One thing most people agree on this year – the weather seems all over the place, writes Nerys Wright. A week of record heat followed by torrential rain and a sudden drop in temperature, and it does make life that bit harder on farm.
It’s not about getting into debates about climate, but there’s no denying that the year-to-year variation feels bigger. And the real challenge isn’t just the weather itself – it’s what it does to our decisions.
Grass doesn’t follow a steady pattern. It can go from growing too fast to not growing at all within a fortnight. Lambs can be flying one week and just ticking over the next. Ewes that looked fine at weaning can lose condition quicker than expected if grass quality drops or intakes dip during hot spells.
The biggest this season is relying on what worked last year. It’s easy to think, “we did this in June and July and it worked well” – but this season is rarely behaving the same way.
Copying last year’s plan can actually put you on the back foot. Years like this reward being flexible rather than sticking rigidly to a system. A few simple things can make a big difference:
- Keep measuring, not guessing – condition score ewes, keep an eye on lamb growth, and walk your grass
- React earlier – small checks in performance are easier to fix than big ones
- Be prepared to change plan – whether that’s moving groups, splitting mobs or introducing feed sooner than expected
- And most importantly, watch the sheep, not the calendar
It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget when you are busy. What happens over the next couple of months will still have a big influence on finishing lambs and getting ewes in the right place for tupping. The difference this year is that getting there might look very different to last year. Same farm, same flock – just a slightly different set of rules to work with.
Nerys Wright is an independent sheep consultant. Call 07891 187643 or visit sheepconsultancy.co.uk.