Stay Awake Counting Sheep

Eamonn Patten, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Ballinrobe

With the dark evenings and most of 2024’s heavy farm work nearing completion, farmers will be reviewing their own farm figures alongside national data for comparison and planning ahead. The focus will be on

• Financial (income) returns / tax returns.
• Figures for submission to Department of agriculture on sheep census and sheep scheme requirements.
• Environmental aspect on the sheep numbers carried on farm which is sometimes forgotten about.

Income Returns

Farmers will not complain with the rising sheep prices with overall prices up by about 15% on the 2023 level due to tighter EU supplies. However, output volume per hectare is estimated to have declined by 10% in 2024 due to lower ewe numbers and weaning rates. Despite this, with lower production costs and increased coupled direct payments, margins and income for sheep farms have increased in 2024.

The average income on a sheep farm is estimated to be approximately €15,000, an increase of 19% on the relatively low-income level of 2023 (Teagasc estimates). According to Department of Agriculture census figures, the average flock size in 2023 was 108, slightly down from 113 in 2022.  Notably, 69% of flocks were smaller than the national average and there is increasing concerns for viability of some hill sheep farms.

Sheep Schemes

Currently the default annual sheep numbers for a farm are based on the sheep census return each year.  We also have the two main payment schemes namely the Sheep Improvement Scheme and the Nation Sheep Welfare Scheme.  Both schemes have their own reference number but depend on data from the sheep census. Payment is determined by the reference number or the census number of breeding ewes and the completion of the required actions each year. It is important to note that payments are based on breeding ewe numbers as declared on the sheep census and no other categories of sheep.

Environment

Cattle farmers have an ongoing track of stock numbers and stocking rate for nitrate regulations on the AIMS database.  However, sheep farm calculations are based on the single annual sheep census return. While this is usually accurate, discrepancies can occur, especially on mixed stock farms and on farms that have a big variation in sheep numbers throughout the year. On these farms there needs to be an awareness that the sheep figures are not being counted for nitrates until year-end with the annual census return.  This will be even more important in future with increased monitoring of fertiliser usage and different allowances based on different stocking rates. See table to see how sheep are counted for nitrate purposes.  A more accurate figure can be calculated by taking an average from a number of sheep counts during the year with a computation often based on taking a count each quarter of the year.

On extensive and mountain grazing, the issue that can arise is meeting the minimum stocking requirement of 0.1 livestock unit per hectare, with each female or male sheep counting as 0.1LU. This minimum stocking rate requirement may be adjusted based on environmental conditions specified under a plan such as in ACRES or NPWS.

When out-wintering sheep, which is a much lighter animal on the ground than cattle, it is essential to be mindful of the maximum out wintering stocking level allowed of 130kg/Ha on sheep farms or 85kg/ha on a mixed stock farm if confining and feeding in an area. From the start of 2025 on sheep only farms this maximum out-wintering rate is to reduce to 100kg/ha which may impact on a lot of farms especially at lambing time if strictly implemented.

So be aware of the importance of how animals are counted with the old expression ‘It’s a Numbers Game’ with which you may or may not agree!