Sample Qs

Question 1

How many breeding ewes are there in Ireland?

Answer 1

2.7 million

Question 2

How many flocks are there?

Answer 2

36,000

Question 3

How many ewes per flock on avg?

Answer 3

107

Question 4

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

Answer 4

90%

Question 5

How much carcass is currently produced?

Answer 5

225kg/ha

Question 6

Who is the 4th largest exporter of sheep meat?

Answer 6

Ireland

Question 7

What is the most cost-effective way to feed ruminant animals?

Answer 7

Grazed Grass

Question 8

What is the finanical pressure on the IRish sheep industry?

Answer 8

Financial & environmental

Question 9

What are the environmental pressures on the Irish sheep industry?

Answer 9

GHG targets

Question 10

True or false:
Prolificacy is a major driver of profitability?

Answer 10

True

Question 11

What is the simplest way of improving flock prolificacy?

Answer 11

Changing breed type

Question 12

What is the value of the meat & livestock market?

Answer 12

€4bn

Question 13

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

Answer 13

€475 m

Question 14

How much did sheep meat grow by year on year?

Answer 14

17%

Question 15

What % higher are input prices?

Answer 15

35%

Question 16

What % higher are output prices?

Answer 16

2%

Question 17

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

Answer 17

Eu - 75%

Question 18

What % of the destination for sheep meat in 2022 were to the UK & internationally?

Answer 18

UK = 15%
International = 10%

Question 19

What was the avg family farm income in 2020?

Answer 19

€17,913

Question 20

What was the avg family farm income for 2021?

Answer 20

€20,800 + 16% from year before

Question 21

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

Answer 21

69%

Question 22

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

Answer 22

39%

Question 23

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

Answer 23

15%

Question 24

How much GHG emissions do sheep farms average?

Answer 24

89.8t

Question 25

What is the avg litter size?

Answer 25

1.48

Question 26

What is the avg % of ewes lambed?

Answer 26

96%

Question 27

What is the avg lambs weaned per joined ewe?

Answer 27

1.37

Question 28

What is the avg lamb mortality?

Answer 28

7.6%

Question 29

What is the avg concentration input (kg/ewe)?

Answer 29

103kg/ewe

Question 30

What is the avg chemical N kg/ha?

Answer 30

73kg/ha

Question 31

What is the avg HG emissions per kg live weight sheep produced (kg CO2 e/kg carcass)?

Answer 31

9.2

Question 32

What figure defines a ewe with medium prolificacy?

Answer 32

1.5

Question 33

What figures defines a ewe with high prolificacy?

Answer 33

1.8

Question 34

What is the feed requirements difference between medium & high prolificacy?

Answer 34

High prolificacy requires 15% less

Question 35

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

Answer 35

27.3kg

Question 36

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

Answer 36

29.5kg

Question 37

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

Answer 37

1 tonne grass DM

Question 38

What is the amount of DM dependent on?

Answer 38

Amount of N applied & sward type

Question 39

What % of top sheep farms reseed?

Answer 39

25%

Question 40

What should farmers consider before increasing flock size?

Answer 40

Grass growth efficiency

Question 41

What are the subcategories of lowland sheep?

Answer 41

Terminal & maternal

Question 42

What are the 5 terminal breed types?

Answer 42

Texel, suffolk, charolais, beltex, vendeen

Question 43

What is the primary target of terminal breed types?

Answer 43

Slaughter

Question 44

What are the features of the terminal breed types?

Answer 44

High confirmation, fat%, high growth rates & weaning weights, avg litter size, avg colostrum & milk production ability

Question 45

Where do texels originate from?

Answer 45

Holland

Question 46

What is the avg prolifcacy for texels?

Answer 46

1.4 lambs/ewe

Question 47

What are the 3 remaining features of the Texel?

Answer 47

Excellent carcass quality, good kill out %, & clean lambs.

Question 48

Where do Suffolk originate from?

Answer 48

England

Question 49

What type of lambing are Suffolk suitable for?

Answer 49

Early lambing

Question 50

What type of carcass weight do Suffolk achieve?

Answer 50

Heavy

Question 51

True/false - Suffolk have an excellent weaning weight?

Answer 51

True

Question 52

What are the maternal breed types?

Answer 52

Belcare, Lleyn, Mule, Easy care, Galway, Rouge

Question 53

What is the primary target for maternal breed types?

Answer 53

Future breeding stock

Question 54

What are the features of the maternal breed?

Answer 54

Good natural mothering abilities, good colostrum & milk production ability, high weaning efficency & high litter size

Question 55

What are the 2 breeds that make up Belcare improver?

Answer 55

Finish landrace, Galway & Lleyn

Question 56

what were the 2 features of the Belcare improver of the 1970's?

Answer 56

v high litter size & poor confirmation

Question 57

What size are lleyns?

Answer 57

Medium size - 75kg

Question 58

Avg litter size for Lleyns?

Answer 58

1.9 lambs per ewe

Question 59

True/False: The popularity of Lleyns have increased in the last 10 yrs?

Answer 59

true

Question 60

What are the 2 types of mule breed?

Answer 60

Bluefaced Leicester ram & Blackface mountain or Lanark ewe

Question 61

How many lambs do Bluefaced Leicester rams average?

Answer 61

2.3 lambs per ewe

Question 62

What is the avg litter size for the mule?

Answer 62

1.9 lambs per ewe

Question 63

What are the main benefits of a mule?

Answer 63

Easy to manage & adaptable to dif production systems.

Question 64

What breed comes on top for breeds as sires of flock replacements & what is the avg number of lambs reared/joined per ewe?

Answer 64

Belclaire Lambs reared/joined per ewe = 1.65

Question 65

What breed comes on top for breeds as sires of flock replacements & what is the number of lambs reared/joined per ewe?

Answer 65

Texel Lambs reared/joined per ewe = 1.3

Question 66

How many ewes were in the Lyons comparison flock?

Answer 66

360 ewes

Question 67

What % emphasis is put on the following traits for TermReplacement Indexes? Health, Lambing, Carcass & Growth?

Answer 67

Health - 1% Lambing - 14% Carcass - 6% Growth - 19% Maternal - 60%