Management Policy

The farm at Glenwherry is large by Northern Ireland standards (1,000 hectares). Good grassland management is critical to the achievement of production targets and the welfare of stock.

Only 50 hectares (5 percent of the total area of the farm) are suitable for silage making. Field ground needs to be well managed to provide grazing at critical times in the reproductive cycle of the sheep and to provide approximately 2,000 tonnes of silage for the suckler herd and sheep flocks during the winter months. During early spring, freshly lambed ewes utilise early grass on the fields until 1 May when the area is closed for first cut silage. Following second cut silage, fields are used for flushing and mating.

All fields receive 2.5 bags of urea fertiliser per hectacre (57 KG N/Ha) during the first week of March to ensure that there will be early grass available for lactating ewes. When the fields are closed for silage in late April, 7.5 bags of compound fertiliser are applied per hectare (100 KG N/ha) Following first cut silage in June a light dressing of slurry is given between cuts and a further 7.5 bags per hectare compound fertiliser is applied. After second cut 4 bags of nitro chalk per hectare are applied in mid to late August giving adequate grass available for weaned lambs and for flushing and mating ewes.

Marginal parks are dressed with nitrochalk in mid April (50 KG N/ha) and selected areas receive compound fertiliser in May/early June. Nitrochalk is applied on marginal land in early autumn.

These areas are managed on the basis of the Two Pasture System pioneered by the Scottish Agricultural College. Good marginal grazing integrates with the grazing of the outside hills which are mainly blanket peat on which herbage production is limited with a short growing season.

Most of this marginal land is accessible for fertiliser applications and is used in summer to graze suckler cows with their calves together with ewes suckling twin lambs. Single lambs and flock replacements graze the outside hills from late May onwards.

In the autumn following weaning, ewes graze the less productive parts of the farm leaving good marginal pasture available for cattle. Following housing of cattle, marginal pastures again become available for flushing and mating of the ewe flock.