OviCast

Sheep Specialist, Damian Costello, joins us to discuss practical approaches to reducing labour demands during the winter housing and lambing period.   Damian outlines key husbandry practices that can help minimise interventions with ewes later in the season, highlighting how early planning can pay dividends when workload is at its peak.    We also explore the importance of shed layout, pen design...

Grass10 Advisor, Nikki Kennedy, joins us to explore key grazing management tips for the weeks ahead.   Nikki discusses end-of-season grazing management, including closing targets and best practices for managing forage crops.    As the grazing season draws to a close, we look at reviewing field grazing performance on your own farm and identify areas for improvement.    We also consider some key inv...

For this joint episode with the Beef Edge, we’re discussing one of the biggest regulatory changes affecting beef and sheep farms this year.   From 1st December, new rules on veterinary medicines came into effect as part of Ireland’s national strategy to tackle antimicrobial and anti-parasitic resistance.    These changes mean that a range of commonly used products will now require a veterinary pre...

Sheep Specialist, Michael Gottstein, joins us this week to discuss the essential elements of successfully finishing lambs indoors.   Michael covers everything from housing and management basics to nutrition and animal health, highlighting the practical steps farmers can take to avoid costly setbacks.    The episode wraps up with guidance on the importance of regular drafting to maintain performanc...

Grass10 Advisor, Nikki Kennedy, is on this week’s OviCast to discuss key grazing management tips for the weeks ahead. Nikki shares the latest on grass growth rates and covers across the country, and offers practical advice for managing grazing in challenging conditions.  Plus she outlines the importance of a structured closing plan.    She also discusses how closing decisions now can influence gra...

Teagasc advisor, Tom Coll, is on this week’s OviCast with some practical management tips as the breeding season draws to a close.   Tom highlights the importance of ram management at this stage — from identifying repeats to dealing with injured or lame rams.    We also chat about why it’s a good idea to group ewes in the latter half of the breeding period and the benefits of having a spare ram ava...

Teagasc advisor, James Doran, discusses the practicalities of grazing forage crops on this week's OviCast.   James and Ciaran cover key topics such as estimating yield, calculating carrying capacity, and setting up grazing systems—including fencing, crop allocation, and utilisation.    James also shares advice on introducing animals to forage crops and outlines important management considerations...

Teagasc Researcher, Sarah Woodmartin, gives us the monthly update on grassland management.  In this episode, Sarah covers: -       Current grass growth rates and average farm covers -       Autumn closing plan and its importance -       Achieving good cleanouts on swards -       Tweaking the closing plan for new grass/clover and multispecies leys   Whether you’re measuring grass weekly or just kee...

David Coen from Sheep Ireland joins this week’s OviCast to discuss the genetic progress being made in hill flocks across the country.   David outlines the ongoing efforts of various breeding groups nationwide and highlights the significant increase in the number of animals being recorded over recent years.   We also delve into the OviFlock project and explore the positive impact genotyping it’s ha...

Dr. Tim Keady joins us on this week’s OviCast to explore the key considerations around mating ewe lambs.   We dive into the pros and cons of including ewe lambs in your breeding programme and Tim shares insights on how they can perform within a sheep enterprise.    We also discuss critical factors such as target joining weights, timing and duration of the mating period, and the strategic use of th...

Teagasc Farm Management specialist, James McDonnell, and Succession Ireland mediator, Clare O’Keeffe, join Ciaran Lynch and Catherine Egan on this week’s joint episode of the Ovicast and the Beef Edge podcast to discuss all aspects of generation renewal, succession and mediation.   James highlights the importance of generation renewal while Clare outlines the importance of a mediator to aid the pr...

Teagasc Researcher, Philip Creighton, gives us the monthly update on grassland management. For this episode, Philip covers: -       Current grass growth rates and average farm covers -       Building covers and planning the grazing rotation -       Grazing autumn reseeds -       Fertiliser register, slurry and farmyard manure deadlines    Whether you’re measuring grass weekly or just keeping an ey...

Dr. Frank Campion joins us to talk about managing ewe body condition in the crucial lead-up to mating.    We explore why body condition scoring (BCS) is such a key driver of flock productivity for the year ahead, and how current ewe condition on better farm flocks compares to last autumn.   Frank also highlights the management changes that have made a difference on farms this season, and he outlin...

