Beef

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

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

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

Fergal Maguire’s advice for milk replacer feeding
Fergal Maguire’s advice for milk replacer feeding Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor, Fergal Maguire discusses key tips around milk replacer to maximise performance on this week’s Beef Edge podcast. Fergal explains the pros and cons around skim-based or whey-based milk replacer, before outlining the concentration of replacer and its components. Temperature of milk […]
26 February 2025

Aidan and Luke Maguires’ approach to calf rearing
Aidan and Luke Maguires’ approach to calf rearing Between autumn 2024 and spring 2025, Aidan and Luke Maguire will rear over 160 calves. DairyBeef 500 Advisor to the farm, Fergal Maguire takes a close look at the calf rearing programme, which prioritises rumen development. The primary goal of the calf rearing process […]
26 February 2025

DairyBeef 500 tips on calf sourcing
DairyBeef 500 tips on calf sourcing Close to 400,000 calves will move between dairy and beef farms over the next few months. DairyBeef 500 Advisor, Tommy Cox shares insights from the demonstration farms as to how they are sourcing calves that will perform on their systems. With 15 farmers enrolled in the […]
25 February 2025
Preparing for a successful calving season – Michael Biggins’ approach
Preparing for a successful calving season – Michael Biggins’ approach Michael and Niall Biggins, a father and son team from Glencorrib, Co. Mayo, have left no stone unturned in their preparations for the spring calving season ahead. Participants in the Teagasc Future Beef Programme and carrying a herd of ~70 suckler cows, […]
25 February 2025
The calving jack hack you need to know
The calving jack hack you need to know Did you know the calving jack’s uses extend further than just a calving aid? Often used to assist in complicated calvings, a calving jack can also be a useful tool in caring for the newborn calf, especially those which may have inhaled fluid during […]
24 February 2025

Data on calving times
Data on calving times Noeleen Brereton, Mark Mcgee, Peter Doyle and Bernadette Earley of the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath report on the calving times of suckler cows over a 16-year period. At Teagasc Grange, the calving times of 1,535 spring-calving suckler cows were recorded […]
23 February 2025