Beef
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
Redefining the image of organic beef farming
Redefining the image of organic beef farming Ken Gill, an organic suckler farmer and a participant in the Future Beef Programme, was posed an interesting question as part of the ‘Securing your future in beef farming forum’ at the recent BEEF2024 Open Day in Teagasc Grange – ‘Do you get a lot […]
11 July 2024
First open day at Tipperary Dairy Calf to Beef Demonstration Farm
First open day at Tipperary Dairy Calf to Beef Demonstration Farm Demonstrating the best technologies for profitable and sustainable production of beef calves from the dairy herd, the Tipperary Dairy Calf to Beef Demonstration Farm opened its gates, today, July 10, to all farmers to visit and see the progress that has […]
10 July 2024
Energy and farm diversification options for farmers
Energy and farm diversification options for farmers Barry Caslin, Teagasc Energy & Rural Development Specialist, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss energy and farm diversification options and the areas for farmers to consider. It is a very big area including: anaerobic digestion; energy; solar; electricity; biomass; community energy; business […]
10 July 2024