General sheep thread

Green farmer

Money no object, this is what I'd have

http://www.jennifermackenzie.co.uk/2008/03/02_bateson.html

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/pics-a-sheep-shed-designed-to-make-life-easier-during-the-lambing-season/#

Well everyone, is this sort of money to be made in sheep, or what.
I spent €35000 plus Vat on a tunnel here to house 200 ewes.
Here's 100000 spent on 160 ewes.
ICM would need to review their pricing structure

Seen that on the journal last week, couldnt believe the cost of it, it will never pay for itself, built a 60 x 90 shed here last year with concrete passage did a lot of work ourselves, didnt go for the grant it came in just over 40000, 600 sheep went through it this spring, what ever chance it has it might pay for itself!

rangler1

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Seen that on the journal last week, couldnt believe the cost of it, it will never pay for itself, built a 60 x 90 shed here last year with concrete passage did a lot of work ourselves, didnt go for the grant it came in just over 40000, 600 sheep went through it this spring, what ever chance it has it might pay for itself!

Had these guys here for the afternoon on wednesday afternoon and apart from leaving us feeling that Irish farming is in the dark ages, it was most interesting.
Bord bia directed them here as an example of irish sheep farming.
They have 300 sucklers and 1500+ ewes and everything is out wintered and lambed outdoors.
If this is what we're competing with, from what I could make out their lamb price is 75% of ours

http://www.whenuanuifarm.nz/about-us/kidd-family/
Their sheep production and marketing
http://www.whenuanuifarm.nz/whats-happening-whenuanui/new-zeland-lamb/

Username John

tomwaterford wrote: »

But then store prices have been very high and I always suspected leaving poor margins...Maybe 85 euro for a store and struggle get over 105 for fully finished lamb....deosnt leave much for mistakes/few deaths would quickly kill your margins?

Paying 85euro for stores couldnt pay, could it?

Add in mart fees, transport, maybe 2 doses - you'd be close to 95 in no time... If you lose one, it would take a lot more to pay for em the profit would be so low...

And this doesn't say anything about your own time...

I know from looking at me own numbers, and I didnt pay 85 for em either...

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

Had these guys here for the afternoon on wednesday afternoon and apart from leaving us feeling that Irish farming is in the dark ages, it was most interesting.
Bord bia directed them here as an example of irish sheep farming.
They have 300 sucklers and 1500+ ewes and everything is out wintered and lambed outdoors.
If this is what we're competing with, from what I could make out their lamb price is 75% of ours

http://www.whenuanuifarm.nz/about-us/kidd-family/

Jesus i dont think theres much hope competing with that when the government are giving huge grants to farmers building massive sheds like that for 160 ewes, the uk isnt far behind nz on scale either, i lambed on a farm in the scottish borders a right few years ago, he had 4500 ewes was crossing all his mule ewes to easycare rams, turning everything out to grass to lamb middle ofapril, only 4 of us there for lambing and 2 for the rest of the year, it opened my mind big time

rangler1

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Jesus i dont think theres much hope competing with that when the government are giving huge grants to farmers building massive sheds like that for 160 ewes, the uk isnt far behind nz on scale either, i lambed on a farm in the scottish borders a right few years ago, he had 4500 ewes was crossing all his mule ewes to easycare rams, turning everything out to grass to lamb middle ofapril, only 4 of us there for lambing and 2 for the rest of the year, it opened my mind big time

Kidds are stocking at 14lu/ha, Scotland would be very extensive wouldn't it, at least it looks extensive driving through it

ganmo

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Jesus i dont think theres much hope competing with that when the government are giving huge grants to farmers building massive sheds like that for 160 ewes, the uk isnt far behind nz on scale either, i lambed on a farm in the scottish borders a right few years ago, he had 4500 ewes was crossing all his mule ewes to easycare rams, turning everything out to grass to lamb middle ofapril, only 4 of us there for lambing and 2 for the rest of the year, it opened my mind big time

flocks of 200 are considered small scale in the uk

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

Kidds are stocking at 14lu/ha, Scotland would be very extensive wouldn't it, at least it looks extensive driving through it

Wow thats fair going, yea it was massive area had almost 2000 acres, bike ramps at most field gates aswel to save opening the gate it was an experience! Im looking forward to the grassland walk this year, think he operates at a very high stocking rate

rangler1

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Wow thats fair going, yea it was massive area had almost 2000 acres, bike ramps at most field gates aswel to save opening the gate it was an experience! Im looking forward to the grassland walk this year, think he operates at a very high stocking rate

Yea, he lives near here, also in our discussion group and so is the guy that scans over 2.7....they keep us on our toes
Obviously made a mistake in that stocking rate in previous post....stock units must mean something different in NZ

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

Yea, he lives near here, also in our discussion group and so is the guy that scans over 2.7....they keep us on our toes

Jesus yous must have very good group meetings, i know david in mullingar very good adviser, were not a million miles away over near oldcastle here

rangler1

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Jesus yous must have very good group meetings, i know david in mullingar very good adviser, were not a million miles away over near oldcastle here

Yea, we're lucky to have such a good sheep adviser......are you near that big sheep farm that's converting to dairy ......or is it yours

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

Yea, we're lucky to have such a good sheep adviser......are you near that big sheep farm that's converting to dairy ......or is it yours

Definitly, eddie egan is our man, find him very good, Thats just next door to us, james is staying in sheep but his brother is gone into dairying in partnership with a big well known dairy farmer theyre milking away now around 250 cows

rangler1

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Definitly, eddie egan is our man, find him very good, Thats just next door to us, james is staying in sheep but his brother is gone into dairying in partnership with a big well known dairy farmer theyre milking away now around 250 cows

Probably know you so, at least know your father, Were you at the grassland conference on our farm in Tyrellspass

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

Probably know you so, at least know your father, Were you at the grassland conference on our farm in Tyrellspass

Id say you know my father anyway, no i missed it unfortunately, so hopefully get to this one this year, need a day out after the lambing!

charolais0153

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Id say you know my father anyway, no i missed it unfortunately, so hopefully get to this one this year, need a day out after the lambing!

