John Large farms in Gortnahoe, Co. Tipperary, running a predominantly sheep enterprise with 650 mid-season ewes lambing from the beginning of March, alongside 35 suckler cows that calve in the autumn. Between 80 and 90 percent of his ewes are involved in collecting performance data on pedigree rams for Sheep Ireland.
John’s relationship with Natural Stockcare goes back around 15 years. “I was actually at the ploughing match one year and I happened to be speaking with Jack Ryan from Natural Stockcare,” he says. “And I suppose since then I’ve been using the products.”
Twin Plus: From 1.5 Lambs Sold Per Ewe to 1.75
The first product John used was Twin Plus. The goal was straightforward: more lambs scanned, more lambs born alive, and ultimately more lambs sold per ewe per year.
“I’ve probably moved up from selling one and a half lambs per year, or even maybe a bit less, up to selling 1.7 and 1.75 continuously now — not just one year.”
That consistency is the key point. Twin Plus is a vitamin, energy, and trace element supplement designed for the pre-mating and late pregnancy periods — the two phases where ewe nutrition has the biggest influence on litter size and lamb viability.
Cobalt B12: Tackling Slow Lambs After Weaning
John has also used Cobalt B12 for ten to twelve years. “This part of the country is low in cobalt, so I know I’m definitely low in cobalt,” he says.
The signs were visible in the lambs after weaning. “I was getting these lambs that were very slow to thrive after weaning, with kind of spoiled, stainy wool on them.” The response was clear once the deficiency was addressed. “Once I dosed them a couple of times with the Cobalt B12, they improved, and that’s why I used it.”
Cobalt deficiency is common across parts of Tipperary and the midlands, and it shows up most obviously in young stock that should be growing but aren’t — dull coats, poor thrift, and lambs that just won’t finish.
Stockline: Copper Where It’s Needed
The move to Stockline came after blood sampling. “We did a few blood samples on lambs and ewes and they came back with results where we were slightly low on copper,” John explains. “Talking to the rep from Natural Stockcare, he came up with this product where copper was included – Stockline, and that’s why I’ve used it.”
Stockline includes copper alongside a broad vitamin and trace element profile, making it suitable where blood results confirm a copper requirement — as distinct from Sheep Boost, which John uses as the copper-free option for general lamb supplementation before and after weaning.
Easier to Finish, Easier to Grade
The common theme across all four products comes down to finishing. “It’s easier to finish lambs, definitely. That was my big problem — to get lambs to grade and to get a fat score on them that wasn’t getting penalised in the factory. These products seem to help that.”
And the philosophy behind it is simple. “It’s a lot easier to prevent something than to cure something. If by dosing with any of the Natural Stockcare products you’re decreasing the amount of problems you have, you’re definitely increasing the amount of time you have available to do other tasks.”
After 15 years, John has no hesitation. “There’s no problem recommending any of their products. If you have a problem and you know what it is, there’s a product there from Natural Stockcare.”
To find out more about Twin Plus, Cobalt B12, Stockline, and Sheep Boost, visit the full product range or get in touch with the Natural Stockcare team.
