Grazing management – graze outs in difficult conditions and staying on track for closing

With the wet weather in recent weeks, Ciarán Lynch catches up with Dr. Philip Creighton to discuss current grazing management on the latest episode of OviCast. Philip discusses how to make the most of the remaining grass on the farm given the poor utilisation at present. He also discusses grouping up ewes to reduce residency period and managing graze outs. Philip explains the importance of closing out paddocks, in particular the first 40% to ensure grass supply next spring and what impact it has on management. He highlights the need to reassess current supply and take steps where necessary to reduce demand with Philip discussing the current options being implemented in Athenry. Finally, he details the pitfalls of letting ewes lose condition by delaying housing or supplementation this winter. Details of the autumn closing planner can be found here: https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/animals/sheep/Sheep-Autumn-Closing-Planner.pdf For more episodes from OviCast, visit the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast/