-to-day work myself.
Our farm carries 500 ewes which are managed as two separate flocks. The first flock has around 200 ewes, of which around 170 had lambed by last weekend.
The flock is mostly made up of homebred Mule ewes which were bred to Texel, Suffolk and Blueface Leicester rams.
To boost ewe numbers, we run our cast Blackface ewes from the hill flock alongside the Mules. These cull ewes get a final year of breeding before being offloaded.
Ewes with twins are grazing improved grassland on the lower part pf the hill. Blackface ewes move back up to hill graze around late April.
Although all of our land is classed as SDA, we refer to this flock as being our upland ewes.
They still graze hill land, but are generally kept on the lower slopes which tend to grow better grass. That said, it is still hill grazing and can be challenging to manage.
Some of this hill ground has been improved for grazing. We also try to harvest silage from this area, as well as grazing our spring-calving cows.
Scanning
The upland flock was scanned back in the first week of January and ewes averaged 185%. After scanning, these ewes were housed for pre-lambing management.
Our sheep house makes use of mesh and plastic slatted floors, which is more practical than using straw bedding.
Winter feeding
Once housed, ewes are fed silage every day using a diet feeder. Silage was analysed and has a D-Value of 65%.
Concentrate feeding started in early February, around six weeks before lambing kicked off.
Rather than go with a simple flat rate for meal feeding, concentrates are stepped up week by week towards the start of lambing.
Concentrates are also fed through the diet feeder, with a 20% protein blend purchased for £250/t (€284/t) this spring.
Turnout
Over the past fortnight, weather conditions have been ideal for getting ewes and lambs out to grass.
All ewes with singles go straight to grass from the lambing pens, which is usually 24 hours after lambs are born.
All ewes at grass are being supplemented with a 19% protein cob costing £230
The ewes with twins and triplets are moved to a larger, loose house on an outfarm, which is one mile from the home yard.
Twin-bearing ewes are kept inside for another day before going to grass. All ewes at grass are being supplemented with a 19% protein cob costing £230 (€261/t), which is fed daily using a trailed snacker.
The farm carries 500 ewes, of which 300 are Blackface breeding that graze hill ground.
Our second flock is made up of 300 Scottish Blackface ewes which are bred to either Blackface or Blueface Leicester rams.
Breeding went well last autumn and ewes scanned at 150%. As of last weekend, we have around 140 ewes still to lamb.
The rest of the ewes stayed on the hill, before coming down to the lower ground
The majority of the hill ewes are lambing outside. However, when ewes were being vaccinated with Heptavac P, I split out 60 ewes which I felt were too thin ahead of lambing.
These are the only Blackface ewes that were housed and are getting additional feeding to help improve body condition.
Ewes are being rotated around grazing and silage fields
The rest of the ewes stayed on the hill, before coming down to the lower ground surrounding the yard around one week prior to the start of lambing.
Ewes are being rotated around grazing and silage fields. As ewes are lambing outside, they have to be checked manually. The last check at night is at 12am.
Ewes are then checked at first light and every three hours thereafter.
Prolapse
There has been a bit of an issue with the hill ewes prolapsing this spring.
It is generally occurring in the ewes carrying twins, which was possibly caused by the change in grass when ewes moved down to the lower ground.
Supplementary feeding
Supplementary concentrate feeding for the hill ewes started back in January with animals getting the same 19% cob as the upland flock.
Ewes are also being supplemented with silage in feed trailers.
Post-lambing
After lambing, the ewes with single lambs are moved back up to the hill as soon as possible.
The ewes with the twins are grazed on the lower slopes for a few weeks before moving back to the hill ground.
Keeping these ewes on the better grass helps to boost milk production in early lactation. It also makes it easier for concentrate feeding.
As we work on hill ground, grass growth is limited until late April time. Therefore, ewes are normally supplemented with concentrates until the end of the month.
Silage
Ewes are moved off the silage ground around mid-April. This lets us get fertiliser on the ground and close it up for first cut in early June.
We have our own equipment to harvest silage
Weather depending, my plan is to get fertiliser on to silage ground around 18 to 20 April with around 43 acres to close up.
We have our own equipment to harvest silage, with grass being ensiled using a forage wagon.
This means we can make take the opportunity to save grass as soon as weather permits in early June.
While silage fertiliser has yet to be applied, we spread protected urea and slurry across the grazing ground in March.
Read more
NI Sheep Programme: split lambing eases workload in Co Down
April fluke dose for outwintered sheep
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