Newford Farm Update Sept/October 2026

Newford Farm Notes (Week Beginning) 31/08/2026.

General detail

To-date weather conditions remain the main topic of discussion on the farm. Similar to much of the country , rainfall has been significantly below normal levels, with only 56 mm of rain recorded in the past 63 days at Newford.

Suckler Herd Scanning Results 

The suckler herd has now been pregnancy scanned. Of the 79 cows bred at the start of the breeding season :

• 67 cows scanned in-calf ( 85% conception rate)
  • 55 cows held to first service
  • 9 cows held to second service
  • 1 cow held to third service
  • 1 cow held to fourth service
• Two cows were scanned carrying twins.
• A total of 27 maiden heifers were synchronised and bred at the start of the breeding season.
  • 19 heifers scanned in-calf ( 70% conception rate)

Beef Welfare Scheme

Newford Farm will be participating in the Beef Welfare Scheme , with the following actions being undertaken.

• Meal feeding of calves ( already commenced on the farm)
• Vaccination programme
• Testing of the three silage samples

Beef Performance Update

All beef animals ( bullocks and heifers) were weighed on 30^th July 2026.

• Bullocks (542kg) achieved an average daily gain of 83 kg/day since turnout ( 146 days)
• Heifers ( 518 kg ) achieved an ADG of64 kg/day since turnout ( 149 days)

Due to the continued dry weather, grass growth had fallen to 18 kg DM /ha/day by mid-August , while farm demand was 43 kg DM/ha/day . As a result , the farm manager made the decision on the 11^th of August to house the Newford beef heifers (36)  along with the eight replacement heifers that had scanned not in-calf.

Housing Details

• 36 Newford beef heifers were housed at approximately 17 months of age.
• Average housing weight was 522 kg.
• The heifers had spent 161 days at grass , having been turned out on the 3^rd of March 2026.
• Individual weights range from 441 kg to 636 kg.

Group performance

• Top 18 heifers average 551kg
• Bottom 18 heifers average 492 Kg.

Winter Feeding Programme

• On housing ( 11^th Aug) , the heifers were introduced to a 3 kg/day maize -based ration ,costing €310 /tonne and containing 12% crude protein.
• This week ,concentrate feeding has increased to 4kg/day alongside 76% DMD silage ad-lib

Animal Health

• Faecal samples have been taken from all animals ,including calves.
• To-date , no animals have required treatment for worms.
• However, the farm manager is continuing to monitor stock closely for any changes in health status, particularly signs of coughing or other respiratory issues.

Grassland

• Grass utilisation across the farm is currently excellent ,with all paddocks being consistently grazed out.
• Current farm cover is 813 kg DM/ha , with a grass growth rate of 35 kg DM/ha/day and a demand of 36 kg /ha /day , leaving approximately 22 days of grazing ahead.
• The additional out-farm, Neilan’s Farm ( 50 acres) , has been incorporated into grazing platform this week , providing valuable extra grazing ground.
• The farm plans to apply one bag / acre of 38N+S across all grazing ground. It has been almost two months since fertilise was last applied ,and this application will represent the final round of fertiliser spreading for the 2026 season.