Teagasc online sheep conference - on tonight

k mac · 26-01-2021 12:10pm #1

Is this any good, worth the watch. Would someone not very experienced gain anything from it. Also does anyone know if you register but cannot watch it live is there an archive where it can be watched later.

razor8 · 26-01-2021 10:39pm

https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2021/teagasc-national-sheep-conference-2021.php

Link above

lucky john · 26-01-2021 10:42pm

Presentations will be posted here https://www.teagasc.ie/sheepcon21/ when its over. Aimed at the top end of sheep farmers and very New Zealand focused tonight anyway.

Kevhog1988 · 27-01-2021 2:31am

lucky john wrote: »

Presentations will be posted here https://www.teagasc.ie/sheepcon21/ when its over. Aimed at the top end of sheep farmers and very New Zealand focused tonight anyway.

I found parts beneficial anyway. The info on rotating sheep depending on sward length etc was good. Dont necessarily see the massive crossover between a nz system and an Irish system considering the vast proportion of the irish flock are hill type sheep.

wrangler · 27-01-2021 1:32pm

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

I found parts beneficial anyway. The info on rotating sheep depending on sward length etc was good. Dont necessarily see the massive crossover between a nz system and an Irish system considering the vast proportion of the irish flock are hill type sheep.

I think all NZ sheep farms are hill, they're only put on farms that can't graze cows

lucky john · 27-01-2021 3:37pm

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

I found parts beneficial anyway. The info on rotating sheep depending on sward length etc was good. Dont necessarily see the massive crossover between a nz system and an Irish system considering the vast proportion of the irish flock are hill type sheep.

He mentioned at the end that only a small (but growing) % of farmers in NZ were using the system he was advocating. It was very technical in that they were using specific seed mixes in the sward. They also only have a 2 month winter which makes a huge difference when it comes to grass management. They actually have grass to manage almost year round unlike the 7 or 8 months we have in Ireland.

I have been looking at what good sheep farmers are doing here with padlocks.
I tested the idea of electric fence divisions a bit last year and think rotational grazing is the way to go. Controlling the sheep with even a battery fence was surprisingly easy. Planning to do more on it this year.

lucky john · 27-01-2021 3:50pm

wrangler wrote: »

I think all NZ sheep farms are hill, they're only put on farms that can't graze cows

Looks like we are heading down the same road in IRE at an ever increasing speed. What was interesting was that in NZ, with less a lot sheep they are producing equal or more lamb meat.

Kevhog1988 · 27-01-2021 4:03pm

wrangler wrote: »

I think all NZ sheep farms are hill, they're only put on farms that can't graze cows

but theyd be running a bigger frame of sheep than on the hills here would they?.

Kevhog1988 · 27-01-2021 4:05pm

lucky john wrote: »

He mentioned at the end that only a small (but growing) % of farmers in NZ were using the system he was advocating. It was very technical in that they were using specific seed mixes in the sward. They also only have a 2 month winter which makes a huge difference when it comes to grass management. They actually have grass to manage almost year round unlike the 7 or 8 months we have in Ireland.

I have been looking at what good sheep farmers are doing here with padlocks.
I tested the idea of electric fence divisions a bit last year and think rotational grazing is the way to go. Controlling the sheep with even a battery fence was surprisingly easy. Planning to do more on it this year.

How many strands did you use?. Was looking at dividing a field here with timber staked and electric fence. Was going to go with 4 strands at 8 inches apart?.

lucky john · 27-01-2021 8:49pm

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

How many strands did you use?. Was looking at dividing a field here with timber staked and electric fence. Was going to go with 4 strands at 8 inches apart?.

I used the red netting fence first to divide a 6 acre field. Not 1 sheep or lamb crossed it (even though in the end I kept some grass one side of it for next spring). I then divided the field the opposite way and had 4 1.5acre paddocks. I just used the small white plastic posts and 4 strands but kept the bottom one just above the level of the grass. Spaced them like a sheep gate after that. I only started at the end of last summer but after a few week the bulk of the sheep wouldn't cross 1 strand lying on the ground. I think if you had a mains connection and longer for them to get used to it 3 strands would work fine.

I stripped grazed at the end of the year as well and that worked fine. Moving the fence was a right pain though.

All going well the next experiment will be to divide the ground into as many 2 acre paddocks as I can in May.

Ard_MC · 27-01-2021 11:28pm

wrangler wrote: »

I think all NZ sheep farms are hill, they're only put on farms that can't graze cows

I'd say there's alot more grass on the hills down there compared to the bog and heather I have!!

Birdnuts · 28-01-2021 1:37am

Ard_MC wrote: »

I'd say there's alot more grass on the hills down there compared to the bog and heather I have!!

