General sheep thread

wrangler · 29-10-2019 7:31pm

Young95 wrote: »

I have my own bps to put on it plus young farmer top up so I’d be hoping that the ewes could cover the rent and I’d keep all my bps payments but look I’m only guessing I’d probably fix the ph and p an k levels but no reseeding!!

At three ewes/acre your costs /ewe should be low and the worm challenge low too. lambs won't thrive on poor quality grass so good idea to build fertility, they won't thrive on weeds.
You should achieve that stocking rate with minimum nitrogen..... maybe a small bit early in the season and late in the season

Buford T. Justice XIX · 29-10-2019 8:07pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Is it fenced? Or adjoining your own place? Have you stock to put on it or would you have to breed/buy more?

Back of a fag-box figures: if stocking rate is 4 ewes/acre and you sell 1.5 lambs per ewe you'll have 6 lambs (95 euro avg) or 570 euro per acre output before costs.

What are your current costs per ewe? Will they rise if you have to stock/fence the new ground?

Best of luck either way but outlook for lamb/beef is not great

I wouldn't be too sure of that, Siamsa. The near disappearance of pork from China is starting to suck in pork from Europe and a lot of offal being exported there too along with some of the cheaper cuts from here as well.

I think the short term outlook might be a bit better than stable, tbh.

Green farmer · 29-10-2019 8:23pm

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I wouldn't be too sure of that, Siamsa. The near disappearance of pork from China is starting to suck in pork from Europe and a lot of offal being exported there too along with some of the cheaper cuts from here as well.

I think the short term outlook might be a bit better than stable, tbh.

The future should be bright, having faith that factories will pass on a fair share of it is another thing. Our government ie creed and co, aren't exactly inspiring confidence either. More like asleep at the wheel, comes to mind.

Dinzee Conlee · 29-10-2019 8:49pm

Young95 wrote: »

Joining are land and is all fenced but the fields are big ! Breeding own replacements and be currently stocked At two ewes to the acre but will go up to three an acre . Are cost of production is low I’d say about 50 euro a head but now 100% sure

Work out how much exactly your ewes are costing you currently...
Once you have it, you can base all other numbers from...

Asking for people’s opinions on here will give you opinions, but it’s you’ll be on the hook for the rent, not anyone on here...

razor8 · 29-10-2019 9:14pm

Young95 wrote: »

I have my own bps to put on it plus young farmer top up so I’d be hoping that the ewes could cover the rent and I’d keep all my bps payments but look I’m only guessing I’d probably fix the ph and p an k levels but no reseeding!!

How do you plan to put your own bps on it? Are you dropping land from somewhere else?

Young95 · 29-10-2019 10:00pm

razor8 wrote: »

How do you plan to put your own bps on it? Are you dropping land from somewhere else?

Yup selling an outblock and transferring entitlements over and either will lease or buy entitlements to make up for the few hectares left that my own bps won’t cover .

Green farmer · 29-10-2019 10:08pm

Unrelated question, but just say you sell land and don’t have anywhere to place your entitlements, can you hold them inactive for a few years until you’ve a new home for them ?

Young95 · 29-10-2019 10:11pm

Green farmer wrote: »

Unrelated question, but just say you sell land and don’t have anywhere to place your entitlements, can you hold them inactive for a few years until you’ve a new home for them ?

No you have to either use them yourself or lease them or sell them .

Siamsa Sessions · 29-10-2019 10:17pm

Young95 wrote: »

No you have to either use them yourself or lease them or sell them .

I think you can hold them for one year (and not get paid) but that’s it then - you have to do something with them the second year or they go into the national reserve

Lano Lynn · 30-10-2019 9:15pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Is it fenced? Or adjoining your own place? Have you stock to put on it or would you have to breed/buy more?

Back of a fag-box figures: if stocking rate is 4 ewes/acre and you sell 1.5 lambs per ewe you'll have 6 lambs (95 euro avg) or 570 euro per acre output before costs.

What are your current costs per ewe? Will they rise if you have to stock/fence the new ground?

Best of luck either way but outlook for lamb/beef is not great

Q....whats the difference between renting land for cattle and sheep
A.....cattle men take fencing for granted:D

landlords still expect London for land that is inadequately fenced and services like loading , water, power etc.

if the land is right beside you it is worth serious consideration I see a lot of farmers spending a lot of time, fuel and rubber spinning around to rented land miles from their base. a total stupid waste of time and resources.

Lambman · 30-10-2019 9:50pm

How's tupping going for everyone? Started poorly here and still going poorly rams will be out 4 weeks this Saturday currently less than 3/4 tipped and some off those have already repeated. Only thing is can think off done different till any other year is they weren't really flushed as I'd grass everywhere so they were always on good grass.

thelegend1979 · 30-10-2019 10:28pm

Rams out a week here. 67 out of 129 raddled. All ewes should be cycling every 14-17 days at this stage i would think.

DJ98 · 31-10-2019 11:58am

Anyone started to feed ewes yet, grass is disappearing here, feeding one group oats at the moment and thinking of putting hay out with another

Young95 · 31-10-2019 12:07pm

DJ98 wrote: »

Anyone started to feed ewes yet, grass is disappearing here, feeding one group oats at the moment and thinking of putting hay out with another

When are they due to lamb tho ? Seriously expensive ewes to keep if there march lambers !

