Joining ewe lambs – what to consider

Dr. Tim Keady joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to discuss the subject of joining ewe lambs to lambs at 1 year old. Tim starts by outlining the potential to improve productivity by lambing ewe lambs at 1 year old, but he also highlights some of the challenges it can place on the system. He discusses the various effects of joining weight on productivity, the use of the ram effect and management of ewe lambs throughout the joining period. Finally, Tim discusses the knock on effect lambing yearling ewes has on their subsequent performance particularly the following season as 18 month olds. For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast