Battling through the lambing season while coping with a Covid bereavement
Michael Duffy lost his 85-year-old father Willie to the virus while the lambing season was in full swing
Much has happened in the six months since my last report from Michael Duffy’s farm in Kerrykeel, Co Donegal.
At that stage weather issues and farming activity were the main concerns for Michael and his family. That all changed when Michael’s father Willie (pictured) was taken from the family by Covid-19 on April 3.
This was a major shock to the Duffys and the local community in the Fanad Peninsula, where Willie was well known and popular.
On my own behalf and on behalf of the Farming Independent, may I offer sincere condolences to Michael and the extended Duffy family.
Although 85 years of age, Willie was still playing an active role on the family farm until he contracted Covid-19.
In the days before his illness he could be found in the lambing shed keeping an eye on progress.
At other times in the past I often found him powerhosing, topping, repairing machinery and tools or running errands to the local merchant stores.
When I became aware of Willie’s illness in mid-March, lambing was in full swing on the Duffy farm.
Covid-19 was not initially suspected, but a test following admission to hospital proved positive. Everything changed from then on: social isolation was strictly adhered to and the farm was closed off to all visitors.
On the farm, lamb mortality increased and issues such as watery mouth and scours were more acute than normal.
It must have been a horrendous experience as lambing is a very demanding time anyway.
Willie’s condition deteriorated suddenly and he passed away on April 3.
The family then had to face having a funeral service without the normal wake.
Flock update
Lambing began on March 10 and by March 31 there were approximately 250 ewes lambed. The heavy rainfall began to ease off about midMarch, but I recall Michael telling me one day in late March that he had about 40 ewes and lambs out to grass with 110 lambed ewes still in.
At that stage, Michael noted that the fields were still very wet but he was holding off grazing his heavier covers until there was some improvement. Lambing was proceeding quite well with just the normal associated issues. The ground was still too wet to spread nitrogen, but Michael was relatively upbeat, saying that he could get ewes and lambs out and feed ewes on grass if necessary.
When ground conditions did improve, Michael was unable to leave the lambing shed so nitrogen application got delayed which left grass supplies tight during April.
This was compounded by cold winds from the north and east that kept soil temperatures low and curtailed grass growth in Donegal during late March, April and the first half of May.
We also had little or no rain for seven to eight weeks from mid-March resulting in the onset of drought conditions.
Ewe feeding and management
Michael fed all his ewes post lambing until the grass supply improved.
He also creep-fed about 180 lambs from turnout to avoid having too many lambs in September.
He explains: “I weaned 702 lambs during the last week in June from 822 at scanning (from 316 ewes and 129 ewe lambs mated).”
This shows a mortality of 14.6pc from scanning, which is very acceptable given the spring that he had it is only slightly above the average UK Eblex figures.
It also results in a weaning rate of 1.58 lambs per ewe/ ewe lamb mated, which is well above the national average of 1.3.
Michael adds: “I have 172 lambs sold to date and have 125 on creep feeding at grass, 120 ewe lambs selected as replacements, about 30 pet lambs and the remaining 255 on grass only.”
Michael is very happy with weaning weights this year.
“I think my average weaning weight is probably about 3kg up on last year. It is also noticeable that I have very few lambs below 25kg well below 10pc.”
Silage and grazing
Michael cut 18 acres of pit silage on Thursday, June 4. He has another 11 acres for silage as bales and will be due for cutting around July 21.
“I had adequate grass from mid-May because the dry weather suited a block of 45 acres of heavy ground that I have,” he says. “I applied no nitrogen on grazing since then, but I can see grass supply tightening now and it is beginning to lose quality due to a lack of nitrogen”.
Next up
Michael is focused on getting the thinner ewes back to a body condition score of 3.5 for mating. He has no plans to increase sheep numbers because of the increased labour demand it would require.
He will try to maintain lamb performance and get as many lambs as possible sold over the next few weeks as the lamb price is currently above previous years for this time of year.
He soil-sampled the farm in January and will focus on building up soil P levels to an Index of 3 over the coming years. This will help improve grass growth in the early spring.
Social isolation was strictly adhered to and the farm was closed off to all visitors