Practical Steps for Successful Indoor Lamb Finishing
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 performance and efficiency. For more information, check out the Lamb Finishing Guide: https://bit.ly/lamb_finishing_guide For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast
--------
23:31
--------
23:31
November Grass update
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 grass availability at turnout, and highlights what farmers should be considering as we approach the final weeks of the grazing season. You can also sign up to the Grass10 newsletter at:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/ For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast
--------
9:11
--------
9:11
Management tips as breeding season enters the final phase
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 available. The discussion then turns to managing ram lambs, reducing the risk of fighting post-mating, and best practices for ram care once the breeding season ends. We finish up by talking about the importance of monitoring and managing ewe condition in the lead-up to housing. For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast
--------
18:07
--------
18:07
Practical Tips for Grazing Forage Crops
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 for ewes and lambs grazing for extended periods. For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast
--------
16:34
--------
16:34
October Grass Update
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 keeping an eye on conditions, Sarah shares timely, practical advice to help you get the best from your grazing this autumn. You can also sign up to the Grass10 newsletter here:https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grass10-enewsletter/ For more episodes from the OviCast podcast, visit the show page at:https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast
OviCast is the Teagasc Sheep podcast.
Presented by Ciaran Lynch it brings you the latest advice, insights and technical updates for the sheep industry.
Visit the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/sheep/ovicast-sheep-podcast/
Ireland