Teagasc seem to have a thing about shoe-horning Kiwi practices into Irish farming no matter what the cost

wrangler · 28-01-2021 8:36am

Birdnuts wrote: »

Teagasc seem to have a thing about shoe-horning Kiwi practices into Irish farming no matter what the cost

Like any industry you take knowledge from like industries around the world and adapt it.
I was on a farm in new Zealand where the farmer dragged a twenty ton roller with a dozer to the top of what was virtually a mountain, the roller was covered with 6ins blade to chop the gorse He then stopped on the top and let the roller up and down the mountain with a winch on the back of the dozer, That was the first run of making land out of mountain. When our bus came to his front gate, the satnav said we were 40mins from the house and the owners had a 100ml round trip to the shops

wrangler · 28-01-2021 8:42am

lucky john wrote: »

I used the red netting fence first to divide a 6 acre field. Not 1 sheep or lamb crossed it (even though in the end I kept some grass one side of it for next spring). I then divided the field the opposite way and had 4 1.5acre paddocks. I just used the small white plastic posts and 4 strands but kept the bottom one just above the level of the grass. Spaced them like a sheep gate after that. I only started at the end of last summer but after a few week the bulk of the sheep wouldn't cross 1 strand lying on the ground. I think if you had a mains connection and longer for them to get used to it 3 strands would work fine.

I stripped grazed at the end of the year as well and that worked fine. Moving the fence was a right pain though.

All going well the next experiment will be to divide the ground into as many 2 acre paddocks as I can in May.

I've been paddock/strip grazing sheep for about thirty years, so I've a lot of electrified sheep netting around. I find it very good no baby lambs will challenge it, they're very adaptable but it takes a good fencer as there's 400mtrs wire in every 50mtrs roll

Birdnuts · 28-01-2021 6:45pm

wrangler wrote: »

Like any industry you take knowledge from like industries around the world and adapt it.

All well and good but its more like copy and paste as can be seen from the current dairy expansion which is already coming up against the limits of various issues from pollution to animal welfare. Teagasc spent the past 20 years aggressively promoted the "Dirty Dairy" model from NZ with zero heed of the damaged reputation that industry has for water pollution,bobby calves etc. Its only a matter of time before the industry here will come under increased regs from Europe via EPA licences etc. as what happened in Holland were farmers have already been forced to destock. Doesn't exactly tie in either with the PR guff from Bord Bia via their "Origin Green" label:rolleyes:

wrangler · 28-01-2021 7:07pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

All well and good but its more like copy and paste as can be seen from the current dairy expansion which is already coming up against the limits of various issues from pollution to animal welfare. Teagasc spent the past 20 years aggressively promoted the "Dirty Dairy" model from NZ with zero heed of the damaged reputation that industry has for water pollution,bobby calves etc. Its only a matter of time before the industry here will come under increased regs from Europe via EPA licences etc. as what happened in Holland were farmers have already been forced to destock. Doesn't exactly tie in either with the PR guff from Bord Bia via their "Origin Green" label:rolleyes:

I think that's begrudgery now rather than criticism, I've criticised Beef Plan for criticising our production and now you've adopted the same platform and this begrudgery is all sounding sad,
As i say we'll do what we do and feck off to anyone that hasn't a viable criticism. Messers trying to destroy Irish agriculture

Birdnuts · 28-01-2021 7:25pm

wrangler wrote: »

I think that's begrudgery now rather than criticism, I've criticised Beef Plan for criticising our production and now you've adopted the same platform and this begrudgery is all sounding sad,
As i say we'll do what we do and feck off to anyone that hasn't a viable criticism. Messers trying to destroy Irish agriculture

So lets pretend none of these issues exist?? so they will go away - Is that now official IFA policy?? Telling farmers to "plough on" based on outdated /failing policies is not going to serve their future wellbeing too well given ongoing CAP and AGRI regulatory reforms across the EU, even if some like u couldn't give a toss about sustainability, environmental issues etc.

Dinzee Conlee · 28-01-2021 7:40pm

I was going to log in on Tuesday night but I missed it...

Wrangler, Birdnuts - what did ye think of the sheep conference?
(Given that’s what this thread is about)

wrangler · 28-01-2021 7:45pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

So lets pretend none of these issues exist?? so they will go away - Is that now official IFA policy?? Telling farmers to "plough on" based on outdated /failing policies is not going to serve their future wellbeing too well given ongoing CAP and AGRI regulatory reforms across the EU, even if some like u couldn't give a toss about sustainability, environmental issues etc.

Mean while South america does what it likes, China and more does what it likes, would you ever cop on,
For every one like you there's 100s that don't give a ****e, I do a 5ml walk in the bog every morning and I see milk cartons, in their thousands, polythene by the ton and since the lockdown, condoms beer tins, red bull tins biscuit and mc donald packets and you think that the public is going to take the environment seriously. There is no one policing the regulations, I thought by now you wouldn't be depending on the public service to be the.....er the public service.
It's not the strongest species that survive but those best able to adapt.
As for IFA I know what I'd be told by farmers if I ever told them to behave right.
Irish agriculture produces great products and crowds like you and beef plan drag their reputation through the scutter, what planet are yous on

Kevhog1988 · 28-01-2021 8:02pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I was going to log in on Tuesday night but I missed it...

Wrangler, Birdnuts - what did ye think of the sheep conference?
(Given that’s what this thread is about)

Is there another one tonight?

wrangler · 28-01-2021 8:13pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I was going to log in on Tuesday night but I missed it...

Wrangler, Birdnuts - what did ye think of the sheep conference?
(Given that’s what this thread is about)

Not interested OH had it up on the telly tues night and I fell asleep so she's watching to nights with earphones

50 yrs of farming is more than enough

Birdnuts · 28-01-2021 10:12pm

wrangler wrote: »

Mean while South america does what it likes, China and more does what it likes, would you ever cop on,
For every one like you there's 100s that don't give a ****e, I do a 5ml walk in the bog every morning and I see milk cartons, in their thousands, polythene by the ton and since the lockdown, condoms beer tins, red bull tins biscuit and mc donald packets and you think that the public is going to take the environment seriously. There is no one policing the regulations, I thought by now you wouldn't be depending on the public service to be the.....er the public service.
It's not the strongest species that survive but those best able to adapt.
As for IFA I know what I'd be told by farmers if I ever told them to behave right.
Irish agriculture produces great products and crowds like you and beef plan drag their reputation through the scutter, what planet are yous on

So thats what IFA types look too as a vision for farming in Ireland - factory farms lining the pockets of Larry et al. Love the honesty. Also interesting that you say the vast majority of the Irish are like the scumbags who dump stuff in bogs. Some are but most people with a bit of education know that trashing the environment is pretty stupid for obvious reasons. As for reputations, posts like your one above doesn't exactly glorify those involved in Irish farming eithier:rolleyes:

Birdnuts · 28-01-2021 10:18pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I was going to log in on Tuesday night but I missed it...

Wrangler, Birdnuts - what did ye think of the sheep conference?
(Given that’s what this thread is about)

I missed it cos I'm currently engrossed in a book about maintaining rangelands and sheep/cattle thrive using native grasses and herbal leys. But maybe I should have tuned in cos someone on here thinks its only "scutter":D

Kevhog1988 · 28-01-2021 10:32pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

I missed it cos I'm currently engrossed in a book about maintaining rangelands and sheep/cattle thrive using native grasses and herbal leys. But maybe I should have tuned in cos someone on here thinks its only "scutter":D

Always find its good to have a balanced view by listening to a broad range of opinions but christ your condescending

28-01-2021 10:47pm

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

Always find its good to have a balanced view by listening to a broad range of opinions but christ your condescending

Sheep forum needs a thunderdrome thread and a fight off between them two

wrangler · 28-01-2021 11:02pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

I missed it cos I'm currently engrossed in a book about maintaining rangelands and sheep/cattle thrive using native grasses and herbal leys. But maybe I should have tuned in cos someone on here thinks its only "scutter":D

You're sounding like the vegans now........ I wooonder,,,
The self appointed environmentalists are only given the SOUTH AMERICAN.monkey burners demand to produce without competition.... dirty environmentalists

kk.man · 28-01-2021 11:53pm

wrangler wrote: »

I've been paddock/strip grazing sheep for about thirty years, so I've a lot of electrified sheep netting around. I find it very good no baby lambs will challenge it, they're very adaptable but it takes a good fencer as there's 400mtrs wire in every 50mtrs roll

I am interested in the 50m rolls and thinking of sub dividing an field later in the spring. Just a question ; how do you prevent the grass from earthing the wire nearest the ground on those rolls?

Birdnuts · 29-01-2021 12:45am

wrangler wrote: »

You're sounding like the vegans now........ I wooonder,,,
The self appointed environmentalists are only given the SOUTH AMERICAN.monkey burners demand to produce without competition.... dirty environmentalists

I'd say you'd love the farming scene in Brazil alright - no regulations, access to slave labour, hired guns to deal with pesky native Indians etc.:rolleyes:

Birdnuts · 29-01-2021 12:46am

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

Always find its good to have a balanced view by listening to a broad range of opinions but christ your condescending

More condescending than some clown calling you a "Vegan"?? - please feel free to use the "ignore" option on the forum if my postings upsets you to that extent

roosky · 29-01-2021 12:54am

kk.man wrote: »

I am interested in the 50m rolls and thinking of sub dividing an field later in the spring. Just a question ; how do you prevent the grass from earthing the wire nearest the ground on those rolls?

Bottom wire isn’t electric so it doesn’t earth...I have had issues with the netting and to be honest for me it’s only suitable on a mains fencer...if you have it on a battery they will run down the battery fairly quick and if the power drops in them the sheep will try to go through it and get tangled in it ... I have lost lambs and a ewe that got tangled in it, as bad as it is when one or two get through the poly wire at least they don’t get caught in it....just my 2 cents

Kevhog1988 · 29-01-2021 1:04am

Birdnuts wrote: »

Jog on pal and stick to your Teagasc tutorials

The fact your writing that post on a thread about teagasc webinars is strange. Are you just here to pick fights with people?.

Teagasc online sheep conference - on tonight

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