Beef Newsletter – March 2021

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In this month’s edition:

• Grass10 – getting out to grass
  Teagasc research shows that every day at grass in the springtime is worth €2 per livestock unit. The goal of spring grazing is to get cattle to grass as many days as possible and set the farm up for the summer.
• Schemes update
  This month will see the opening of another year of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme-Suckler (BEEP-S) for suckler farmers. There will also be a dairy calf scheme piloted this year in tandem with BEEP-S, where farmers will be asked to weigh and record dairy-bred calf weights. 
• Teagasc Green Acres slaughter performance 2020
  Having a full year’s slaughter data for 2020 to look back on and digest makes this a good time to think about how last year’s slaughter performance is going to impact on the decisions you make when purchasing calves this spring, before the rush of sourcing and rearing starts.
• Research Update – Importance of milk yield in suckler cows
  Mark McGee and Paul Crosson of Teagasc Grange, Co. Meath report on getting the most growth out of calves to weaning from milk and pasture. Calf daily liveweight gain to weaning is a key performance factor underpinning profitability of suckler calf-to-weanling production systems.
• The Beef Edge podcast
  The Beef Edge is Teagasc’s weekly beef podcast for farmers. Presented by Catherine Egan the podcasts will cover the latest news, information and advice to improve your beef farm performance.
• Health & Safety – Keep organised to keep safe
  Work organisation is crucial in March when the workload peaks. Your alertness and behaviour can prevent injuries and ill health at this busy time.