Robert Abbott

Location: Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford

Farm Size: 30.4ha Variable

System: Suckler to Weanling

Details:

Currently split calving spring and summer. Robert also runs a small sheep flock on the farm so cashflow is good throughout the summer. Output on the farm is low, like most weanling producers and going forward he intends to finish more stock.

Soil fertility is on the low side but paddocks are fairly well laid out already. Robert is in the middle of reseeding a big block of ground and the plan would be to reseed the whole farm over the duration of the programme.

In 2018, he plans to have a simpler system streamlining the calving period by going all spring-March/April. A later spring calving suits the land type and it’ll tie in well with his small sheep enterprise as his flock lambs down in January.

Mandatory Challenges

• Two tonne grass challenge – All farms to aim to increase by 2 Tonne/DM/ha
• Farm finance challenge – Gross margin target €1250/ha on average
• Farm safety challenge – Farms to introduce 2 positive changes annually

Optional Challenges

• Breeding challenge – Increase average replacement value of herd by €20 over course of programme and meet all herd fertility targets
• Herd health challenge – Aim to reduce antibiotic input by 20% and develop herd health plan
• Soil fertility challenge -Aim for 70% of farm at index 3 P&K. Ph – aim for 6.1 (5.7 on peat soils)
• Mixed grazing challenge -Establish blueprint for successful mixed grazing on farms

Read more on the challenges

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