BETTER Farm Sheep Programme DAVID AND LINDA MCLAUGHLIN, HILLHEAD, SHROOVE, GREENCASTLE, Co. DONEGAL. HILL SHEEP FARM WALK. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21st 2013

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1 BETTER Farm Sheep Programme DAVID AND LINDA MCLAUGHLIN, HILLHEAD, SHROOVE, GREENCASTLE, Co. DONEGAL. HILL SHEEP FARM WALK THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21st 2013 STAP Qualifying Event

2 Outline of farm and Farming System Farm Details This farm consists of three lowland blocks plus a significant (owned) hill grazing. 1 - Home farm (Shroove) all green land with adjusted area of 9.5 ha 2 - Hill block (Shroove) consisting of about 20 ha (adjusted) of green land and approx. 85 ha. of heather-covered hill grazing 3 - Out-farm (Ballymacarthur) with adjusted area of 18 ha. The out-farm (Ballymacarthur) carries a 17 cow suckler herd and followers plus the lowland ewe flock during the grazing season. Two sheep flocks are managed on this farm: 1. Lowland Flock: 76 Ewes Texel-X, Belclare-X and Mules with Beltex rams 2. Hill Flock: 260 S.Blackface Ewes. Rams used: 3 S. Blackface, 2 Belclare & 1 Blue Leicester Hill Flock The hill flock is confined essentially to the hill section of the farm. The ewes are lambed on the green-land paddocks of the hill block and the ewes with twins and single male lambs are usually grazed on this green land until weaning. The lambs have access to the home farm after weaning in August Replacements graze on the grassland section of the hill block from autumn to spring; they remain on the hill for the summer period until joining as 2-tooths. Replacements for the lowland flock are now produced from the hill flock. All ewes and replacements are identified with electronic tags all lambs are tagged at birth. Hill Flock Farm Plan Key Elements Maintain the hill flock at 225 ewes + 55 ewe lamb replacements Lambed 31 March onward Target ewe output of 1.1 lambs reared per ewe to the ram Produce crossbred lambs Belclare-X and Blue Leicester-X both for sale and as replacements for the lowland flock Grass based production 2

3 BETTER Farm Sheep Programme 1 Hill Flocks 1 David Mc Laughlin 2 Colm O'Donnell 3 James Lally Lowland Flocks 1 David Mc Laughlin 4 John Curley 5 Brendan O'Sullivan 6 John Kelly 7 Brian Nicholson 8 John Doyle 9 Andrew Maloney

4 BETTER Farm Sheep Programme Aim to increase the productivity and profitability of the sheep enterprise Developed a 3 to 5 year plan focusing on key areas: Flock size Breeding policy Grassland management Parasite control Farm Layout Winter management Increases in Productivity and Profitability of BETTER Farm flocks 4

5 Progress to-date Hill Flocks Increases in output per ewe: Litter size Percentage of ewes lambed +8% Lambs weaned per ewe joined Financial performance ( per ewe) Year Gross output Total Variable costs Gross Margin Significant improvements in profitability in just 2 years 5

6 Flock Productivity Mc Laughlin's farm Season 2008/ / / /12 Ewes joined Litter size Ewes lambed per ewe joined (%) Lamb mortality (%) Lambs reared per ewe joined National average for Blackface flocks: lambs reared per ewe joined Improve ewe weight and condition prior to joining Guard against ram infertility 6

7 Scanning results Mc Laughlin's farm Season 2009/ / / /13 No. Scanned Barren Singles Twins % 93.2% 93.4% 95.3% Scanned Litter Size Pregnant at Scanning Scanning rate 7

8 Lamb Performance Mc Laughlin's farm Lamb weaning weight (kg) Year Birth type Singles Twins Focused on improving lamb performance - High levels of performance being achieved - Better use of closed land Crossbred lambs heavier at weaning to 4 kg - Higher sale value 8

9 Grassland Sward heights for target lamb performance (cm) Month March April May June July August September System Rotational: post grazing Set stocked Effective grassland management will: - improve lamb performance - reduce concentrate input - Increase gross margin Measure/estimate and make appropriate grazing decisions Prioritise grazing groups 9

10 Source Increasing demands when intake capacity is declining Silage alone insufficient Concentrates needed 1 10

11 Energy requirements 50 kg ewe with twins (in good condition, lambs growing at 225g/day) Dry Energy 0.67 Ufl /d Early & mid preg 6-5 wks (pre) wks 2-1 wks 1-6 wks (pre) (pre) post lambing Crude protein requirements 50 kg ewe with twins (in good condition, lambs growing at 225g/day) CP g/day Dry Mating 1st 15 wks gest Last 4 wks gest Early lactation Late lactation Two types of protein Rumen Degradable Protein (RDP) Digestible Undegradable Protein (DUP) Increasing demands when intake capacity is declining Silage alone insufficient Concentrates needed 11

