Better management of replacements improves overall flock performance

Andy Ryder, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Westport, tells us that a lot of the focus and attention on sheep farms at present is on getting lambs finished or away to sales and forming up the flock for another breeding season.

This is very important, as how the ewes and rams are managed now will have a big influence on next year’s lamb crop and overall farm profitability.

The ewe lambs purchased or retained as replacements are often neglected over the winter/spring period. Their performance over this period is often poor. In the past few years, a number of farmers have changed their system from lambing ewes to purchasing ewe lambs and selling hoggets a year later. For these farmers, it is not all about keeping costs down, they need to produce a hogget that will perform for the next farmer. This way they will get repeat sales year on year. Most of these farms have a low stocking rate so come the time for selling or letting the ram out in 12 month’s time, these hoggets should have gained sufficient condition to be suitable for breeding. 

Research carried out in Teagasc Athenry (By T Keady and N McNamara) over a number of years has concluded that replacements kept on a positive weight gain over the first winter increased lamb weaning  weight each year over the five years of the trial and reduced the incidence of ewe barrenness. If farmers can keep breeding ewes in the flock for longer and increase the weaning weight of the lambs, this will help reduce replacement costs and shorten the lamb finishing period.

It might allow some hill farmers to cross breed more of their ewes or some farmers to be able to buy less replacements each year or look to buy better quality replacement sheep. A percentage of lowland farmers are able to go one step better and breed the ewe lambs in the first year through better management of the ewe lamb all the way through the first year.

Farmers breeding their own replacements can put a plan in place to improve their own situation, but farmers purchasing hoggets as replacements are relying on other farmers to improve the situation. There are farmers who specialise in producing quality hoggets for sale year in year out by:

• Purchasing/retaining ewe lambs that are suitable to be bred, the correct weight for age and animals that have good growth potential;
• Willing to give all the required vaccinations, dosing and tackling lameness in a timely manner;
• Cull any sheep that is of poor quality and not suitable to breed. There is plenty of hoggets in marts every autumn that should not be bred, as they will not improve the flock. These sheep should be picked out early and fattened up in spring when there is a good price for hoggets. Farmers keeping hoggets need to keep quality sheep if they are looking to make a margin. Hill farmers need to be willing to cull poor performing hoggets.
• Look to have replacements gain 0.3-0.35kg/week over winter, and during the second summer at least 0.6kg/week, by offering sufficient quality forage and low level of meal when required.
• Monitor body condition regularly and take action when needed.

Sheep farming is a low margin business so any yearly improvement in flock performance will increase overall profitability.