Sheep Farming

Sheep roaming on Achill Island

Sheep breeds kept on the hill areas are a hardier type of sheep more suitable to the tough conditions. This picture was taken on Achill island, off the coast of Co Mayo. Sheep wander the roads as they graze commonage land shared by multiple farmers. Each farmer makes their own sheep with a distinctive colour and sheepdogs are essential in order to gather the sheep for management tasks. Sheep farmers in some mountain regions now market their distinctive lamb direct to consumers (www.ringofkerryqualitylamb.ie and www.connemarahilllamb.ie)

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Sheep roaming on Achill Island
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Sheep roaming on Achill Island

Sheep breeds kept on the hill areas are a hardier type of sheep more suitable to the tough conditions. This picture was taken on Achill island, off the coast of Co Mayo. Sheep wander the roads as they graze commonage land shared by multiple farmers. Each farmer makes their own sheep with a distinctive colour and sheepdogs are essential in order to gather the sheep for management tasks. Sheep farmers in some mountain regions now market their distinctive lamb direct to consumers (www.ringofkerryqualitylamb.ie and www.connemarahilllamb.ie)

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Enlarge image

Ewe and lamb

Lambs are born in springtime after a gestation period inside the ewe of five months. Newborn lambs weigh about five kilograms and feed from their mothers’ milk for about 14 weeks. A ewe can only feed two lambs at a time and most ewes will produce one or two lambs per year. However, some ewes will produce three or four lambs and, in this case, lambs may have to be adopted by another ewe.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Ewe and lamb
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Ewe and lamb

Lambs are born in springtime after a gestation period inside the ewe of five months. Newborn lambs weigh about five kilograms and feed from their mothers’ milk for about 14 weeks. A ewe can only feed two lambs at a time and most ewes will produce one or two lambs per year. However, some ewes will produce three or four lambs and, in this case, lambs may have to be adopted by another ewe.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Enlarge image

Map of Ireland showing sheep numbers by county

This graphic shows the number of sheep per county in 2010 and the percentage change on 2009. For example, Kerry had 274,564 sheep at the 2010 census, a 2.16% increase on the previous year. The larger circles illustrate the larger county totals, with Donegal the most significant, at 387,057 sheep. The top counties – Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Kerry and Wicklow all have one thing in common – upland/mountain land. In these areas, sheep are the only enterprise suitable for the terrain.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Map of Ireland showing sheep numbers by county
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Map of Ireland showing sheep numbers by county

This graphic shows the number of sheep per county in 2010 and the percentage change on 2009. For example, Kerry had 274,564 sheep at the 2010 census, a 2.16% increase on the previous year. The larger circles illustrate the larger county totals, with Donegal the most significant, at 387,057 sheep. The top counties – Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Kerry and Wicklow all have one thing in common – upland/mountain land. In these areas, sheep are the only enterprise suitable for the terrain.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Enlarge image

According to the Department of Agriculture’s sheep census in December 2010, there were 2.2million breeding ewes in Ireland, a 1.35% increase on the previous year.

Between 2005 and 2010, Ireland’s flock contracted by one fifth, mainly due to poor returns, the relatively high average age of sheep farmers and the heavy labour demands of sheep flocks. Fortunes improved in 2010 and 2011 as prices in Ireland responded to the global tightening in supply of sheep-meat. Farmers responded – 2010 was the first year in over a decade when there was not a decline in the size of Ireland’s sheep flock.

The top five counties in terms of sheep numbers are all characterised by mountainous terrain – Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Kerry and Wicklow.

In counties such as Cork, Tipperary, Carlow and Kilkenny, sheep numbers are under pressure as farmers switch to other enterprises, particularly dairy and beef.

Ireland’s sheep flocks tend to be very small scale by international standards, with 50% of sheep flocks having less than 50 ewes. This compares with an average flock size of over 200 in Scotland and 1,400 in the world’s largest exporter, New Zealand.

A positive for Ireland’s sheep industry is that the European Union is deficient in sheep meat, with consumption of an estimated 1.2million tonnes per annum compared to production of around 0.9 million tonnes. Globally, the sheep flock is also in decline, leading to increased opportunities for Irish exports. 2011 has seen that factor reflected in higher farm gate prices in Ireland.

Due to the small scale of the domestic market, two out of every three sheep in Ireland is destined for export. In 2011, Ireland exported 41,000 tonnes of sheep meat worth €180 million. The French market accounted for 45% of Irish sheep meat exports. The UK, at about 25%, is also a significant market for Ireland.

Sheep dog herding the sheep.

A well trained sheepdog is a key aid for moving sheep from one field to another and essential for gathering mountain sheep. Training and handling sheepdogs is a very skilled job and well trained dogs are very valuable. The most common breed of sheep dog is the Border Collie.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Sheep dog herding the sheep.
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Sheep dog herding the sheep.

A well trained sheepdog is a key aid for moving sheep from one field to another and essential for gathering mountain sheep. Training and handling sheepdogs is a very skilled job and well trained dogs are very valuable. The most common breed of sheep dog is the Border Collie.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Enlarge image

Flock of sheep

A group of sheep is called a flock. There are many different strains or breeds of sheep in Ireland, with two main categories - hill/mountain breeds and lowland breeds. The lowland sheep are concentrated in the inland counties and low lying land, while the hill sheep are a hardier type more suited to the tough terrain of the mountains in the west and in Wicklow. Females that are over one year of age and that have given birth to a lamb are called sheep. A mature female sheep is called a ewe. A mature male sheep is called a ram and a castrated (neutered) male sheep is called a wether.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Flock of sheep
Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Flock of sheep

A group of sheep is called a flock. There are many different strains or breeds of sheep in Ireland, with two main categories - hill/mountain breeds and lowland breeds. The lowland sheep are concentrated in the inland counties and low lying land, while the hill sheep are a hardier type more suited to the tough terrain of the mountains in the west and in Wicklow. Females that are over one year of age and that have given birth to a lamb are called sheep. A mature female sheep is called a ewe. A mature male sheep is called a ram and a castrated (neutered) male sheep is called a wether.

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Enlarge image