12 Concentrates required in final 6 weeks (50 kg ewe, good condition & carrying twins) DMD ** Weeks pre lambing Concentrates kg/hd/day Min / ewe * Total per ewe in flock % % % % % * Total per ewe in flock assumes mean lambing date 2 weeks after start of lambing and feed requirements counted from 6 weeks prior to start of lambing ** 30% more for ewes carrying twins Silage quality = major effect on concentrate level 12

13 DMD ph (Ave 64) (Ave 4.3) Silage Quality 2012 Other factors Crude Protein 7 14 DM Ammonia Ash (Ave 9.7) 13

14 Silage/Hay energy levels Grass Silage/Hay UFL (per kg DM) 77%DMD %DMD %DMD %DMD %DMD %DMD 0.61 Good Hay (60 DMD) 0.69 Poor hay (52 DMD) 0.58 Only top quality silage has enough energy for dry period / early / mid pregnancy Seldom enough for late pregnancy Soil contamination a problem Spoilage Listeria Clostridia 14

15 Mc Laughlin Flock Lambing Hill Flock Lambing Patterns Year 2009/10 Lambing commenced March 31st 2010 % lambed in 4 weeks 90% Duration of lambing 5 weeks 2010/11 95% 4.5 weeks Hill Flock Lamb birth weights (kg) Season 2008/ /10 Single Twin /12 April 4th 2011 April 2nd %+ 5weeks 2010/ / Mc Laughlin Flock Feeding and Grazing Regime January - Scanning. (Feb. 9th 2013) ewes fed 2-3 times per week on the hill at rate of ½lb or 0.2kg./day. Singles and twins then separated. Ewes with Singles: Fed on using the above regime until 5 days before lambing. Ewes with Doubles: Fed 1/2lb. / 0.2kg./head every second day until March 1st and every day from then until lambing. They are then on grass only. March 1st. Singles are then tightened up above the dipping pens, fed every day until lambing and are then put to rested grass with no feeding. May 1st. Ewes with single ewe lambs go back to hill on May 1 st as ground is closed for silage. In the past the twins and single ram lambs were kept on the grassland until weaning. With the higher number of twins in 2012 and 2013 this plan had to be revised and will need further adjustments. Weaning takes place around mid August and the plan in recent years was to sell heaviest lambs off the ewes with lighter lambs being grazed for a limited period. 15

16 Flock Health Issues Anthelmintic resistance is a problem nationally: 95% of flocks resistance to bendzimadazole 48 % of flocks resistance to levamisole New evidence for resistance to moxidectins/avermectins Resistance on Better Farms: 3/3 of flocks resistance to bendzimadazole 2/3 of flocks resistance to levamisole Fluke Mild winter means risk of infection with fluke is high on farms with history of fluke Need to be vigilant - monitor sheep now for signs May need to administer flukicide more frequently than previously Need to take steps to minimise infection for next season Flukicides efficacy depends on age of fluke..choose the right product Vaccination programme Proactive approach to minimise Flock history Abortion issues on Farm Need to determine cause Submit samples to veterinary 16 losses lab

17 BETTER Farm Sheep Programme Clostridial Diseases: Ewe lamb replacements are given two Heptavac-P Flock Health McLaughlin Flock injections 4-6 weeks apart in September. Hogget ewes are also given a booster in September. All ewes are given a booster 4 weeks before lambing. 1 Hill Flocks Stomach Worms: Lambs are dosed for Nematodirus at 5 weeks (Systamex) Hill lambs dosed again at shearing but lambs kept on the David Mc Laughlin grassland may be dosed more often (Noramectin/Levacide). Ewes are dosed on April 1 st prior to lambing (Ivomec). Colm O'Donnell Faecal sampling also used James Lally Liver Fluke: Flock dosed pre-mating with Triclabendazole (Tribex) 3 Dosed again at Christmas with Closantel (Flukiver) 4 Dosed at shearing time with Closantel or similar. 9 Lowland Flocks Lameness: All sheep are foot bathed regularly every time they are in the yard which is about every 2 weeks. Problem individuals6are David Mc Laughlin 7 treated with an antibiotic. 1 Orf: 8 4 JohnHad Curley not been a major issue until 2012 when all the pet lambs 5 Brendan O'Sullivan scratched with Scabivax5 in For 2013 the lowland ewes 6 John Kelly Ticks: had severe orf. Slight trace in lowland flock. All lambs have already been scratched with Scabivax. Pour-on used in lambs (Vector or equivalent). 7 Brian Nicholson Ewes are dipped on this farm. 8 John Doyle 9 Andrewresistance Maloney detected on this farm to date. No anthelmintic 17