Poor weather also complicating sheep farming

IT’S now early April and the weather continues to cause problems on most farms. Grass growth is significantly behind what is usual for this time of year. Even following an improvement in the weather it will take some time for grass covers to recover to an acceptable level on most farms.

For ewes with lambs at foot if there is insufficient grass (less than 4.5cm) during early lactation milk yield will be reduced and there is little option but to supplement the ewe with concentrates.

While ewes will be reasonably well fed when grass covers are over 3.5 cm, it is important not to have ewes grazing down to this level for a long period without supplementation. Ewes will not be adequately fed and will lose condition quickly. Milk yield will also drop off and lamb performance will suffer. Performance of both ewes and lambs can develop into a spiral of decline in this situation.

Apply fertiliser: Where no fertiliser has been applied, every effort should be made to apply nitrogen at the first available opportunity when weather and ground conditions allow you to travel on land.

The nitrogen applied will then be available to boost grass growth once soil temperatures increase. This will help rectify the situation once grass growth recovers.

Where fertilizer is not applied recovery of grass growth will be delayed by a further number of weeks. The fertiliser should be purchased in advance and be available in the yard for when it is needed. Apply at the rate of 29kg N per hectare (23 units per acre) for lowly stocked farms (6-7 ewes/ha), gradually increasing for higher stocking rates to double this when stocking rate is greater than 10 ewes per hectare. If your soil is deficient in P and K, consider using a compound fertiliser such as 1-1.5 bags/acre of 18:6:12 for lowly stocked farms and increasing up to 2.5 bags on highly stocked farms.

Assess Current Fodder Stocks: Most sheep farms also have cattle. When budgeting feed on the farm, all livestock should be included in the budget. Farmers are encouraged to use hay/straw/ concentrate feeds to stretch silage over the coming weeks.

While concentrate rations are expensive, they can replace silage as the main diet for ewes in late pregnancy and early lactation. However care must be taken when feeding high levels of meals to avoid digestive issues such as acidosis. Adequate trough space must be provided as well as a constant supply of clean water where ewes are housed.

Feeding 2-3 kg of meals to cattle will save 30-40% on silage demand from the cattle but access to the silage must be restricted for this to work. If offering restricted silage to cattle, it is critical that all cattle in a pen can eat at the same time therefore adequate space must be provided to permit this. While waiting for the grass supply to recover on farms where there is a shortage of fodder, feeding additional concentrates is necessary. If cash flow is tight, farmers should talk to the bank, adviser or merchant to assess the credit options. Another possibility is to consider selling suitable animals now where it makes economic sense to do so.

ABOVE:At the Gortalea Mart on Tuesday were Darren O’Sullivan,Pat McGillicuddy and Mike O’Sullivan.