Its like guess who in here:D

rangler1

charolais0153 wrote: »

Its like guess who in here:D

The farm walk at this years IGA sheep conference is a very high stocking rate on not great land and not great facilities.
People won't go home from this one saying it's alright for him with his good land and great facilities

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

The farm walk at this years IGA sheep conference is a very high stocking rate on not great land and not great facilities.
People won't go home from this one saying it's alright for him with his good land and great facilities

Thats what i want to see, its hard to take home what they do in athenry as they have all split into tiny paddocks and fresh reseeds everywhere, although i went to a store lamb finishing event there last backend and couldnt believe all the lame lambs they had in a shed, they didnt include it as part of the tour

charolais0153

rangler1 wrote: »

The farm walk at this years IGA sheep conference is a very high stocking rate on not great land and not great facilities.
People won't go home from this one saying it's alright for him with his good land and great facilities

Where is it? Is he doing what we shouldn't be doing with regards high stocking rates tho:)
Edit to say I'll have school on the eleventh but might take it off

rangler1

charolais0153 wrote: »

Where is it? Is he doing what we shouldn't be doing with regards high stocking rates tho:)

Near mullingar,
Whatever about high stocking rates, lamb thrive is down to proper grassland management if you're in an all sheep situation. The host farm seems to be able to move his lambs to factory quicker than I am,

Buford T. Justice XIX

rangler1 wrote: »

The farm walk at this years IGA sheep conference is a very high stocking rate on not great land and not great facilities.
People won't go home from this one saying it's alright for him with his good land and great facilities

Is there a date fixed for that yet, rangler?

rangler1

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Is there a date fixed for that yet, rangler?

http://www.irishgrassland.com/Events-and-Reviews/post-detail.asp?postId=4776

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

Near mullingar,
Whatever about high stocking rates, lamb thrive is down to proper grassland management if you're in an all sheep situation. The host farm seems to be able to move his lambs to factory quicker than I am,

Definitely, we dropped rented land 2 years ago and increased stocking rate to 11 ewes per ha and lamb thrive has improved as grass is kept tighter throughout the summer, just feel we could run a higher stocking rate if more divisions were created, its on 11th may, went to isaac crillys in tyrone before, he has 500 ewes on 70 acres, a very productive farm!

rangler1

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Thats what i want to see, its hard to take home what they do in athenry as they have all split into tiny paddocks and fresh reseeds everywhere, although i went to a store lamb finishing event there last backend and couldnt believe all the lame lambs they had in a shed, they didnt include it as part of the tour

,

Yea, saw those, I was disappointed at kiernans sheep seminar when the teagasc guy told all lambs were sold off grass.
However Philip creighton or Ciaran lynch would say it as it is, it kept my sanity last year when I'd get their reports and they were getting the same poor performance as i was.

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

,

Yea, saw those, I was disappointed at kiernans sheep seminar when the teagasc guy told all lambs were sold off grass.
However Philip creighton or Ciaran lynch would say it as it is, it kept my sanity last year when I'd get their reports and they were getting the same poor performance as i was.

Yea they have been at that craic before, thats true, ciaran lynch is a sound fella, same here hopefully get lambs away easier this year

kk.man

If ye are not getting lambs away without meal...when do ye start introducing it?

rangler1

kk.man wrote: »

If ye are not getting lambs away without meal...when do ye start introducing it?

Would usually get 75% away without meal and would start meal to the rest from september on.
Lambs under 35kg wouldn't get meal until november

Hagimalone

Had a ewe, lamb friday, twin lambs, birth was ok, she was had a sore foot which I gave a quick trim on thursday, was eating before hand but not eating now, gave betamox la once and glucose daily, any suggestions? She seems in good enough form, standing etc, should I take one or both lambs away or just leave and give them a bottle to keep them going.

rangler1

Hagimalone wrote: »

Had a ewe, lamb friday, twin lambs, birth was ok, she was had a sore foot which I gave a quick trim on thursday, was eating before hand but not eating now, gave betamox la once and glucose daily, any suggestions? She seems in good enough form, standing etc, should I take one or both lambs away or just leave and give them a bottle to keep them going.

Is she eating grass or ivy, I'd supplement them with milk if they took it, they sometimes won't take it while they're sucking ewes milk even if they're hungry

Hagimalone

Not eating grass ivy nuts, would it be worth giving noroclav or will I give betamox again, seen as what I gave her is la, shouldn't that do 3 days, is it any harm to give again?

rangler1

Hagimalone wrote: »

Not eating grass ivy nuts, would it be worth giving noroclav or will I give betamox again, seen as what I gave her is la, shouldn't that do 3 days, is it any harm to give again?

Not eating ivy is a baad sign, familiar story here, trim a ewes foot and she lambs within 24 hrs with the result that if a ewe gets lame in her last month of pregnancy she only gets an injection.
Keep going with the electrolytes anyway.
If it was my ewe I wouldn't go with another antibiotic, I'd bring her to the vet.
She could need calcium, could be anything
When did she get the first injection and was she in a pen with others before lambing or outdoors