Herd Profile

Animals

Johnstown castle receives 250 calves (at 15 weeks of age) in May/June of each year for the Teagasc/ABP dairy beef programme. These animals are also used for the Teagasc Herbage allowance Trial. The animals are kept at Johnstown Castle until slaughter at between 19 and 26 months of age.

In addition to the Dairy Beef Programme animals, each year there are a number of commercial cattle bought to graze the non-experimental ground. The commerical cattle usually consist of autumn or spring born dairy cattle and some spring born Angus and Hereford dairy-bred calves that are reared on the farm.

For a number of years, the maternal herd yearlings (~116) were grazed for their second season and wintered in Johnstown castle prior to slaughter – see Genetics and breeds – Rob Prendiville (pdf).

System

For the dairy-beef trials, reared calves are typically obtained in May/June. They are let out to grass and supplemented with 1.0 kg of concentrate/head/day. The calves are rehoused in November and fed good quality silage ad lib and 1.5-2.0 kg concentrates, with spring turnout typically the end of February/beginning of March, weather depending.

The aim is to finish the heifers at 19-21months of age (October/November), being fed 2.5 kg concentrate DM for 60 days pre-slaughter. The steers are finished between 21 and 26 months of age. 

Steers that are not fit for slaughter at 21 months are housed for their second winter when target closing farm pasture cover is reached, or as dictated by weather conditions (October/November). The indoor feeding programme includes ad lib silage. Those that remain to be finished after the second winter are turned out in March (weather depending) and typically killed in June after 100 days at pasture.