Kildalton College
College Farm & Horticultural Enterprises
The Kildalton College farm enterprises are a vital resource for student training, skills development and skills proficiency testing. The farm enterprises are also a major resource for adult education and industry training courses. The units are also used as monitor farms providing performance and financial information for open days and farm walks.
Dairy Herd
Kildalton College has a 100 cow spring calving herd. A modern dairy shed and milking parlour has just been completed. The herd allows students to experience a low input grass based milk production system.
Suckler Herd
The herd is made up of 45 continental cross suckler cows plus replacements. All progeny are reared to beef. The aim is to maximise liveweight gain off grass and minimise winter feed costs. The Kildalton College suckler herd has one of the highest E.B.I. in Ireland.
Dairy Calf to Beef
25 male animals are finished at two years of age. The system demonstrates The system demonstrates key performance targets for a dairy beef system.
Sheep Flock
200 ewes. 100 ewes are bred for early lamb and 100 for mid-season production. A mixed grazing system is practiced with the suckler herd.
Horses
Over 40 riding horses are maintained at the college stables for use by equine students.
Arable Crops
Kildalton College is located in the primary tillage growing area of the country. Crops at Kildalton are grown for commercial purposes, skills training and variety trials. Tillage crops normally include winter wheat, spring wheat, spring barley, winter oats, oilseed rape, maize and potatoes. Bio-energy crops such as willow and miscanthus are also grown.
Farm Machinery
Students get hands on training with a modern fleet of machinery and equipment. There has been strong interest in the Advanced Certificate in Machinery and Arable Crops at Kildalton College in recent years.
Horticultural Units
The college horticultural crops, nursery stock and sports turf facilities provide practical training and skills demonstrations for horticultural students. These facilities also provide a focus for short courses, open days and seminars for commercial producers. Enterprises include – apple orchards, soft fruit (raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries under cover) and vegetable crops. There is an extensive wholesale nursery which produces a wide range of trees and shrubs. Sports turf facilities have been developed to train students in sport turf management.
