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Newford Farm May/June Update 2026

Newford Farm Notes Week Beginning 25/05/2026

General Detail

The Breeding season started on Monday the 20th of April and 100% AI is being used on the farm again in 2026.

  • There are 82 mature cows and maiden heifers for breeding this year on the farm.
  • Within the first three weeks of breeding , 69 of the mature cows put forward for breeding  were inseminated (84 % of the herd )
  • Up to Saturday the 23rd of May, 75 cows or 91% of the herd has been inseminated (33 days)
  • Any cow that has not cycled yet has been checked out by the vet and two of them received a CIDR.
  • The breeding season will last for 10 weeks and finish on the 29th of June.
  • The cows are batched into two groups (40 per group +/-) for the breeding season and a teaser bull is running with each group.
  • Teaser bulls have been fitted with Moocall heat detection technology along with a chin ball harness for marking the cows.

Figure 1 Teaser Bulls have been fitted with Moocall heat detection collars and cows have been tagged with an electronic tag. When a cow is in heat a text message detailing the tag number of the cow in heat will be sent to a nominated mobile phone number.

  • Cows have also been tail painted yellow for the first round of breeding. This has since being changed to green for the second breeding cycle.
  • Once a day AI is being used and cows are being inseminated at midday each day.
    • If a cow is inseminated at 12 noon and she is still showing signs of standing heat again that evening, that same cow will be AI’d again the next day (12 noon).

Replacement Heifers

  • There are 27 replacement heifers for breeding, and they were synchronised on the 17th of April and AI on Friday the 18th of April ( 8-day synchronisation programme)

Grassland

  • Utilisation of all paddocks is excellent at the moment with all paddocks been grazed out well.
  • The farm cover on the farm this week is 586 Kg/DM/ha with a growth of 72 Kg/DM/Ha and a demand of 36 Kg/DM/Ha .
  • 23 units of protected Urea is begin spread after each grazing at the moment.
  • The farm is taking out 13 Ha for round bales as there will be a substantial increase in grass growth during this fine weather at the moment and this will help to keep the farm cover under control .
  • The farm is aiming to cut its 1st cut silage early next week on Neilan’s farm.

Beef Animals

  • All the beef animals were weighed on the 18th of May.
    • The average weight of the (40) bullocks was 483 kg and the heifers ( 36) was 463 Kg.
    • The bullocks ADG since turnout (6th March ) was 0.84 Kg / day.
    • The heifers ADG since turnout ( 3rd March) was 0.72 Kg/day.
two‑column summary table under the heading “Yearling Weights 2026” with the Newford logo above each column. Left column (group 423) — weighing date 18 May 2026, turnout to grass 6 March, Yearling Male: number of males 40, average birth weight 44 kg, group weight on 18 May 2026 = 483 kg, average age about 15 months (458 days), ADG from birth to 18 May = 0.98 kg/day, ADG from turnout (6 March to 18 May, 73 days) = 0.84 kg/day. Right column (group 422) — weighing date 18 May 2026, turnout to grass 3 March, Heifer Yearlings: number of heifers 36, average birth weight 43 kg, group weight on 18 May 2026 = 463 kg, average age about 14.7 months (448 days), ADG from birth to 18 May = 0.94 kg/day, ADG from turnout (3 March to 18 May, 76 days) = 0.72 kg/day.

Figure 2 Yearling weights 2026 males & heifers

Side‑on photograph of two yearling cattle standing on short green grass under clear sky. The left animal is light brown with an ear tag, listed as sired by Whitecliff Orwell, born 4 March 2025, weighing 490 kg on 18 May 2026; reported ADG (average daily gain) from birth 1.00 kg/day and from turnout (6 March to 18 May) 1.05 kg/day. The right animal is predominantly black with a white face and an ear tag, listed as sired by Gstadd, born 23 February 2025, weighing 540 kg on 18 May 2026; reported ADG from birth 1.10 kg/day and ADG from turnout (6 March to 18 May) 0.64 kg/day.

Figure 3 Yearlings

Women in Agriculture visit Newford Demonstration Farm

Members of the Women in Agriculture group recently visited Newford Demonstration Farm, Scrine , Co Roscommon, where they received an insightful overview of the farm’s operations. The visit provided an opportunity to gain experience about best practices in sustainable beef production, grassland management, and efficient farm systems. Attendees engaged in open discussion, sharing experiences and ideas in a supportive environment. Newford Farm was delighted to host the group, fostering collaboration, education, and a continued commitment to innovation within the agricultural community.

Figure 4 Women in Agriculture members visiting Newford Demonstration Farm