Beef
Grazing advice: Act now as key actions need to be taken
Grazing advice: Act now as key actions need to be taken After a testing year thus far for grass growth, Teagasc Grass10 Advisor, Niamh Doyle gives an update on the current grass situation, providing management tips for the coming weeks. on this week’s Beef Edge podcast hosted by Catherine Egan and OviCast […]
24 July 2024
Valuing a standing crop of silage
Valuing a standing crop of silage With second-cut silage underway or nearing harvest, Manager of the Teagasc Future Beef Programme, Martina Harrington provides key figures and tips on how to value a standing crop of silage. To value a standing crop of silage, you first have to look at what is the […]
24 July 2024
Drystock incomes hit by higher costs and lower output in 2023
Drystock incomes hit by higher costs and lower output in 2023 Higher production costs and declines in output over the course of 2023 had a negative impact on the incomes generated on drystock farms nationally, results published through the Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS) 2023 have shown. Published today, July 23, the […]
23 July 2024
Ensuring you have enough fodder for winter 2024-2025
Ensuring you have enough fodder for winter 2024-2025 Following a wet start to 2024 and a prolonged winter housing period, silage and fodder reserves on many farms were completely exhausted this spring. Grass growth to date in 2024 has been poor with further supplementary feeding of fodder taking place in recent weeks […]
22 July 2024
Fence water courses to prevent cattle access
Fence water courses to prevent cattle access Fencing off watercourses to prevent cattle access is recognised as one of the ‘8-Actions for Change’ within the Teagasc Better Farming for Water Campaign, and visitors to the recent Farming for a Better Future Open Day, held in Teagasc Johnstown Castle, heard of the benefits […]
18 July 2024
Reducing the finishing age nationally
Reducing the finishing age nationally Reducing the mean finishing age of prime beef cattle from 26 to 22-23 months by 2030 is fundamental to achieving Ireland’s 25% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. On this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast, Teagasc researcher Paul Smith discusses this topic. Paul […]
17 July 2024
Best practices to protect your herd against TB
Best practices to protect your herd against TB Roisin Scully, KT Masters Student, Teagasc Ballinrobe, shares key areas to manage within your farm gate to reduce the incidence of TB. Incidents of bovine tuberculosis (TB) have been reported to be increasing, even within the last year, despite mandatory herd testing. While many […]
17 July 2024
Difficult year hits Newford weights
Difficult year hits Newford weights A combination of a cold and wet year has resulted in a reduction in animal performance at Newford, Michael Fagan tells us more. Over previous years, bull calves would have achieved an average daily gain (ADG) of 1.25kg plus and heifers would have gained 1.22kg plus per […]
16 July 2024
What is your fodder situation?
What is your fodder situation? Aidan Murray, Beef Specialist, emphasizes the importance of creating a winter fodder budget early, assessing available silage, calculating winter feed requirements, and planning accordingly to ensure sufficient feed reserves. By the time we get to the end of this month, most if not all first- and second-cut […]
14 July 2024
Managing Grass Shortfall on Trevor Boland’s Beef Farm
Managing Grass Shortfall on Trevor Boland’s Beef Farm Grass growth on Trevor’s farm has declined, leading to below-target average farm covers and necessitating measures such as fertilization, supplemental feeding, and potential stock reduction to manage the shortfall until conditions improve. Grassland Like most farms, growth rates have significantly declined in June. As […]
13 July 2024