N.Ireland
Sheep numbers fall while wool markets strengthen
The December 2024 agricultural census confirmed a 4% drop in Northern Ireland’s total sheep numbers, year-on-year. The equivalent figure for...
Shearing
Rural Life
Traditional skills to be celebrated at Comeragh's Wild Festival
Homemade bread baking the old fashioned way; butter churning; sheep shearing by hand and a working sheepdog demonstration are among...
Sponsored
Transition milk replacer-fed heifer calves produce more milk in 1st lactation
Heifer calves fed a transition milk replacer in their first 10 days of life produced a remarkable 947L more milk...
Sheep
Is it time to shear sheep to reduce the risk of blowfly?
With June just days away, a high risk period for blowfly strike approaches for sheep farms across the country where...
Sheep
Scarcity of skilled shearers poses challenge for Australian lamb
The scarcity of skilled shearers in today’s market landscape is currently posing challenges in the Australian lamb trade. According to...
Sheep
New national sheep welfare scheme to open in early April
Applications to enter a new national sheep welfare scheme are expected to open in early April of this year. This new...
N.Ireland
Tyrone farmer sets new record shearing 858 lambs in 9 hours
A farmer from Co. Tyrone has set a new record after sheering 858 lambs in a mammoth nine-hour solo sheep-shearing...
Rural Life
Kerry farmer completes 24-hour shearing spectacle for sister
West Kerry hill-sheep farmer James O’Connor took on an arduous 24-hour shearing challenge this weekend to raise funds for his...
Rural Life
Donegal show to host international sheep shearing championship
The Clonmany Agricultural Show in Co. Donegal has been selected as the venue for this year’s sheep shearing world championship....
Sponsored
Native Tree Area Scheme: Making it easier to plant trees
If you’re a farmer looking to generate extra income, the Native Tree Area Scheme (NTAS) is a great opportunity to...
Sheep
Video: 2022 sheep shearing gets underway in Co. Cavan
Last weekend, many farmers took advantage of the good weather to save first-cut silage, while others took the chance to...
Sheep
Difficult market outlook for wool continues
Farmer-to-merchant wool trading is set to kick into gear in the coming weeks, as shearing will commence on sheep farms...
Sheep
New Zealander shears 644 ewes in less than 45 seconds each
A New Zealander has smashed the world record for the number of ewes sheared in the space of eight hours...
Rural Life
Pics: Scotsman shears 2,000 sheep in 50-hour marathon
A Scottish man has sheared more than 2,000 sheep in a 50-hour endurance test, raising thousands of pounds for charity....
Sheep
Impressive weekend of results for Irish shearers at World Championships
Irish shearers competed strongly at the business end of the World Shearing and Wool Handling Championships in New Zealand over...
Sheep
Irish sheep shearer finishes third in World Speed Shear event
Irish shearer Ivan Scott has finished third in the World Speed Shear event in New Zealand at the World Shearing Championships....
Sponsored
Milk replacer: Advice on maximising early-life calf growth
During the past decade, calf rearing systems around the world have adopted higher allowances of whole milk or of calf...
Agri Politics
Watch the inspirational story of one-armed sheep shearer
A sheep shearer in Australia has managed to teach himself how to shear a sheep one-armed after an car accident...