Keeping Dairy Beef Performance on Track This Summer
DairyBeef 500 advisor, Tommy Cox, gives some top tips to manage your dairy beef system in the coming weeks and Teagasc advisor, John Kilboyle, previews the National DairyBeef 500 Open Day on the farm of Keith and Olivia Lowry taking place on the 9th July in Co Galway.
Tommy outlines the key grassland management tips for dairy-beef farmers currently and into July and August, particularly in a year with variable growth rates and weather conditions. He discusses the liveweight gains farmers should be targeting for grazing cattle over the summer months, and how can they monitor performance effectively. Tommy discusses the different options for farmers to consider before introducing concentrates to grazing cattle, and what factors should influence that decision. He also warns about some of the main animal health risks during late summer particularly lung worm, including parasites and respiratory issues, and what preventative measures should be taken.
Operating a predominantly early-maturing steer system on 30.6 hectares of free-draining land, the farm has undergone significant development in recent years with a strong focus on grassland management, calf performance, animal health and infrastructure improvement. The farm currently rears both autumn and spring-born dairy-beef calves with 80 calves being reared on the farm and John explains how the Lowrys put a strong emphasis on sourcing calves from a small number of trusted dairy farms and the benefits this has meant in terms of calf performance, health and overall management. A lot of investment has gone into grazing infrastructure, with the new paddock system, roadway and water network which has improved grass utilisation, production and labour efficiency. John discusses how reseeding has been a key part of the farm development plan and the benefits in terms of silage quality and animal performance.
Topics to be discussed on the evening include:
- Calf sourcing and rearing strategies
- Calf health and vaccination programmes
- Grassland management and grazing infrastructure
- Silage quality and winter feed planning
- Labour-efficient farming systems
This is a great opportunity to meet with the DairyBeef 500 team. Teagasc advisors and industry stakeholders and sponsors of the DairyBeef 500 programme Corteva, Drummonds, Liffey Mills, Munster Bovine, MSD Animal Health and Volac.
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