Beef
Should I bulk up silage in the first cut?
Should I bulk up silage in the first cut? After a long winter that exhausted silage stocks on many farms, the temptation is to ‘bulk up’ the first cut of silage. However, this may prove to be a false economy. Teagasc research shows that you are better to take two cuts, starting […]
26 April 2024
Breeding season commences at Newford
Breeding season commences at Newford With calving completed, Michael Fagan outlines the breeding programme for the Newford herd, highlighting the sires that will be used over the coming weeks. After starting on January 29, calving came to a conclusion at Newford on April 15. Like all parts of the country during the […]
25 April 2024
Replacing used P and K
Replacing used P and K A recent Teagasc Beef Newsletter article addresses the decline in soil phosphorous and potassium levels due to reduced fertiliser application, its impact on nitrogen efficiency and farm emissions, and provides recommendations to mitigate these effects. Fertiliser sales of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) have fallen considerably over […]
24 April 2024
Getting turnout right with dairy-beef calves
Getting turnout right with dairy-beef calves Fergal Maguire, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, flags the importance of ensuring the successful transition of dairy-beef calves to grass, noting why it’s critical for performance until housing. In the next month, calf to beef producers will start letting calves out to grass. In most cases, if the […]
24 April 2024
Dispelling some of the myths around TB
Dispelling some of the myths around TB David Quinn, Superintending Veterinary Inspector at the Department Of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is on this week’s joint episode of the Dairy Edge and the Beef Edge with hosts James Dunne and Catherine Egan to dispel some of the myths around TB (Bovine Tuberculosis). […]
24 April 2024
Growing Organics: Navigating a difficult spring in Kerry
Growing Organics: Navigating a difficult spring in Kerry Thomas Kavanagh, a participant in the Growing Organics Monitor Farm Programme, operates a suckler to weanling system outside Dingle, Co. Kerry. Like so many farms across the country, a wet spring has brought challenges in terms of grazing and readying silage crops. Farming 36ha […]
22 April 2024
Beef farm actions for the coming weeks
Beef farm actions for the coming weeks On the back of the current weather challenges, this week’s Beef Edge podcast features Gabriel Trayers, Future Beef Programme Advisor, and Alan Dillion, Manager of the DairyBeef 500 Campaign, who provide an update from around the country and offer tips and advice for beef farms […]
17 April 2024
Getting your cow back in calf – the key factors to consider
Getting your cow back in calf – the key factors to consider The Teagasc Future Beef team hosted a webinar recently, which focused on the challenge of ‘getting your cow back in calf’, Aisling Molloy summarises the key points in this article. The average gestation length of a beef cow is 288 […]
17 April 2024
Making a start at grazing – small numbers, large areas
Making a start at grazing – small numbers, large areas Turnout has been delayed on many beef farms across the country. With a turnaround in the weather forecast, Martina Harrington, Future Beef Programme Manager, provides some key tips on managing the transition back to grass. Martina explained: “A wet spring has limited […]
16 April 2024
Dairy Beef Index Series: Mullen family farm, County Meath
Dairy Beef Index Series: Mullen family farm, County Meath The DairyBeef 500 team discusses the operations of the Mullen family dairy farm in County Meath, in the first of five Dairy Beef Index Series articles. The Mullen family are farming 158 hectares of good free draining land outside Kells in County Meath. […]
15 April 2024