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Currently large under utilisation of grass on Irish sheep farms (4.1t DM/ha) (Dr.Sinclair Mayne 2017)

Potential to grow 12-16t Dm/ha (O'Donovan et al., 2011)

During 2015 farms in Ireland exported an estimated 47,000 tonnes of sheep meat which was valued at approximately €230 million.

Huge potential for improvements due to lack of any grassland management plans of many sheep farms.

Average sheep farmers income = €15,000

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System of lambing ewes and finishing lambs requires good quality grass

Willingness to progress

Good potential to grow grass and utilise it

Educated (green cert and worked in an Agricultural college for many years)

Has a son willing to help adapt new technologies on the farm, join young farmers scheme to of grants for the likes of fencing

Attends group discussions and farm walks as part of STAP

Possibility to practice crop rotation due to have tillage crops on the farm also

Has his own silage making outfit and produces his own animal feed (barley and oats

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Has another job other than farming

Time is a major challenge due to having a beef and tillage farm also

Price for lamb at the factory influences cash flow and progress

Future of lamb exports and ultimately price is uncertain due to Brexit

Scale of farm not huge so wary of big investments

Not in a regular discussion group focused on grass utilisation

Poor boundary fencing

Inconsistent cash flow

Getting early silage by grazing paddocks once early in Spring

Land is not in close proximity - not in one block

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Join a grass focused discussion group

Join a sheep DG - grass focused sheep advisor in the area

Attend farm walks and open days

Teagasc research farm nearby in Mellows campus Athenry

Get the farm mapped by Grasstec

Measurement tools available for grass measuring

Start the use of electric fences to divide up paddocks

Utilisation of mixed grazing grazing benefits due to having cows and cattle on the farm also

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Soil testing

Design a mapping plan for the farm

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Grass measuring

Adjusting nutrient levels - application of lime and N,P,K where necessary

Grazing Infrastructure

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Extreme weather events, (flooding, snow, ice)

Labour - currently reliant of father while son in college weekdays

Price of inputs: fertilisers, diesel, concentrates

Policy- GHG regulations

Price for products such as fertiliser - huge variability in recent years

New diseases such as Schmallenberg

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Continue measuring every week

Design a reseeding plan

Soil test - monitor progress

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Follow spring rotation planner

2 years data collated and continue

Use data to review your system:
Stocking rate
Lambing data
No. of lambs finished on grass alone
Grazed and silage herbage grown
Utilisation figures

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PastureBase Ireland. PastureBaseIreland is a grassland management decision support tool and a mechanism to capture background data on farms.

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Weed control plan

Alternative herbs/ winter forages

Continue to measure and budget
Performance at grass - weighing

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Menlough, Co. Galway

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FARM MAPPING AND GRAZING INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN

Grasstec provides a market leading mapping and design service. Accurate and user friendly maps are provided which will aid the day to day farm management and become an essential communication tool. Most maps in use date from the 19th century and don't reflect the current layout of the farm.

Maps are generated using the latest in GPS technology. All area measurements provided are adjusted to reflect the actual areas farmed. Maps can be provided in a number of formats including; large wall maps, A4 size maps, pocket maps, map pads / whiteboards and digital formats like pdf's.

Additional design of new grazing infrastructure can be provided, designing the most efficient paddock, roadway and water infra-structure for your farm, with our Paddock & Roadway Design Service

Our service eliminates guesswork of establishing a new layout. The service can be utilised where herd sizes are increasing and current paddock sizes no longer are adequate.

It can be used to plan the infrastructural changes required to convert beef/tillage farm to dairy. We can assist in designing the most efficient way of integrating additional neighbouring land into the main grazing platform.

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Grasstec GPS Farm Mapping Service in Ireland & the UK

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FARM MAPPING AND GRAZING INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN Grasstec provides a market leading mapping and design service. Accurate and user friendly maps are provided which will aid the day to day farm management and become an essential communication tool. Most maps in use date from the 19th century and don't reflect the current layout of the farm.

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The objective of this sheep farm over the next 5 years is to start measuring grass, map out farm, budgeting via a decision support tool and match stocking rate to growth potential