Teagasc Sheep Open Day
Join us in Athenry on Saturday, 18 June and take the opportunity to review the latest research and technical advice from the Teagasc Sheep programme and its practical application at farm level.
On the day there will be a mix of technical presentations and interactive workshops dealing with all the main areas important to Irish sheep production. The open day is free to attend and all sheep farmers and those involved in the sector are welcome.
Main Technical Stands
The main technical stands will cover the following topics:
Sustainable Systems
The role of white clover swards and other companion forages to enhance animal performance and deal with the economic and environmental challenges facing the sector
Breeding for longevity
Get up to date information on maternal genetic index selection and validation work for sheep and how replacement strategies and management can impact ewe longevity and output
The parasite challenge
The ever-increasing anthelmintic resistance issue facing the industry will be covered and the key actions farmers can take to slow the development of resistance.
Hill Sheep
The results of the ongoing hill lamb finishing studies will be discussed, as well as updates from the Teagasc sheep BETTER farm programme.
There will also be an opportunity to review the wider research programme and meet with researchers, students and technical staff who will present more detail on the individual projects ongoing in Athenry.
Workshops & Demonstrations
A series of workshops and demonstrations will deal with topical issues relating to each of the main areas of:
Grass and Forage
- Clover incorporation and grassland management to maximise growth
- Fertiliser and silage budgets and costs
Breeding
- Value of commercial recording
- How to use the breeding indexes
Health
- How to reduce anthelmintic resistance development on your farm
- Understanding the role of Faecal egg counts and how to incorporate into management plans
Production systems
- Lamb finishing options
- Meet with Sheep BETTER farm participants and hear how they have put research into practice on their farms