Father and son team, Charles and Charlie Smyth run a progressive and commercially successful dairy calf to beef operation just outside Virginia, Co. Cavan.
Participants in the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Campaign, their system centres on maximising beef output from grass, consistently hitting key performance targets, and managing costs to ensure a healthy profit.
Calf purchases and management
Each spring, the Smyths purchase around 100 calves, both male and female, and a mix of Fleckvieh, Angus, Hereford, Friesian, and a small number of continental crosses such as Belgian Blue, Limousin, and Charolais. Whether sourced directly from farms, or through local marts, Commercial Beef Value (CBV) is prioritised, with Charlie placing a firm emphasis on quality.
Charlie does things slightly differently when it comes to weaning calves. They are usually kept inside for one month after coming off milk and are fed a diet of ad-lib meal and straw. Charlie believes that this is key to having a calf that is well able to thrive when they go to grass.
Explaining as to why calves are supplemented with meal throughout the summer, Charlie explained: “I think the kilogram of meal is great for holding the condition on calves because not every day is going to be dry and sunny, and the reality is that not every day they will be going into the right grass covers either.”
Despite sourcing calves from a wide range of suppliers, a strict health plan keeps calf mortality impressively low at under 1% annually. All calves are put on a vaccination programme for pneumonia and IBR shortly after arrival.
Keeping the meal bill down
Operating across five fragmented land blocks on a mix of free-draining and heavy drumlin soils, the Smyths’ farm presents a challenge that many beef farmers face; if weather conditions are tricky in the spring, cattle may not get out until April.
So, key to keeping the meal bill down is to make good quality silage. First-cut silage was mown on the 15th of May and will test at around mid-70s DMD (Dry Matter Digestibility). Now with such high grass growth rates, a lot of surplus paddocks are being taken out as high-quality baled silage.
Grass utilisation is another focus area on the farm. Charlie has installed a new paddock system with centralised water troughs and temporary fencing to allow for flexibility and rotational grazing. Cattle are typically moved every three days to improve grass utilisation.
Looking ahead, Charlie is determined to push animal performance further by improving grazing management.
He explained: “If you’re not measuring what you have, you’re more than likely to graze heavy covers out of fear of running out of grass. That can really affect weight gain. This year, I’m putting a real focus on measuring grass to optimise cattle performance. I want a lot of my 2024-born cattle as close to 500kg by the first of October, and I just won’t achieve this if I’m constantly going into heavy grass covers.”
Additionally, since joining the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Campaign, the Smyths have invested heavily in farm infrastructure. In 2024, they constructed a modern finishing shed capable of comfortably housing 64 finishing cattle.
Upcoming event
Charlie and Charles Smyth will open their farm gates to host a Teagasc DairyBeef 500 farm walk on the evening of Thursday, July 10th at 7pm, on their farm just outside Virginia, Co. Cavan. This event promises to be a valuable opportunity for anyone involved in dairy calf to beef to see at first-hand how a simple system, from calf rearing to finishing beef cattle, can be labour efficient while at the same time generating good levels of profitability.
Charlie Smyth features on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to give an insight into his dairy beef system and upcoming farm walk. Listen in below:
Along with the Smyths, Teagasc advisors and specialists will be available on the night of the farm walk for interactive discussions and to answer all questions that arise. There will be a lot of valuable information and experiences to be shared and anyone with an interest in dairy calf to beef systems should feel free to attend. We look forward to welcoming you on the night.
For more information on the DairyBeef 500 Farm Walk on Charlie Smyth’s farm, visit here.