The feed value of winter grazing

Dr Tim Keady joins Ciarán Lynch on this week’s OviCast to discuss various aspects of winter grazing and how it impacts ewe performance. Tim starts by discussing the potential mutual benefits of moving sheep to winter grazing both for the flock owner and host farmer and he also discusses the role of extended grazing before moving on to discuss the frequency of grass allocation with Tim offering his tips on managing grazing at this stage of the year. Tim explains the feed values of grass during the winter, the factors that influence it and how it affects ewe performance by comparison to ewes being feed on a grass silage indoor system. Tim also offers his advice on managing ewes in outdoor wintering systems and some of the pitfalls to avoid. Finally he finishes up discussing winter grazing dry ewe lambs with Tim highlighting some weight gain targets, advice on how to achieve them and why it’s important to avoid setbacks during this phase of production. For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast