Teagasc sheep specialist, Eoin Dunne, is to speak at an EasyCare open evening next week. The event will be hosted by Campbell Tweed on his Co. Antrim farm, next Thursday, August 1.
Dunne is based at Teagasc Athenry, Co. Galway – the Animal and Bioscience Research and Innovation Centre, Mellows Campus.
He is working in key areas for the future of lamb production.
These include the investigation of enteric methane and nitrous oxide emission factors for sheep production systems and studying the nitrate leaching and de-nitrification in a pasture-based system.
Dunne’s research is specifically based on determining the effects that sward characteristics plus the impact of genetics and management have on the production of harmful greenhouse gases (GHGs) within a sheep system.
EasyCare open evening
The other speaker at the open evening will be Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) chief executive, Colin Smith.
He will speak about the key role played by the organisation in delivering a sustainable sheep sector for Northern Ireland, now and into the future.
Campbell Tweed farms at Carncastle, close to the village of Ballygally in east Co. Antrim. He is one of the foremost EasyCare sheep breeders in the UK and Ireland.
His ‘Ballycoose’ flock comprises a large number of breeding ewes. The flock is totally self- contained with all lambs not going for breeding brought through to finishing weights.
Every lamb born within the Tweed flock is performance recorded from birth.
The entire enterprise is managed by three full-time staff. This, in itself, is a very powerful illustration of what ‘easy care’ sheep management is all about.
Recent weeks have seen the export of four EasyCare shearling rams from the Tweed flock to Switzerland. This adds to the previous sales of wool shedding bloodlines from the Carncastle-based flock to sheep breeders throughout the UK and Ireland.
Campbell commented:
“The shearlings exported to Switzerland were tested for Brucella ovis prior to shipment. The Ballycoose flock is scrapie monitored. But the fact that Northern Ireland is Maedi Visna free also made the export sale possible.”
Campbell took the decision of going down the self-shedding route after the wool price crash of 1999. So, he now 25 years experience of working with this particular type of sheep.
“Visitors will have the opportunity of seeing a selection of ewes and lambs plus stock and yearling rams,” Campbell explained.
“EasyCare sheep have a key role to play on sheep farms of all types. They are particularly suited to flock owners who work out from 9:00a.m to 5:00p.m between Monday and Friday.
“To a large extent, the sheep can manage themselves.”
