Having spent a number of years researching the effect of multispecies swards on animal performance in University College Dublin Lyons Research Farm, Sligo native Jonathan Higgins is putting the swards to the test on his family farm.

Jonathan and his father Philip farm 90ha in partnership in Skreen in west Sligo, running a flock of 200 Texel x Mule-cross and Suffolk x Mule-cross ewes, alongside 50 replacement ewe lambs lambing down in mid-March. There is also a substantial contract-rearing enterprise, consisting of 320 contract-reared pedigree Jersey heifers (160 zero to one years and 160 one to two years).

Multispecies sward

The farm is in its fourth year of growing multispecies swards and the men have found that it works for their system, enhancing lamb performance. Swards have been sown from May to early July (influenced by weather), to have the sward established and ready for grazing as an aid to finishing lambs.

It is used primarily to finish ram lambs, with lambs transferred on to the sward for a period before slaughter. The Higgins have found that the sward is delivering in supporting higher daily liveweight gain, while also improving slaughter performance.

The area is split in three to four divisions and grazed rotationally. The number of lambs transferred on to the grazing area is dependent on the volume of forage present, with the aim of keeping the optimum balance in ensuring forage remains in top-quality without running the risk of running short.

Philip and Jonathan Higgins.

Farm experience

Jonathan explains that the best year in terms of the volume of herbs grown is the first year, with persistency of such reducing by upwards of 50% in the second year and typically at a very low level or depleted by year three.

He explains that this is not a problem for him as the multispecies swards are incorporated into a reseeding programme with the net result of a high-quality perennial ryegrass-clover sward remaining. For this reason he highlights that it is important to ensure that the variety of ryegrass and white clover sown is of good quality.

“The sward we sowed in 2022 is now mostly good-quality ryegrass and clover. We cut it for the second time this week and it is flying. The sward we sowed in 2023 has been part cut as surplus grass and will be cut again. In addition to high-quality grazing, it is delivering top-quality winter feed.”

Sward management

The sward in its second year is used primarily to graze yearling hoggets, rearing lambs and some problem ewes/orphan lambs. Jonathan explains that management is not too dissimilar to ryegrass-based swards.

“We probably don’t go as tight with the grazing and usually graze to a post-grazing height of about 5cm. We have steered clear of spreading slurry on it for the first two years, as I thought that may have contributed to weeds, and we make sure that we keep the pH and soil fertility right in terms of regular lime and P and K application. We don’t avoid nitrogen and instead reduce the quantity applied – we applied about 17 units in the latest round, when ryegrass swards would probably be getting 22 to 23 units.”

Weeds have not typically been a problem, but Jonathan explains that site selection and previous management is critical in this regard.

“The crop doesn’t always look as uniform as ryegrass, but that does not matter when it is delivering in lamb performance. The mix sown is as per the Department specification for the multispecies sward measure, which has been a great incentive and support in increasing the area sown for us.”

System overview

Output on the farm is impressive, with ewes typically scanning at 1.9 lambs per ewe joined, while ewe lambs scan at 1.4 lambs per ewe joined. Ewes are mated to Texel, Suffolk and Belclare rams, with Beltex genetics used for ewe lambs. All lambs are marketed through the Sligo/Leitrim Lamb Producer Group to Irish Country Meats in Navan.

One-hundred-and-sixty weaned calves arrive on the farm in May and are returned to the dairy herd in-calf in October of the following year. A heat detection neck collar system is in place to facilitate a compact breeding season. The two systems intertwine positively, with ewes and older heifers grazing out swards from now on and following lambs/calves.

Farm walk

The farm (F91 D924) will host an Irish Grassland Association sheep farm walk on Tuesday 8 July 2025, starting at 6.30pm. The event, sponsored by Mullinahone Co-op, will offer refreshments from 6pm and concentrate primarily on the role of multispecies swards, but also touch on many other elements of the production system.