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Sheep BETTER Farm Update - John Joe Fitzgerald


John Joe Fitzgerald is a hill sheep farmer based in Ballyferriter on the Dingle peninsula in Co. Kerry and is a participant in the Teagasc BETTER Farm sheep programme since 2018. John Joe gives an update on his flock and how he plans to sell his male lambs this year.

John Joe’s farm has an 81Ha share of hill grazing on commonage with a further 11 ha of fenced off hill grazing and 12 ha of ‘green’ ground. He is currently lambing approximately 150 ewes but aims to increase this over the coming years. He also plans to change the breed structure of the flock and also to increase the amount of time his flocks is spending on the hill while making better use of his green ground. In this update John Joe gives as an update on his flock, plans for the flock going forward and how he plans to sell his male lambs this year.

The BETTER Farm Sheep Programme is led from Athenry by Michael Diskin and Frank Campion and has been developed in collaboration with the Sheep Specialists.

The programme objective is to establish focal points for the on-farm implementation, development and evaluation of technology that is relevant to the sheep sector. 

The programmes implemented on the collaborating farms will be used to support the wider adoption of:
Grassland management
Breeding
Production methods
in the context of an agreed plan that can enhance the sustainability of sheep enterprises.

More information on the programme is available here