Sheep farm performance is the key for new initiative

TEAGASC has teamed up with the Farming Independent and Ir i s h Countr y Meats to deliver a monthly article that will highlight the benefits of technology adoption and factory feedback for sheep enterprises.

The initiative will focus on the performance of two farmers, Seán Conway and Michael Duffy, who farm in Sligo and Donegal respectively.

Both men are Teagasc clients and members of producer groups who currently supply Irish Country Meats in Navan.

The programme is being co-ordinated by Teagasc’s Sligo/Leitrim/Donegal Regional Management Unit under regional manager Ben Wilkinson and by ICM’s James Smyth.

The articles will be written by Teagasc advisors Tom Coll and John J Cannon.

The articles will follow the 2014 sheep enterprise production year and highlight the benefits of technolog y adoption and factory feedback on both farms.

Lambs will be electronically tagged and data collected in relation to lamb growth rates and slaughter. This information will be summarised at various stages throughout the year.

Both Seán and Michael will be using electronic tag readers and computer software linked to slaughter data from Irish Country Meats and will have digital weighing facilities on their farms.

The aim is to increase the information on slaughter data, especially on health issues such as liver damage due to fluke which can be passed from factory to farmer, and to show t he fi nancial benefits of slaughtering lambs within the market specifications.