Sheep

Shearing will cost farmers in the west at least €1.60/ewe this year 

SHEARING will cost farmers in the west at least €1.60/ewe this year as wool prices continue to slide.

Shearing is an ideal time to assess flock health 

Shearing is hot on the agenda at the moment.

Ivermectin resistance confirmed on sheep farms 

FARMERS have been urged to carry out faecal egg counts to assess worm burdens and look at wormer efficacy, as ivermectin resistance has now been identified on sheep farms.

Ovine All Blacks are top of the flocks in Athenry 

An elite flock of ewes imported by Teagasc Athenry from New Zealand are delivering higher lamb output than the best of their Irish counterparts.

It’s boomtime for sheep - still 'significant scope' to increase margins on sheep farms 

Breeding ewe numbers have surged by almost a third to 2.6 million, with improved lamb prices and reduced feed costs helping to drive the increase.

Spring lamb down another 20c-30c/kg 

 THE one constant in business is that the price is dictated by the laws of supply and demand.

Cruellest cut makes little difference to lamb quality - Teagasc 

CASTRATING lambs makes little difference to meat quality, according to new Teagasc research.

'ACDC, marathon training and a good team' - Record breaking dad on life traveling the world as a sheep shearer 

THREE top tips from Ireland’s newest record setter Mark McGeown. One: have ACDC’s back...

Supreme Court to hear appeal over ESB's right to enter lands to carry out works 

THE Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal with potentially important implications for how the ESB and other statutory bodies carry out their...

Disease outbreak sees over 400 lamb carcasses destroyed 

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed over 400 carcasses of lambs were destroyed after they were found to have a disease that can be transmitted to people.

Hill farmers association elect new President 

The Irish Natura and HIll Farmers Association has elected Colm O'Donnell from South Sligo as their first National President at their AGM held last Tuesday.

'Our building plans are on hold until Brexit chaos is resolved' 

We're getting finished with some TAMS fencing jobs around the farm and I want to get them done and dusted, get the paperwork in order, and apply for payment.

Factory quotes back 30c/kg despite lamb prices being 'as hot as the weather' in some marts 

WHILE sheep prices at New Ross mart this week might have been “on fire”, the factories were also intent on doing some burning.

'These attacks could escalate': Dogs kill 66 sheep in Louth alone since February 

The problem of out of control dogs attacking sheep and lambs in the north Louth has escalated since the start of the year, with the IFA in Louth...

More than 180 entries to battle for texel title 

The 2017 Texel Growvite National Championships will be one of the highlights of the day for sheep farmers when the event takes place at Gorey Agricultural Show on Saturday.

'Managing grass growth is the challenge now that the rainy season has arrived' 

After waiting for the rain to arrive, the big change has obviously been the explosion in grass growth. The trick now is to manage this grass to get the...

'You will be held responsible': Farmers' stark warning to dog owners after spate of savage sheep attacks 

Following a number of dog attacks on sheep in the Cooley Peninsula in recent weeks, Louth IFA...

Surge in spring lamb prices: 'Sheep may not be as plentiful as people think' 

SOMETIMES an afterthought can turn out to be right on the money.

Why these Midland sheep farmers are getting 20c/kg more for their lambs 

Sheep farmers in the midlands are proving that flocking together is their best defence against a tough financial outlook.

Farmer appeals for information as lambs savaged by dogs on Donegal island 

A farmer in Donegal is appealing for information in relation to a dog attack on his sheep on an island of the Donegal coast.

World record attempt will see four farmers shear up to 800 ewes in 24-hour relay 

A SHEEP event with a difference takes place in Westport, Co Mayo on Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18, when four local farmers will...

Feeding meal can help reduce weaning stress on lambs 

An All Ireland for Mayo in May! I would like to congratulate Joe Scahill on winning the Zurich Farm Insurance Farming Independent Sheep Farmer of the Year Award. This is a great achievement and I...

Lamb trade: Factories putting the squeeze on lamb quotes 

THE factories have started to squeeze prices with the news yesterday that they were either pulling their quotes for spring lamb by 30c-40c/kg or were not in a position to quote.

Lleyn sheep farmer on making a gross margin of €61 per ewe 

The Lleyn ewe is a medium sized lowland sheep weighing up to 75kg at maturity, renowned for their hardiness, prolificacy, easy lambing, strong mothering instinct, milkiness and easy handling.

Pictures and prices: Get the latest from the sheep marts as factories pull lamb price 

Due to the Bank Holiday, I am inclined to think the factory bosses may have decided to get their retaliation on price in first so to speak.

