Beef
Calving difficulty scores – do they deliver?
Calving difficulty scores – do they deliver? Suckler farmers, stemming from the necessity of producing a live calf annually with minimal intervention, have become more attuned to the calving difficulty scores of the sires used on their farms. But how representative are the figures that appear in AI catalogues or the ICBF’s […]
12 March 2025
Testing for anthelmintic resistance on Irish farms
Testing for anthelmintic resistance on Irish farms Dr. Orla Keane of Teagasc Grange, Co. Meath is part of new project that will test for anthelmintic resistance in Ireland. Good worm control is a cornerstone of pasture-based beef production and is currently highly dependent on the use of wormers (anthelmintics). However, gut worms […]
12 March 2025
A productive start to the year for Ger McSweeney
A productive start to the year for Ger McSweeney The calving season is going well, with strong performance in breeding, young bull development, and calf health. Ger is focusing on improving carcass weights, colostrum management, and overall herd efficiency. Breeding On the day of the visit 70% of the cows had calved. […]
10 March 2025
Grazing management for dairy-beef systems
0 Grazing management for dairy-beef systems Achieving the desired levels of animal performance at pasture is critical for dairy-beef systems. Target weight gains can be achieved from grass-only diets where the correct management practices are implemented. Key components of efficient grazing systems Infrastructure Good grazing infrastructure (roads and paddocks) maximise grass utilisation. An […]
8 March 2025
Is my winter fluke control programme working?
0 Is my winter fluke control programme working? With most cattle now indoors for more than 12 weeks and turnout fast approaching, Beef Specialist at Teagasc, Catherine Egan explains why now is the time to check the effectiveness of your winter fluke control programme. Last November, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the […]
7 March 2025
Parasite control and anthelmintic resistance
0 Parasite control and anthelmintic resistance Teagasc Researcher, Orla Keane is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss parasite control and anthelmintic resistance. Orla highlights the importance of reviewing your farm health plan at this time of year and she discusses the project that she is involved in called the, ‘Managing Anthelmintic […]
5 March 2025
Setting heifers up for a successful breeding season
0 Setting heifers up for a successful breeding season With the 2025 calving season well underway at Newford, attentions are now turning to this year’s breeding season. Michael Fagan outlines how the replacement heifers are being managed to maximise success. The breeding and management of our replacement heifers is one of the key […]
5 March 2025
Rearing dairy-beef calves this spring – have you done your sums?
0 Rearing dairy-beef calves this spring – have you done your sums? Did you know that at current costs, it will cost close to €60,000 to buy and rear 100, two-week old early-maturing calves to weaning at 10-12 weeks of age? Gordon Peppard, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, tells us how this is the case. […]
5 March 2025
Increasing the profitability of dairy-beef using the Commercial Beef Value
0 Increasing the profitability of dairy-beef using the Commercial Beef Value In recent years, there has been a notable increase in dairy-beef cattle in Ireland. Historically, beef farmers lacked important information regarding the ‘genetic quality’ of dairy-bred cattle. However, the introduction of the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) has addressed this gap. This decision […]
2 March 2025
Put lime at the top of your fertiliser shopping list
Put lime at the top of your fertiliser shopping list Drystock farmers have been encouraged to make spreading lime a priority on their farms this year. Confirmed by results of soil tests carried out on drystock farms nationally over 2024 and presented in the Teagasc Soil Fertility Report 2024, many soils on […]
27 February 2025