One of the key factors influencing lamb performance at this stage of the season is managing and effectively treating the worm burden. For this OviCast episode, Sheep Specialist Damian Costello joins us to discuss this in detail.   Damian explains why it’s important to monitor worm challenge regularly and how to interpret the results. He also highlights the key areas to focus on to ensure treatment...

Teagasc Researcher Philip Creighton gives us the monthly update on grassland management on this week’s OviCast.  In this episode, Philip covers:  · Current grass growth rates and average farm covers  · Assessing demand and starting to build covers  · Fertiliser recommendations and timing of application  · Tips for managing autumn reseeds   Whether you’re measuring grass weekly or just keeping an e...

Every time an animal enters or re-enters a flock it poses the risk of bringing unwanted health challenges with it.   With sales in full swing, on this week’s OviCast we talk to Sheep Specialist, Michael Gottstein, about how to reduce the risks.    What to look for before you buy: ·      Quarantine and parasite control plans ·      Reducing the risk of lameness in new arrivals ·      Using vaccinat...

With the ram sale season in full swing, we’re joined by David Coen from Sheep Ireland to discuss how genetic information can help farmers make more informed breeding decisions.   David explains the Eurostar Terminal and Replacement Indexes, outlining what they mean and how to interpret them when selecting rams. We also explore how to check if a ram is SIS-eligible, and how to make the most of the...

Shane Moore, a BETTER Farm participant based in Co. Roscommon, joins this week’s OviCast.   Shane runs a mixed sheep and beef enterprise and he shares insights into how the season has progressed so far, including the challenges of joint ill at lambing time and the rebound in lamb performance and drafting.   We also discuss: -       how Shane selects replacements and identifies problem ewes for cul...

Catch crops are becoming an essential part of sustainable tillage farming offering environmental protection, improving soil structure, and providing valuable grazing options for livestock.   For this week’s OviCast, Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan, joins us to discuss how and why catch crops are used, the impact of sowing date and the practicalities of sowing them effectively.   Plus, Shay...

Teagasc Researcher, Sarah Woodmartin, gives us the monthly update on grassland management.   Whether you're actively measuring grass or just looking to stay ahead this season, Sarah shares practical, timely tips to help you make the most of your grazing this season.  In this episode, Sarah covers: ·       Current grass growth rates and average farm covers ·       Key grazing targets and maintainin...

Jonathan Higgins, who with his father Philip, runs a mid-season lambing sheep flock, alongside a contract heifer-rearing system in Skreen, Co. Sligo, joins us on this week’s OviCast. The duo are also hosts of this year’s Irish Grassland Association Sheep Farm Walk.   Jonathan talks to us about their contract rearing system and we delve into the performance and management of the ewe flock in detail...

Sheep 2025 – the largest dedicated sheep-focused open day on the island of Ireland – takes place on Saturday, 21st June, from 10am to 5pm at the Teagasc Mellows Campus in Athenry, Co. Galway. For this week’s OviCast, Teagasc’s Michael Gottstein and Margaret O’Donovan preview this free event for us.  Michael acknowledges the vital contributions of industry partners and sponsors who help make the ev...

With the shearing season in full swing, on this week’s OviCast, we're joined by Pat Coffey, merchant, wool exporter, and member of the Irish Grown Wool Council.   Pat brings four generations of experience to the wool industry and gives us a valuable insight into the current state of the wool market, explaining some of the key factors influencing it today.   We discuss best practices in shearing an...

Brian McConnell, Technical Consultant for Elanco in Ireland, joins us on this week’s OviCast to discuss blowfly strike prevention for the upcoming season.    Brian outlines the duration and severity of the seasonal risk period before delving into how blowfly strike occurs, the life cycle, and why early intervention is critical for effective control.    Brian also walks us through the range of avai...

Teagasc Walsh Scholar, Michael Dever, and Teagasc researcher, Dr. Frank Campion, join us on this week’s OviCast to discuss an exciting new project, recently launched in collaboration with SRUC. The project aims to use GPS technology to better understand hill sheep grazing patterns. Frank provides background on the project, while Michael outlines how they will assess animal performance across diffe...