Sheep farmers with prolific ewe lambs in counties Sligo and Leitrim have formed a group called the Carrick Prolific Ewe Lamb Breeders’ Group.
The sale will consist of over 600-ewe lambs at the showgrounds in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, on Saturday, August 31, at 2:00pm.
A spokesperson for the group said: “The lambs are bred from prolific flocks and will include Belclare cross; Lleyn cross; Suffolk cross; Continental cross; Cheviot cross; and Mule ewe lambs all suitable for breeding this year.”
“Potential buyers should get there early and meet the breeders. All lambs will be available for viewing from 12:00pm.
“The sale will provide an opportunity for the buyer to introduce stock into his/her flock with the potential to have high litter sizes as mature ewes, provided they are managed correctly,” the spokesperson added.
Work from Teagasc has indicated that ewe lambs should be 60% of their mature body weight at joining with the ram.
“Breeding ewe lambs, provided that they are managed to meet their nutritional requirements, reduces the cost of rearing replacements and increases the flock output and profitability.
“Ewe lamb weight at joining influences date of puberty; fertility; and pregnancy rate. Teagasc found that increasing the live weight at joining increases the probability of rearing a live lamb, but the appropriate live weight is influenced by ewe genotype,” the group concluded.