Maximising output on suckler farms focus of upcoming webinar

Suckler farmers will have the opportunity to learn ways to improve herd performance and profitability during an upcoming webinar hosted by the Teagasc Future Beef Programme.

A webinar, titled Maximising Output on the Suckler Farm, will take place on Tuesday, March 24 at 8:00pm. The webinar will be chaired by Future Beef Programme Advisor, Aisling Molloy and will feature contributions from Alan Kelly of University College Dublin, veterinary practitioner, Frank O’Sullivan and Future Beef farmer, Ruairí Cummins.

This webinar will focus on maximising output while balancing inputs and labour. A central theme of the discussion will be achieving a calf per cow per year, a key building block in developing a profitable and efficient suckler system.

Key topics on the night will include genetics for fertility and management, key management factors affecting cow and bull fertility, and nutrition. Speakers will also examine bull management, including acclimatisation and appropriate bull-to-cow ratios, along with observation and breeding management during the breeding season.

Other areas to be discussed include the culling of empty cows, the viability of retaining non-pregnant animals, and the management of heifers calving at 24 months. Farmers will also learn how to benchmark herd performance using ICBF reports and compare results with the top 10% of suckler farms.

The event is part of a wider series of breeding webinars being organised by the Teagasc Future Beef Programme.

For more and to register for the Future Beef Breeding webinars, visit here.