Signpost: Tomas prepares his ewes, rams and replacements for the busy breeding season
Tomas O'Toole: It is important to have good ram management during this time.
I have been busy on the farm over the last number of weeks with certain tasks that have to be prioritised.
In the past while, I have dipped all the sheep on the farm. I have also been checking the lowland and hill flock ewes for body condition. At this time of year, before mating, the target average body condition score for a lowland ewe is 3.5, with no ewe less than 3.0 if possible. For hill flocks, I target an average body condition score of 3.0 and no less than 2.5.
The benefits of having ewes in better condition before mating are a higher litter size and a lower percentage of empty ewes. The data I have recorded over the past number of years with the sheep BETTER farm has kept much of the flock around these figures, which I am happy with.
I will be starting the mating season with the lowland flock on October 15, and with the hill flock on November 1. For the lowland flock, I will be using four rams (three Suffolks and one Belclare) and Lanark rams for the hill flock. I am using a maternal sire breed to produce replacements and terminal sire breeds, with the focus on carcass production.
It is important to have good ram management during this time. It involves preparation, health checks, raddling and observation. I try to invest time into this so that it will boost the flock’s fertility and overall improve profitability.
I also have a number of SIS (Sheep Improvement Scheme) approved Lanark ram lambs for sale, which I hope will be sold in the next few weeks. It is important that farmers check the year they need to purchase a qualifying ram for the scheme requirements, and also use the Sheep Ireland ram search to check eligibility.
I also looked at data collected on lambs born without assistance, lambs that were vigorous and up sucking quickly, and whether the dam had lots of milk and good mothering ability.
I try to focus on the Teagasc Signpost Programme Twelve Steps, which focuses on good farming practice that can lead to a reduction in GHG emissions and improved overall farm profitability. For example, on the farm, I am focusing on steps 8 and 9 - to improve ewe replacement quality and target high prolificacy. Another focus is building and maintaining soil fertility.
The last soil samples taken on the farm were in March 2025. There are some areas to work on in relation to improving the soil P and K indexes and increasing liming.
I am also preparing for winter by closing up paddocks for spring turnout. I currently have 15–20% of paddocks closed. This is important for good grassland management. The goal is to have a high percentage of the farm grazed and closed by mid-November, so that the farm is set up for the following spring’s grass supply.
I am also getting stock ready for the Clifden Mart bull weanling show and sale, which is taking place on October 3, and the heifer weanling show and sale the following week on October 10. These events should bring in a large crowd from Clifden and the surrounding areas.
- Tomás O Toole, of Moyard, Clifden, Co Galway, runs suckler cows in combination with lowland and hill ewe flocks
