Flock visits have formed an integral part of the breed improvement program since they started in January 2019. They give LambPlus breeders an opportunity to talk one-to-one with a Sheep Ireland person about any concerns that they have, how they can use that data they are collecting to help make better management decisions and to add integrity to the data being collected.
Flock visits have been suspended since mid-March when the Covid-19 restrictions were introduced and will now recommence from June 11th. In this time our Business Analysist David Coen has phoned over 200 LambPlus flocks to offer advice on what they could do improve performance and getting feedback from breeders.
At this time of year, a flock visit would include a full flock assessment, where all the ewes and lambs still on the flock will be weighed and scored for body condition score, lameness, dagginess and mastitis. All this data will be recorded using the LambPlus app, and breeders will have the opportunity to get a option to try recording on the app on their own phones also if they wish. This data will help to increase the accuracy of your flock’s evaluation and help better identify what genetics are working well in your flock for you.
If you would like to have a flock visit please call David on 087 385 9122 or e-mail [email protected] and he will organise a date and time for you.
Any breeders who would like to discuss any other matters such as the inbreeding checker, ordering genotypes or selecting replacement females can do so over the phone by calling 023 882 0451.