DairyBeef 500

Making dairy beef pay: James O’Sullivan’s farm system

Alan Dillon, DairyBeef 500 Manager, and James O’Sullivan, DairyBeef 500 farmer from Co. Cork, discuss James’ farm system and upcoming farm walk on this episode of the Beef Edge podcast.
31 August 2026

Labour efficient and profitable DairyBeef 500 farm to host farm walk

Focused very much on making a dairy-beef system as labour efficient as possible, DairyBeef 500 participant, James O’Sullivan will host a farm walk on September 3rd, DairyBeef 500 Programme Manager, Alan Dillon previews the event.
19 August 2026

Dry weather taking its toll on Cork DairyBeef 500 farm

In this Signpost update, DairyBeef 500 participant, Denis Hickey shares how he’s managing through the extended dry spell, focused on keeping young stock performing despite the shortage of grass.
19 August 2026

Six Steps to Protect Dairy-Beef Cattle’s Performance During Dry Weather

The current spell of prolonged dry weather has significantly reduced grass growth on many farms, particularly across the south and south-east of the country. While grass supplies remain adequate in other regions, some farmers are already supplementing cattle at grass with silage and concentrates. Gordon Peppard, DairyBeef 500 Programme Advisor, shares his top tips to protect performance during dry weather.
22 July 2026

Signpost update: Helping later-born calves catch up

Regardless of year, dairy-beef farmers will often end up with a cohort of lighter calves. Here, DairyBeef 500 Programme participant, Denis Hickey outlines his strategy to keep younger and lighter calves thriving at grass.
17 July 2026

To feed or not to feed?

At this time of year, one of the most common questions asked is whether calves should continue to receive concentrates during the summer months. DairyBeef 500 Advisor, Fergal Maguire shares some essential reading.
8 July 2026

Keeping Dairy Beef Performance on Track This Summer

DairyBeef 500 advisor, Tommy Cox, gives some top tips to manage your dairy beef system in the coming weeks and Teagasc advisor, John Kilboyle, previews the National DairyBeef 500 Open Day on the farm of Keith and Olivia Lowry taking place on the 9th July in Co Galway.
3 July 2026

Labour-efficient DairyBeef 500 participants to host national farm walk

Operating a predominantly early maturing steer system in Cappadavock, near Tuam, Co. Galway, DairyBeef 500 participants, Olivia and Keith Lowry will host a national farm walk on Thursday, July 9. John Kilboyle, Drystock Enterprise Advisor, Teagasc Galway/Clare, previews the event.
2 July 2026

2025 a landmark year for DairyBeef 500 profits but uncertainty looms

Established to achieve an average net margin of €500/ha on calf to beef farms, all profitability expectations were surpassed on DairyBeef 500 monitor farms in 2025.
1 July 2026

Maintaining calf performance at grass – see it in practice

With most calves now out at grass, attention is turning to maintaining the performance achieved during the calf-rearing period. Tommy Cox visits DairyBeef 500 participants, Olivia and Keith Lowry to share some of the practices in place on their farm.
24 June 2026