A bittersweet time for me in Ireland over the last 5 weeks. Here are all the tips and unusual strategies we used while lambing in Ireland with my brother.

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Focus on Forelimbs

Forelimbs, front legs or shoulders in a sheep actually hold up to 60 per cent of the weight of a sheep! I chatted with Matt Hill from Aurora Park Hampshire Downs and Border Leicester stud recently to explore all things fore in sheep!

How important are shoulders?

Matt remarks that there is more pressure on the front legs as they hold up more of the animal overall. Shoulders are important for three crucial functions. These are: standing up, walking and running. As a prey animal their shoulder function is built to run away from predators—like running away from us when we walk into their paddocks sometimes! Their shoulder function is built to run and run fast!

Matt Hill is a third-generation sheep farmer and stud breeder. Matt actually breeds seven breeds of sheep, three breeds being registered ASSBA stud sheep! Matt is a prolific collector and reader of sheep books and a big podcast consumer too.

Matt runs Aurora Park Hampshire Down and Border Leicester stud. He also has a Shropshire stud too! Matt also runs Shepherd Tech, a Laparoscopic AI services business specialising in AI in Sheep.

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So what is the natural grazing behaviour of sheep and how does it compare to a goat or cow. When should my sheep be feeding/eating and for how long? No doubt there are all thoughts you have had while ruminating on your sheep! Well in this episode I explore my own observations and research on the topic of sheep grazing behaviour.
Enjoy ruminating on this one!

Here are the big words I mentioned:
Crepuscular pattern - grazing at twilight and dusk

Photosynthetic activity in plants in then afternoon

Research mentioned:
www.redalyc.org/journal/3031/303168054026/html/

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