DJ98 · 31-10-2019 12:09pm

Young95 wrote: »

When are they due to lamb tho ? Seriously expensive ewes to keep if there march lambers !

Lambing March, rams still with them

razor8 · 31-10-2019 1:19pm

Lambman wrote: »

How's tupping going for everyone? Started poorly here and still going poorly rams will be out 4 weeks this Saturday currently less than 3/4 tipped and some off those have already repeated. Only thing is can think off done different till any other year is they weren't really flushed as I'd grass everywhere so they were always on good grass.

62% tipped now after 11 days including ewe lambs. happy enough with that

ganmo · 31-10-2019 1:35pm

DJ98 wrote: »

Anyone started to feed ewes yet, grass is disappearing here, feeding one group oats at the moment and thinking of putting hay out with another

what kind of condition are they in?
I'd only be feeding the few that are thin this time of year

wrangler · 31-10-2019 1:47pm

ganmo wrote: »

what kind of condition are they in?
I'd only be feeding the few that are thin this time of year

I've about a fortnights grass and then will be feeding or putting them in I think,
I'm overstocked but sure it's only a hobby now
Last of the lambs went today, at least they're not still around

Sami23 · 31-10-2019 1:49pm

wrangler wrote: »

I've about a fortnights grass and then will be feeding or putting them in I think,
I'm overstocked but sure it's only a hobby now
Last of the lambs went today, at least they're not still around

What price are lambs this week. I heard they might be up a little?

wrangler · 31-10-2019 1:57pm

Sami23 wrote: »

What price are lambs this week. I heard they might be up a little?

Quotes are the same on IFJ as last week, our price is based on those quotes,
so no increase, don't know what flat price is available.

Green farmer · 31-10-2019 2:45pm

Sami23 wrote: »

What price are lambs this week. I heard they might be up a little?

Took the flat €4.55 inc qa that’s on offer to everyone in Kildare yesterday. Not great, but hopefully do better next time.

memorystick · 31-10-2019 2:52pm

Is it important that bought in store lambs get the second shot of Heptavac P? Can’t get the fûçkers in.

Dinzee Conlee · 31-10-2019 4:09pm

memorystick wrote: »

Is it important that bought in store lambs get the second shot of Heptavac P? Can’t get the fûçkers in.

Are you keeping them for breeding, or selling them fat?

If selling fat, and you cant get them in, you cant get them in... Not much you can do... If it was me, I'd chance em as they are, in a 'well fcuk-ye-so' kinda approach

Box09 · 31-10-2019 4:10pm

€4.60 in ICM all in yesterday.

orm0nd · 31-10-2019 5:58pm

Sami23 wrote: »

What price are lambs this week. I heard they might be up a little?

local mart trade better than factory quotes this week with farmers pushing the agents for heavier store/ lighter factory lambs

have a mixed bunch for factory Monday, ewes. ram lambs, and a couple ewe lambs culled from the breeding bunch

loads of grass here and going to be a struggle to have places cleaned off before housing

have dung spread and fields closed off for the first batch of lambers, and be closing more in rotation

rams off with ewe lambs since yesterday & gave a fluke dose to the ewes on the out farm

that's the happenings here & hopefully a few lazy weeks now before the cicle starts again

wrangler · 31-10-2019 11:10pm

memorystick wrote: »

Is it important that bought in store lambs get the second shot of Heptavac P? Can’t get the fûçkers in.

Immunity doesn't last very long if they don't get the booster,Are they going to be on the farm long, they're more prone to clostridial in the winter too
Can you not borrow a dog somewhere

You'll see on this graph that you get the immunity increased tenfold with the second jab.
The antibody level is in yellow

https://www.msd-animal-health.ie/Binaries/Clostridia%20pasteurella%20protection%20graph_tcm102-114939.jpg

Green farmer · 31-10-2019 11:36pm

Some get away without vaccinating and never have any issues. Then one year you could get caught out and loose loads. Last year being an example, where the drought knocked the stuffing out of lambs, and the clostridial diseases picked them off easily in the autumn. Frosty weather seems to bring it on as well. Just takes them in the middle of the night. Even near factory fit lambs.

memorystick · 01-11-2019 12:37am

Gave them their first dose 4 weeks ago. Going to give them a pinch of meal to train them to come in. Hopefully next weekend. I’d be fierce unlucky. If I fell into a barrel of tits, I’d come out sucking me thumb.

Lambman · 01-11-2019 2:51pm

Know a man not far from me that seen tapeworm hanging from a lamb and decided till fecal sample and the lambs were still showing traces off both nemarodirus and coccidiosis aswell and rumen and something else these are early March born lambs when do sheep become immune till the first 2 mentioned?

wrangler · 01-11-2019 3:19pm

Lambman wrote: »

Know a man not far from me that seen tapeworm hanging from a lamb and decided till fecal sample and the lambs were still showing traces off both nemarodirus and coccidiosis aswell and rumen and something else these are early March born lambs when do sheep become immune till the first 2 mentioned?

Should be immune at this stage,
if their dosing has been neglected they might be shook, I'd be dosing them anyway, I think only the yellow dose does tapeworm which can come from the dog if he's not dosed.

General sheep thread

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