Looking back on Teagasc Sheep Open Day and Booklet 2022

The Teagasc Sheep Open Day took place on Saturday 18th June in Athenry, where the latest sheep research and advice was shared. If you missed this informative day for sheep farmers, you can look back on the videos of the four main stand presentations and download the Sheep Open Day Booklet 2022 here

Sheep Open Day Booklet 2022

This booklet collates and summarises a significant body of knowledge on technical issues relating to sheep production and should prove a valuable reference for sheep producers.

Download Sheep Open Day Booklet 2022 here (PDF)

The booklet has sections with wide ranging information on the following: 

• Sustainable Systems 
• Genetics and Breeding 
• Flock Health
• Hill Sheep
• Economics and Outlook
• Environment
• Upland EIP Projects
• Forestry
• Health and safety 

If you couldn't attend the Teagasc Sheep Open Day, you can watch the four main stands below:

Sustainable Sheep Systems

Sustainability is a term we hear quite frequently and can be defined as the ability to maintain at a certain rate or level thus upholding the balance of resources. There are three main dimensions to sustainability namely: environmental, economic and social. Philip Creighton, Sheep Enterprise Leader & Grassland Systems researcher and Fiona McGovern, Sheep Researcher provide more information in the clip below.

Combating Anthelmintic Resistance in Sheep

Grazing sheep are continually exposed to gastrointestinal nematodes (stomach worms). Good control of these worms is critical in Ireland’s grass-based production system. In the below clip, Michael Gottstein, Head of Sheep Programme, Teagasc outlines the steps farmers can take to reduce the development of anthelmintic resistant parasites on their farms.

Animal Breeding

Genetics involves the passing of genes, both favourable and unfavourable, from one generation to the next. While an animal’s environment or management can change throughout its lifetime, the genetics of an animal remains the same and are fundamental to the performance potential of the animal. In this clip below, Noirin McHugh & Tim Keady look at animal breeding from a genetic and management point of view.

Better Farm Hill Sheep Programme and Hill Lamb Finishing

The Teagasc hill sheep research programme is focused around a network of 7 BETTER hill sheep flocks along with the continuing work into developing systems and blueprints for finishing hill bred lambs post-weaning. Frank Campion, Teagasc Sheep Researcher provides more information about the Teagasc BETTER Farm Hill Sheep Programme in the below clip.