Jonathan Higgins, who with his father Philip, runs a mid-season lambing sheep flock, alongside a contract heifer-rearing system in Skreen, Co. Sligo, joins us on this week’s OviCast. The duo are also hosts of this year’s Irish Grassland Association Sheep Farm Walk.

Jonathan talks to us about their contract rearing system and we delve into the performance and management of the ewe flock in detail. We also explore the challenges of farming on a fragmented unit with varying land types.

Plus we spend time discussing the role of mixed-species swards on the farm, with Jonathan sharing his experience of managing them over the past few seasons. 

For more details about the farm walk go to:

https://www.irishgrassland.ie/event-detail/sheep-event-2025/

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast