January 28, 2021 6:00 am
Lambing accounts for over 25% of the annual labour requirement on a sheep farm, so any steps that can be taken to reduce labour is really important.
On tonight’s Teagasc Virtual Sheep Conference at 8:00pm, hear how you can reduce labour at lambing by improving lamb vigour and ewe mothering ability through breeding. Still time to register now at: www.teagasc.ie/sheepcon21.
The study of genes and genetic variation, is a powerful tool at the disposal of farmers to identify the genetically elite animals to be the parents of the next generation. All improvements achieved through breeding are permanent and cumulative, meaning their consequences will be seen in the flock for many years to come.
January 26, 2021 6:00 am
An exciting line up of Teagasc and international speakers have been assembled for the Teagasc Virtual Sheep Conference, which takes place across two evenings, starting tonight, Tuesday, January 26, at 8:00pm, with the second session taking place on Thursday, January 28.
New Zealand influence
Tonight’s session hosted by Michael Gottstein, Head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc, will deliver a strong New Zealand influence as Teagasc Walsh Scholar Nicola Fetherstone provides an update on the INZAC trial in Athenry which compares one-star and five-star Irish ewes with elite New Zealand ewes.
Nicola’s studies has involved not only the collection and analysis of a vast amount of data on the INZAC flock including reproductive, lambing, ewe and lamb growth, performance and productivity, but also allowed her to travel to New Zealand for a three-month period to link up with agri-consultancy firm AbacusBio and increase her knowledge in the area of New Zealand
Áine O’Brien, Post-doctoral Researcher on Sheep Genetics and Genomics, Teagasc
Reducing labour at lambing: improving lamb vigour and ewe mothering ability through breeding
Ben Shrugnal – UK Vet
Laryngeal chrondritis is an obstructive disease of the upper respiratory tract in sheep caused by abscesses on the larynx which, along with swelling and inflammation of the throat, restrict the windpipe. (Texel Throat)
Questions & Answers
Áine O’Brien
Áine O’Brien is a Post-doctoral Researcher on Sheep Genetics and Genomics, Teagasc. She qualified with a BAgrSc Agricultural Science (Animal Science) from University College Dublin, in 2015.
She completed her PhD on ‘Genetics and genomics for performance in a multi-breed Irish sheep population’, with University of Limerick in 2019. The topic Áine will cover for the conference is ‘Reducing labour at lambing: improving lamb vigour and ewe mothering ability through breeding’.