Challenges facing sheep farms are global 

Ewes and lambs are currently grazing silage aftermath in Lyons. This silage was harvested on May 11 and has shown excellent regrowth. This is a new area of ground not previously grazed by sheep.

Why wool prices are so bad at the moment 

A swift change in fashion tastes in China, one of the world's major textile buyers, is being blamed as wool prices to farmers have halved to 60c/kg.

Have ewe a sick sheep? New research shows how to tell from their face 

An artificial intelligence system designed by researchers at the University of Cambridge is able to detect pain levels in sheep, which could aid...

Lamb trade: Prices and demand still ‘solid as rock’ 

PRICES continue to be “as solid as a rock” to quote ICSA’S John Brooks.

Lamb market boost in run-up to Ramadan festival 

The lamb market witnessed a further uplift in the lead up to the Ramadan festival, which got under way at the weekend, a Bord Bia analyst said.

'Wool price of 60c a kilo is a joke - I'm not selling for that' 

I never thought I'd say it but it was great to get the rain. The six-week drought punished my silage ground to the extent that it is not as heavy a crop as I would have liked.

Breed of the future: Meet the pioneer with the Lleyn breed in Ireland 

Almost two decades ago, as a university student getting work experience on a farm in Cumbria, Simon Brown came across the Lleyn breed of...

Firefighters rescue tiny lamb stranded by wildfire 

Firefighters rescued a stricken lamb from the aftermath of a wildfire – and helped cool it down with a bottle of water.

Lamb Prices: Ramadan effect turns tables on baffled buyers 

THE ‘Ramadan effect’ on the Irish sheep trade gradually increased as last week progressed. It was most noticeable at the marts, where some spring lamb lots were pushed into what John Brooks of...

Why Irish lamb has got an unexpected boost in UK sales since Brexit 

Despite warnings over the impact of Brexit on the agri-food sector Irish lamb exports to the UK are up significantly this spring, according to latest...

Brexit on the Border: 'Hard or soft, there has been a border on this farm since 1923' 

With a deal on Brexit yet to be thrashed out, Donna Deeney hears the concerns of people in Derry and Donegal about how it could radically...

Grass is getting tight but lambs' creep gates are working a treat 

It is hard to believe that we didn't have rain of any quantity for six weeks until last weekend.

Lamb Trade: Ramadan factor boosts prices by up to €10/hd 

AS THE Ramadan festival draws closer, the effect of this major religious event at sheep marts was plain to see.

Tesco under fire for offloading spring lamb at 'unsustainably' low prices 

Tesco has come under fire from farmers for in their view undermining premium spring lamb producers by offloading spring lamb at 'unsustainably' low prices in shops. 

Spring lamb quotes jump 10c/kg as early supplies back 15pc on last year 

Spring lamb prices are being quoted at as high as €6.10/kg this week as increasing numbers of spring lambs continue come on stream.

'Electronic tagging is essential for sheepmeat exports to US' 

Meat factory bosses have claimed electronic tagging is essential to export sheepmeat into the US.

Sheep advice: Prevention key to a profitable farm 

The glorious weather has allowed me to get many jobs done on the farm, including vaccinating, dosing and spraying. These tasks can help prevent many other problems and jobs down the line.

Lamb Prices: Ramadan festival inspires revival in spring lamb prices 

IT appears that the recent downturn in factory sheep prices has been reversed with factories anxious for spring lambs.

Why creep grazing can lift lamb performance and cut weaning stresses 

Lambing is complete at Lyons farm with the last ewe lambing last week.

Lamb trade: Bank holiday puts pressure on spring lamb prices 

THE Bank Holiday feeling may have enticed many to a whirl with the family on the hurdy-gurdies at Salthill or Tramore, but the reality on a lot of sheep farms was more work, less play.

Now is the time to start dosing for nematodirus 

Lambing is over and the tidy up begins. I hate leaving the place in a mess post-lambing as I like to leave everything back in its place ready for next year as soon as possible after the last lamb drops.

Up to 2,200 sheep to be sheared by world class champs in Roscommon 

HUGE crowds are expected to turn out for the official launch of Kepak's All-Ireland and All-Nation's Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Championships at The Square, in Roscommon town this Sunday.

Little change on spring lamb prices 

THE sheep business at the start of this week could be described as stable but that does nothing to inspire confidence or meaningful profits.

Horrific find of butchered sheep carcases in woodland 

Butchered sheep carcases have been found stuffed into plastic bags in a Meath woodland.

A smooth lambing season on this 370-ewe farm in Donegal 

Lambing has progressed well on Michael Duffy's farm at Kerrykeel, 23 miles north of Letterkenny.