Beef
Reducing age of slaughter in beef cattle
Dr. Peter Lawrence, Teagasc Tinahely, discusses strategies for farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering the slaughter age of cattle through improvements in genetics, nutrition, and health.
23 March 2024

€25 million scheme to improve beef progeny from the dairy herd unveiled
A €25 million scheme to incentivise the use of genotyped and genetically superior beef sires for breeding dairy beef calves has been unveiled.
21 March 2024

10 years of experience in an organic beef system
Ken Gill operates an autumn calving, organic suckler to beef system in Co. Offaly and he joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to explain his system.
20 March 2024

Time to bite the bullet on grazing?
On beef farms, Mícheál Kelly, B&T Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Galway/Clare writes, there is lots of grass available, but farmers have been unable to get cattle out to grass due to a combination of poor ground conditions and erratic, harsh weather.
20 March 2024

Getting ready for the calving season
Shane Devaney, Beef Advisor, discusses the importance of preparation for the calving season, emphasising organisation, proper equipment maintenance, calving pen readiness, the significance of colostrum for newborn calves, and the need for safety around calving cows to prevent accidents.
20 March 2024

Webinar series to focus on profitable, functional cows and genetics for the future
The Teagasc Future Beef team will host a series of webinars over the month of March, which will centre on a farmers’ guide to suckler breeding.
19 March 2024

March Update: Grassland Management and Livestock Progress at Tipperary Farm
Chloe Millar gives an update on the Tipperary Dairy Calf to Beef Demonstration Farm. She provides an update on grassland conditions, livestock management, and recent developments on the farm, including the arrival of 2024 born calves.
19 March 2024

Silage quality improvements - Ten point plan
On dairy calf to beef farms all animals are priority stock. It is essential that all animals are gaining weight every day. As silage can make up to at least 1/4 of the annual diet on these farms, animals should be fed very high quality silage during the winter housing period.
16 March 2024

Teagasc BEEF2024 Open Day in Grange planned for 26 June
The Teagasc BEEF2024 Open Day will take place on Wednesday, 26 June at the Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, County Meath.
14 March 2024

Keeping Calves Healthy this Spring
Stephen O’Callaghan, Walsh Scholar, Teagasc Meath, discusses the critical aspects of calf rearing, emphasizing the importance of calf health for achieving growth targets and ensuring animals thrive.
14 March 2024

Why Michael Mcguigan is moving to Spring Calving
Michael McGuigan farms 23.5 ha in Clongiffen, outside Longwood in Co. Meath. In the last couple of years he has been calving the 35 cows in the months of October until the end of December, writes Gabriel Trayers.
13 March 2024

What is the right Teagasc course for me?
When it comes to this time of year, the question of doing an agricultural course arises and with so many on offer it can be difficult to decide what Teagasc course suits best.
13 March 2024

Newford Farm Calving Season
Michael Fagan discusses the recent calving activity at Newford Farm.
13 March 2024

Strategic Breeding with James Skehan
James changed the calving season for his herd in 2023 to match the grass growth on his farm. This year he really enjoyed the break between Christmas and when calving started in early February, so he plans to continue it.
10 March 2024
Maximizing Efficiency with Future Beef Farmer Trevor Boland
Trevor farms part-time in the picturesque setting of Bunnafedia, Dromard, Co. Sligo. He is married to Tara and is farming in a Registered Farm Partnership with her and his father Joseph.
09 March 2024

Spring Grassland Management on DairyBeef 500 Farms
Grazed grass will continue to be the cheapest feed available to beef animals. Turning animals out early to spring grass will improve animal performance and reduce cost of production.
07 March 2024

The importance of genetics in the dairy-beef system to maximise performance & profitability
This week it’s a joint episode between the Beef and Dairy Edge podcasts with dairy farmer Paul Delaney joining Emma-Louise Coffey & Catherine Egan to discuss the importance of genetics in the dairy-beef system to maximise performance and profitability.
06 March 2024

Grassland management for Spring 2024
The weather finally looks like improving and we will be heading to grass with cattle soon. Hopefully we can finally call an end to the winter, writes Martina Harrington.
06 March 2024

Optimizing Spring Grass Management with Cathal Irwin
Despite having a heavy type farm, Cathal aims to get stock out early in spring. When ground conditions were dry in January, he managed to get yearling heifers out for 13 days of grazing. In this article we get an update on the happenings on his farm.
06 March 2024

Does white clover increase beef animal live-weight gain?
Through the Derrypatrick herd, researchers in Teagasc Grange are examining how white clover inclusion in grassland swards effects animal performance, Peter Doyle, Research Officer, tells us more.
05 March 2024

Diary dates: Spring beef grass walks
The Teagasc Beef Specialist team, along with the local advisory service, is hosting a series of spring beef grass walks across the country.
04 March 2024

Getting Ready For Your Bord Bia Audit
Ciaran Beatty, Teagasc Drystock Advisor, shares his top tips when preparing for your Bord Bia audit.
03 March 2024

Calving season in full swing at Newford Farm
Newford Farm has been a hive of activity, particularly in the calving department. Michael Fagan gives an update on the farm.
02 March 2024

Grassland management tips for this spring
With a difficult spring leading to challenging grazing conditions, Teagasc Grass10 Manager, John Maher is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with his top tips in relation to grassland management this spring.
28 February 2024

Calf rearing: Getting the basics right
Gordon Peppard, Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor, looks the important performance targets for calf rearers this spring, while also providing a guide on the typical variable costs associated with calf rearing.
28 February 2024

Organic beef finishing systems to be explored at Johnstown Castle
Plans are in place to develop an organic beef research farm at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford. Joe Kelleher, Teagasc Organic Specialists, tells us more.
26 February 2024

A refresher on pre-calving minerals
What price do you put on cows that calve down with no issues, no retained cleanings, plenty of milk, a vigorous calf, don't suffer from milk fever and most importantly, go back in calf?
24 February 2024

Prioritise colostrum management this calving season
Anne O’Malley discusses the importance of colostrum for newborn calves, its role in providing essential nutrients and antibodies to support the immune system, the importance of timely and adequate colostrum feeding and management practices on farm to ensure calves receive the benefits.
24 February 2024

Improvements to National Genotyping Programme to speed up blue card returns
Despite 98% of samples being processed in less than seven days, the ICBF has confirmed that it will make a number of changes to the National Genotyping Programme to help speed up the returning of animal passports (blue cards).
22 February 2024

Does night-time feeding reduce night-time calvings?
Some farmers may be implementing a feeding strategy where silage is restricted to suckler cows during daylight hours, instead being offered at night time, to reduce the incidence of night-time calvings.
22 February 2024