OviCast

Sheep Specialist, Michael Gottstein, joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to discuss some important aspects of lamb drafting at this point in the season. 

Michael discusses the national kill and type of carcass being supplied and he discusses the expected kill out percentage in lambs and what can influence it. 

He also explains the issues with under-fleshed carcasses, both in terms of delivering returns to the producer and the type of carcass they produce. 

Michael then highlights the key areas to focus on for lamb finishing and how to trouble shoot some of the problems. 

Finally, Michael emphasises the importance of not only drafting at the correct weight but also ensuring there is adequate cover when drafting lambs.
 

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

With another college year starting off, Emma Tobin from Kildalton Agricultural College joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to highlight the different full time and part time courses that are available. 

Emma discusses the blended approach to learning from the classroom to the practical side of flock management as well as some of the newer technologies they use. 

She also discusses the college sheep flock and its management and how it forms a vital part of student education before finishing up to explain the role of on-farm placement and how it provides students with an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand experience.

You can find out more about Teagasc Kildalton here: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/education/teagasc-colleges/kildalton/

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

Séamus Fagan from the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Veterinary Lab in Athlone joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast podcast to discuss Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep. 

Séamus explains how this parasite is sometimes referred to as the barber’s pole and how it affects sheep. 

With some cases appearing around the country this year, he discusses the symptoms, transmission and control options as well as diagnosis in flocks.    

Finally, Séamus encourages farmers to be vigilant when it comes to flock health issues, investigate further and seek advice where needed. 

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

BETTER Farm participant, Francis Gonley, and programme manager, Dr. Frank Campion, are on this week’s OviCast podcast to chat about Francis’ system and lamb finishing this autumn. 

Francis starts off explaining his lowland and hill system, grass growth and how the lambs have performed this season. 

He discusses his reasons for selling off the lighter lambs from both flocks as stores, while Frank discusses the level of performance of the long keep lambs and how they don’t suit every system. 

Francis details his options for selling and finishing the remaining lambs on the farm this autumn. 

Finally, Francis and Frank highlight the upcoming open day on the farm and what topics will be covered and for more information on the event, go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/national-events/events/bettersheepwalksligo.php 

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

Sheep BETTER Farm Programme participant, Brian Keane, and his Teagasc Advisor, James Doran, join Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to get an insight into the system he is operating and how he is managing this season. 

Brian, who is farming near Enniscorthy in Co Wexford, first gives some background to his farming enterprise which comprises of sheep suckers and tillage. 

He discusses how the dry spell has affected his farm over the past few weeks and James highlights what steps Brian has taken to manage through the dry spell. 

Brian explains what cover crops he has put in for the winter and their potential to finish lambs with James also offering some tips on best management. 

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

Seamus McMenamin, Sheep Sector Manager with Bord Bia, is on this week’s OviCast podcast to discuss current trends and the outlook for the sheep market in the coming months. 

Seamus begins by discussing current trade and throughput this year to date. Since spring, Seamus explains the impact reopening has had on lamb consumption both on the domestic and international market as well as the trends in international trade. 

He then discusses the prospects for the lambs and ewe trade over the coming weeks and months. 

Finally, Seamus highlights the potential market for organic lamb and some of the challenges both the organic and conventional lamb trade could face going forwards. 

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

Patrick Dunne, who is a participant in the Teagasc BETTER Farm Sheep programme, is on this week’s OviCast to discuss the impact of OPA on his flock and how he has addressed the issue over the past number of years. 

Patrick goes back a number of years to explain how it was impacting the flock and  the lack of awareness of what was causing it. He discusses how he went about getting a diagnosis and how he enlisted the services of Vet Patrick Grant to screen the flock via ultrasound scanning to detect infected ewes at an earlier stage.  

Using this information, he was able to reduce the level of OPA in the flock and the impact that has had in subsequent years on the health and productivity of the flock.

He discusses OPA, or to give it its full title Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma, which is also referred to as Jaggsiekete or more commonly wheelbarrow disease, and it is an infectious cancerous tumour that affects the lungs of sheep.  

The disease is spread through the inhalation of the virus from respiratory secretions, it is production limiting and as the condition progresses, the virus leads to the development of multiple tumours in the lungs which lead to the overproduction of fluid in the lungs and is nearly always fatal. 

Early detection relies on the use of ultrasound to detect tumours in the lungs at an early stage thereby for culling of these infected animals at an early stage and limit the spread and incidence in a flock. 

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

Dr Philip Creighton joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to discuss grazing management as we head into the autumn. 

Philip starts off by discussing grass supply and demand across the country and the need to take stock of these for the coming weeks and months. He goes on to outline the grazing targets for the coming weeks. 

He discusses August fertiliser applications, the importance of  targeting P & K and lime applications at key areas before finishing up with some grazing tips for newly established clover swards and explaining the impact this has on a successful establishment. 

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

With ram sales in full swing, Kevin Mc Dermott, Sheep Ireland Manager, joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to discuss using genetic information when making your purchasing decisions. 

First, Kevin highlights the benefits genetic improvement has in a flock as he discusses the results from on-farm validations. 

There is a discussion on what information is available for recorded rams in sales catalogues with Kevin highlighting and explaining the key areas to focus on. 

With over 1000 pedigree breeders recorded in LambPlus, Kevin explains the online ram search tool and how it can be used to identify rams right across the country. 

Finally, Kevin discusses this year’s sheep Ireland multibreed rams sale. 

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast

Post-graduate student, Sarah Woodmartin, and Dr Fiona McGovern join Ciarán Lynch on the latest OviCast podcast to discuss ongoing work examining the effect of companion forages influence intake, digestibility and methane production in sheep as part of a wider Grass2Gas project. 

Sarah first gives a bit of background to the project before discussing what is being examined, some of the preliminary results and their implications as well as future areas of interest. 

For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast