Anyone ever cut a ewes horns before. I have a horn sheep here and the horn seems to be growing back into her. Only ever skulled cattle but would there be much blood if I nipped the horn half way with a bolt cutters or junior hack saw?
Done 2 lambs here yesterday. Took a good 2 inches off them, no blood at all
Often have to do it here as well wit horns curling into their eyes, use a hacksaw and its easy enough, there's no blood and they wont feel it ether.
4" grinder with a thin muti-purpose cutting disc is quick and easy...
the person with the dog attack, could you get a good man with a rifle to stake out your fieild at night? good chance the dog will come back.
I'd need to put a few sheep back into the field to attract the dog I suppose but it would be worth a try.
Question for anyone that has mountain horned sheep. I have became an accidental owner of a few, but had a couple of them in with the rams early in August and September before letting them all in with the lowland sheep in early October. Ram has all tipped very few repeats but he only seems to have marked the horned ewes now. Would it be typical that hornies don't come into cycle naturally until November time even on lowland grass?
Yea, horned/mountain breeds seem to come into cycle later in the year.
Don't know if its fact but definitely happens here
What’s the feeding rate for ewes 6 weeks away from lambing now with meal? Only have a small handful lambing from 20th December for 1 week. (Ewes we’re sponged and ram was pulled after 6/7 days)
Scanned 200% with 4 singles and 4 triples the rest all twins, Mule hoggets to a texel ram. There out at the minute on poorish grass but have a big scope to cover so not hungry.
I use this as a rough guide. Increase or decrease amounts as appropriate...
Weeks Before Lambing 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Singles 0.15kg 0.25kg 0.35kg 0.40kg 0.40kg 0.40kg 0.40kg
Twins 0.15kg 0.25kg 0.35kg 0.45kg 0.55kg 0.65kg 0.70kg
Triplets 0.15kg 0.25kg 0.35kg 0.45kg 0.60kg 0.75kg 0.90kg
Just a question in relation to feeding ewes pre lambing. If feeding an 18 percent nut would you be inclined to top that up with soya bean meal. If so at what rate? Always just fed the nut here but ewes don't exactly be bursting with milk, was told by a couple of people to top up with soya but I assumed the nuts would have everything required in them. Grennans nuts fed here.
Grennans sell a 20% ewe ration that seems to do a way better job here, we feed for the last three weeks of pregnancy, it'd save you messing with soya
Talk to Damien conboy , his number is at the bottom of that ad
I like to use a coarse ration rather than nuts
Will e.we lambs born this year quality for the new sheep improvement scheme. T&Vs seem to suggest that they should be one year old
Yes I'm nearly certain they will providing you are carrying them over in January as hoggetts for breeding.
Where those it say about the reference numbers for the scheme ? Or what those T v stand for?
I'm sure you mean Ts and Cs.
Ewe lambs weren't counted in the last scheme...... where are you getting your information.
25% of our ewes are ewe lambs so would be delighted to have them paid on as well
Has the new scheme opened yet for applications? I see on gov.ie says it opens in November 2022.
I can't find anything about it, that's why I asked for a link to information
Yes meant Ts&Cs. Rang dept a few years ago when transferring farm .Remember being told scheme wasn't transferable .Maybe I got it wrong about the see lambs
just wondering do you have to be in board bia to join the sheep welfare scheme in 2023
Here are the conditions for new sheep welfare scheme
When can you apply?
thanks for that information
SWS payment in bank account this morning
Winter diet for ewes here always consisted of bale of hay and fodder beet. But I notice on donedeal this evening beet is making up to 75 euro a tonne I bought it at 35 last year (couldnt justify that price increase althi do find it great feeding and it really helps to keep them content). Have bought silage this year along with the hay. Would baled silage be enough to keep March lambing ewes going over the winter? Grass will be gone here in another 2 weeks and then feeding will begin. Of silage alown ain't enough what other options are available?
There'll be a lot of farmers that'll be disappointed if the sheep improvement scheme is based on 5 years ago.
I was at the CAP meeting in Cootehill tonight, I told the Dept guy that they should just leave it the same as this year.
Not going to happen it seems
Just edited to say that tonight was some reality check for anyone with even average to good entitlements
When is it opening wrangler to apply for sws? And will we know are reference numbers for the scheme before we join ?
It's opening shortly, but I don't think you'll know the numbers for a while. There's a big increase in sheep numbers in Donegal and our ag minister is pushing to get good result in his own county for expanding sheep farmers with rising numbers. Hopefully he'll deliver this
Youd have to scan em and see I'd imagine,I wouldn't wanna be relying on it for twin/triplets tbh
That's what it is, ya im getting caught myself as i have more ewes now that i will get paid for
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