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Virtual Sheep Week

Day 3 Hill Sheep and Store Lambs

On Wednesday the focus was on hill sheep and store lambs. If you missed anything on the day the webinar, publications and videos are all available below

Live@Athenry at 7pm

The panel discussion was led by Michael Diskin, Teagasc Sheep Enterprise Leader with panellists:

  • Frank Campion, Teagasc
  • John Cannon, Teagasc
  • Brendan Joyce, hill sheep farmer, and chairperson of Atlantic Hill Lamb Producer Group and
  • Patrick Dunne, BETTER Farm Sheep Farmer

Virtual Sheep Week Day 3 speakers

The session showcased some of the recent and current Teagasc research on hill sheep. 

Frank Campion discussed the results from Athenry on finishing hill and crossbred lambs.

John Cannon, Adviser, Letterkenny Co. Donegal discussed options for improving the efficiency of hill sheep systems including crossbreeding.

Brendan Joyce, Recess, Connemara Co. Galway and chair of the Atlantic Hill Lamb group, discussed how the Atlantic Hill Lamb Group, working closely with the meat industry group, has developed a market for light finished hill lambs and market specification for producing these light lambs.

Patrick Dunne farms in the Wicklow Mountains discussed his farming system and how it has changed over the past number of years.  Originally he had a Cheviot ewe hill flock that were run essentially as a lowland system to his current ewe flock split between a lowland and hill system. The change in system has allowed him to increase overall numbers and generate a higher output lowland flock. This change in system has come about by reducing costs in hill system, increasing the time hill ewes spend on the hill and a strict culling and selection procedure to select a more suitable ewe for the flock.

 

Hill Sheep and Store Lamb Videos

  • Hill Flock Management with BETTER sheep farmer David McLaughlin

    David McLaughlin, Hill Sheep farmer from, Co. Donegal is a participant in the Teagasc BETTER farm sheep programme. David and his Teagasc advisor John Cannon cover David's hill flock will be managed between now and lambing along with what David's plans are for store lambs this autumn.

  • Quad Safety on the hill with David McLaughlin

    David McLaughlin talks about safety when using his quad. His advice - keep your eye on the ground, not on the sheep. He stresses the importance of moving bodyweight to maintain stability, using 4 wheel drive on hills, good tyres & suspensions diff locks and only going to the hill in daylight

  • Messages to date from light lamb finishing studies in Teagasc Athenry

    Teagasc research shows there is potential to finish lighter lambs. This offers an outlet to hill sheep farmers to finish their own lambs on farm early in the year if store lamb prices are comparatively low. Frank Campion goes through the recent research taking place at Teagasc Athenry.

  • Sell or Finish Store Lambs

    Should sheep farmers sell or finish their store lambs? Teagasc advisor John Cannon spoke to us from Michael Duffy's hill sheep farm in Donegal about the factors that determine whether farmers sell their lambs or keep them

  • Research Update on the study evaluating forages for finishing hill bred store lambs

    A research project in Teagasc Athenry is comparing the performance of hill bred store lambs on a concentrate diet versus forage fed. Researcher Frank Campion gives information on the project

  • Changes to my hill farming system

    Co Wicklow sheep farmer Patrick Dunne outlines the changes he made to his farming system and how these changes have impacted the farm output and profit. Patrick has both hill and lowland flocks

  • Store lamb finishing enterprise

    Michael Duffy farms in north county Donegal. In this video clip he gives details of his store lamb enterprise.

  • Developing a market for light hill lambs - The Atlantic Hill Brand

    Brendan Joyce is a hill sheep farmer in Connemara. He is also chair of the Atlantic Hill Lamb group. Here he outlines how the Atlantic Hill Lamb Group, working closely with the meat industry group, has developed a market for light finished hill lambs & market specification for producing these lambs

 

Publications