Scanning ewes will be high on the to-do list for mid-season lambing flocks as the new year approaches.
It is also important that farmers who chose scanning as a category B action in year one of the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) have completed this action between February 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.
With just days until this deadline approaches, many farmers may have already completed their scanning in year one, but are now looking to year two of the scheme, which begins on January 1, 2024 to December 31.
Last week in the Dáil (Thursday, December 14), Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said: “Officials in my department became aware of an issue affecting hill flock participants, who normally scan in January each year, that selected the scanning action for the scheme.
“Following consultation with the farm organisations, my department wrote to all affected participants in February 2023, affording them the opportunity to deselect scanning, and select a different action for year one of the scheme.
“From year two, affected applicants can revert to scanning, as there will be a change to the scheme year for the SIS.”
Minister McConalogue said that with year two of the scheme running between January 1, 2024 to December 31, that this “should resolve the issue of hill sheep farmers wishing to opt for the scanning option”.
Scanning ewes
Scanning ewes is a very useful tool when it comes to planning ahead for the lambing season, in terms of dividing ewes up according to litter size, and then devising an appropriate feeding plan for these in-lamb ewes.
In order to get accurate results, it is best to limit a ewe’s feed intake 10 hours prior to scanning. This will enable the technician to accurately predict the number of lambs a ewe is carrying.
Ewes should be scanned between 80 and 90 days post-ram turnout, in order to achieve accurate results.
Scanning at 80 days will ensure that the scanner can pick up all of the ewes that are in-lamb.
However, scanning ewes that are greater than 90 days in-lamb will make it more difficult for the scanner to identify how many lambs the ewe is carrying.
Moreover, scanning ewes less than 40-days in-lamb should be avoided, as pregnant ewes may be undetectable by the scanner, and may be considered empty.
Importance of scanning
Identifying empty ewes will allow for them to be culled – rather than holding onto them and keeping valuable feed supplies from pregnant ewes.
Moreover, by scanning, you will know how many lambs each ewe is carrying.
This will allow you to make important management decisions in terms of grouping ewes in the lambing shed, and around ewe nutrition.
A ewe’s nutrition in late-pregnancy underpins her milking performance and the growth rates of this ewe’s lamb(s) post-lambing.
Having a rough idea when your ewes will lamb is also important for planning tasks in the run-up to lambing time, and being prepared for when the time comes that first ewe lambs down.