Lecture 1

Question 1

How many breeding ewes are there?

Answer 1

2.7 million

Question 2

How many flocks are there?

Answer 2

36,000

Question 3

How many ewes per flock on average?

Answer 3

111

Question 4

What is the average stocking rate per ha?

Answer 4

7.8 ewes/ha

Question 5

Up to what % of lambs can be finished off grass?

Answer 5

90%

Question 6

What are the two types of farms for pasture?

Answer 6

Hill and Lowland farms

Question 7

How much carcass is currently produced?

Answer 7

225 kg/ha

Question 8

Who is the 4th largest exporter of sheep meet?

Answer 8

Ireland

Question 9

What is the most cost-effective way to feed ruminants?

Answer 9

Grazed grass

Question 10

What are the two main pressures on the Irish Sheep Industry?

Answer 10

Financial and environmental

Question 11

What is the financial pressure on the Irish Sheep Industry?

Answer 11

Lower gross margins compared to other sectors

Question 12

What are the environmental pressures on the Irish sheep industry?

Answer 12

Irish greenhouse gas emission targets

Question 13

True or false, prolificacy is a major driver of profitability?

Answer 13

True

Question 14

True or false, prolificacy is a major driver of profitability?

Answer 14

True

Question 15

What is the simplest way to improve flock prolifcacy?

Answer 15

Changing breed type

Question 16

What is the value of the meat and livestock market?

Answer 16

€4bn

Question 17

How much euros does sheep meat account for in the meat and livestock market?

Answer 17

€475 million

Question 18

How much did sheep meat grow by year on year?

Answer 18

17%

Question 19

What % higher are input prices?

Answer 19

35%

Question 20

What % higher are output prices?

Answer 20

2%

Question 21

Where is the main destination for sheep meat in 2022 and what %?

Answer 21

EU
75%

Question 22

What % of the destinations in 2022 were to the UK and internationally?

Answer 22

UK= 15%
International= 10%

Question 23

What was the average family farm income for sheep in 2020?

Answer 23

€17,913

Question 24

What was the average family income for sheep in 2021?

Answer 24

€20,800

Question 25

What was the % difference in family farm income between 2021 vs 2020?

Answer 25

+16%

Question 26

What was the average farm size in 2021?

Answer 26

48 ha

Question 27

What was the farm income per ha in 2021?

Answer 27

€466

Question 28

What % of farm income did direct payments account for in 2021?

Answer 28

90%

Question 29

What % of farms would be in the top economic viability?

Answer 29

69%

Question 30

What % of farms would be in the middle economic viability?

Answer 30

39%

Question 31

What % of farms would be in the bottom economic viability?

Answer 31

15%

Question 32

How much GHG emissions do sheep farms average?

Answer 32

89.8t

Question 33

What is the average litter size?

Answer 33

1.48

Question 34

What is the average % of ewes lambed?

Answer 34

96%

Question 35

What is the average lambs weaned per ewe joined?

Answer 35

1.37

Question 36

What is the average lamb mortality?

Answer 36

7.6%

Question 37

What is the average concentrate input (kg/ewe)?

Answer 37

103 kg/ewe

Question 38

What is the average chemical N kg/ha?

Answer 38

73 kg/ha

Question 39

What is the average GHG emissions per kg live weight sheep produce?

Answer 39

9.2 kg CO2 e/kg

Question 40

What figure defines a ewe with medium prolifacy?

Answer 40

1.5

Question 41

What figure defines a ewe with high prolificacy?

Answer 41

1.8

Question 42

What is the difference in feed requirements between medium and high prolificacy?

Answer 42

High prolificacy requires 15% less

Question 43

How many kg of concentrates does a medium prolificacy ewe require?

Answer 43

27.3kg

Question 44

How many kg of concentrates does a high prolifacy ewe require?

Answer 44

29.5kg

Question 45

Assuming 85% utilization of grass (grazed and conserve), how much grass DM needs to be grown for every ewe?

Answer 45

1 tonne grass DM

Question 46

What is the amount of DM dependent on?

Answer 46

Amount of N applied and the type of sward

Question 47

What % of the top sheep farms reseed?

Answer 47

25%

Question 48

What should farmers consider before increasing the flock size?

Answer 48

Grass growth efficiency

Question 49

What are the two subcategories of lowland sheep?

Answer 49

Terminal and Maternal

Question 50

What are the five terminal breed types?

Answer 50

Texel, Suffolk, Charolais, Beltex and Vendeen

Question 51

What is the primary target of the terminal breed types?

Answer 51

Slaughter

Question 52

What are the features of the terminal breed types?

Answer 52

- High confirmation - Fat % - High growth rates and weaning rates - Average litter size - Average colostrum and milk production ability

Question 53

Where do Texels originate from?

Answer 53

Holland

Question 54

What is the average prolificacy for texels?

Answer 54

1.4 lambs/ewe

Question 55

What are the 3 remaining features of the Texel?

Answer 55

Excellent carcass quality Good Kill Out % Clean Lambs

Question 56

Where do Suffolks originate from?

Answer 56

England

Question 57

What type of lambing are Suffolk's suitable for?

Answer 57

Early Lambing

Question 58

What type of lambing are Suffolks suitable for?

Answer 58

Early Lambing

Question 59

What type of carcass weight do Suffolks achieve?

Answer 59

Heavy

Question 60

True or False, Suffolk have excellent weaning weights?

Answer 60

True

Question 61

What are the maternal breed types?

Answer 61

- Belclare - Lleyn - Mule - Easy care - Galway -Rouge

Question 62

What is the primary target for maternal breed types?

Answer 62

Future breeding stock

Question 63

What are the features of the maternal breed?

Answer 63

- Good natural mothering ability - Good colostrum and milk production ability - High weaning efficiency - High litter size

Question 64

What are the two breeds that make up Belcare Improver?

Answer 64

Finnish Landrace, Galway and Lleyn

Question 65

What are the two features of the Belcare Improver of the 1980's?

Answer 65

Very high litter size and poor conformation