Large crowds attend Tipperary Dairy Beef Demonstration Farm Open Day
The Tipperary Dairy Beef Demonstration Farm opened its gates to over a thousand farmers for a successful open day yesterday, Wednesday, 22nd July.
Pictured L-R: Gus O Brien, Shinagh Estates; Sean Deasy, Shinagh Estates , Donal Mullane Teagasc Tipperary, and Paul Nolan, Dawn Meats.
Attendees could see and explore the highly profitable, sustainable, and labour-efficient dairy-to-beef system, used on the farm.
The farm delivered €1,620 per hectare net profit in 2025 and a €74 per hour return on labour. Projected figures for 2026 were also displayed on the day which reflected the changes in input and output prices in 2026 compared to 2025.
The performance of the calves and the cattle is driven by good animal health practices, including a well planned vaccination protocol for the animals on the farm.
Strong weight gain is achieved through good grassland management, including a planned reseeding programme incorporating clover, and a soil fertility programme driven by soil testing results. Speaking at the Open Day, Chloe Millar, Teagasc Technologist with the Tipperary Dairy Beef Demonstration Farm emphasised the importance of maximising the number of days cattle are at grass to keep costs low. Keeping good grass and silage quality in front of stock has helped to reduce the age at finishing.
Pictured L-R (back) : Chloe Millar, Teagasc Technologist, Padraig French, Teagasc, Gus O Brien, Shinagh Estates, Sarah Haire, Dawn Meats, Matthew Murphy, Dawn Meats, Sean Deasy, Shinagh Estates, Philip Tallon, Dawn Meats.
(Front) Donal Murphy, Shinagh, Jack Spillane, Farm Manager Tipperary Demo Farm, Nicky Byrne, Teagasc, and Stephen Baskin, Tipperary Demo Farm.
Farm Manager, Jack Spillane spoke about labour efficiency on the farm. Four hundred and forty three calves were purchased over a six week period, with a single intake day per week. Calves arrive at a minimum weight of 42 kilos at 21 days of age and have received an initial pneumonia vaccination on the birth farm. A simple teat feeder system is used and calves are weaned when they reach 85 to 90 kilos. Cattle are kept in large groups to minimise the number of grazing groups.
There was a lot of interest in the farm’s contract calf supply model. Nine spring-calving dairy farms provide a consistent supply of healthy, genotyped calves with high Commercial Beef Value (CBV) genetics. The price paid for the calves is based on weight, sex and CBV.
Matthew Murphy from Dawn Meats spoke about the finishing strategy on the farm and how the profile of the calves is designed to suit the finishing facilities available on the farm. This means 60 per cent early maturing breeds and 40% late maturing breeds. He also emphasised the strategic use of concentrates at the finishing stage to minimise cost. Heifers and steers required 300 and 440 kilograms of finishing concentrate respectively.
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Ballyvadin Beef Farm Ltd was established in 2022 by Dawn Meats and Shinagh Estates Ltd, in partnership with Teagasc.