“Successful early lambing at 600 feet above sea level requires good milking ewes, proper housing and excellent silage with the correct sheep feed,” says Harold Truesdale who farms in the Leitrim hills outside Castlewellan.

The main farming enterprise is 45 suckler cows and sheep, and the early batch of 70 ewes were housed three weeks ago and started to lamb on the 20^th January 2009.  The aim being to market these lambs for the Easter market.

Shortly after lambing, the ewes and lambs are moved to a different house which has direct access to the grass.  They are brought in at night and the lambs are introduced to Thompsons Intensive Lamb Finisher Pellets as soon as possible.  Once weather conditions are suitable they are out to grass full time.

The crossbred ewes are vaccinated 6 weeks before lambing.  A few years ago Harold was advised to purchase a Suffolk ram with growth traits in the top 10% of its breed and an overall index in the top 25%.  The Suffolk was used to improve carcass quality and grading % thus leading to a better price.

To ease work load, Harold lambs the second batch of ewes from the 17th March onwards.  They are housed for 1 week and the ewes and lambs then go straight out to grass.  Charollais and Texel rams as well as the Suffolk are used for crossing.  All the lambs are sold through the Strangford Down Lamb Group.

Harold has been using Thompsons feed for many years.  Depending on the lambing % he chooses between to different rations. Super Hi-Lamb Ewe Nuts which is a top quality 20% protein ration with high levels of UDP supplied from soya and protected soya to support foetal growth and milk yield.  The  alternative is Ewelac nuts with its blend of cereals and digestible fibre which allows the ration to support a wider feeding range.

For further information on how to maximise the performance of your flock

Talk to Thompsons on; 028 9035 1321 or your local representative.