Beef
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.
10 July 2024
Book straw supply as soon as possible
Shay Phelan, Crops Specialist at Teagasc, provided the reconvened meeting of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee on July 8 with a tillage update, where he shared key details on crop performance, potential yields and straw availability.
10 July 2024
The weighing scales doesn’t lie
Regular animal weighing throughout the year gives the knowledge and power to make informed decisions early. Gordon Peppard, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, tells us more on how to use the information generated through weighing for better decision making.
10 July 2024
Budget and take action to secure fodder stocks
The results and key advisory messages arising from the Teagasc June Fodder Survey were presented to the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) on Monday, July 8.
09 July 2024
Early August opening for new suckler scheme
A new suckler scheme, with a total budget of €20 million, is on track to open in early August, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., has announced.
09 July 2024
All roads lead to the Tipperary Dairy Calf to Beef Demonstration Farm
Located in Ballyvadin, Fethard, Co. Tipperary, the Tipperary Dairy Calf to Beef Demonstration Farm aims to demonstrate best practice in breeding, rearing and finishing dairy-beef animals, and will host its first open day on Wednesday, July 10.
08 July 2024
The cost of feedstuffs on beef farms
Visitors to BEEF2024 heard of the ‘Grange Feed Costings Model’, which was used to determine the cost of commonly grown feed crops in March-April 2024. Feedstuffs included grazed grass – with and without white clover – grass and red clover silage, maize and fodder beet.
08 July 2024
Breeding, drafting and grassland management with Shane Keaveney, Future Beef Farmer
June proved to be a particularly busy month for Shane Keaveney, Teagasc Future Beef Programme participant from Co. Roscommon, whose focus centred on breeding, grassland management and drafting bulls for slaughter.
08 July 2024
Watch: A preview of Ken Gill’s Future Beef Programme Farm Walk
Participant in the Future Beef Programme and organic suckler farmer, Ken Gill will host a farm walk in Clonbullogue, Edenderry, Co. Offaly. Eircode: R45 HT67, on July 12 at 6:30pm.
07 July 2024
Updates from Eamon and Donnchadh McCarthy's Beef Farm
Eamon and his son Donnchadh are farming in Carrigeen, Glendine, Youghal, Co. Waterford. Both work part-time on the farm. Here they give us an update on their farm focusing on grassland and Breeding.
06 July 2024
Dealing with current weather conditions on beef farms
As grass supplies have tightened on many farmers over the last few weeks, Martina Harrington, Manager of the Teagasc Future Beef Programme, shares key tips on building grass covers and fodder budgeting for the winter ahead.
05 July 2024
Quality, traceability and trust – Supermac’s reasons for buying Irish beef
Since the opening of its first location 46 years ago on the Main Street in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, Supermac’s, the company founded by Pat McDonagh, has grown to be a prominent buyer of Irish beef.
04 July 2024
How this Cork family achieved a smooth farm succession process
Alan Dillon, DairyBeef 500 Manager, recently visited a family in Co. Cork, who’ve ticked all the boxes when it comes to the key things to consider in the farm succession process.
04 July 2024
Listen: The key messages from the BEEF2024 Dairy Calf-to-Beef Village
Alan Dillon, Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Manager, joins host Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to highlight the key messages discussed with farmers who visited the Dairy Calf-to-Beef Village as part of BEEF2024, Teagasc’s National Beef Open Day.
03 July 2024
Time to review your winter feed situation
With PastureBase Ireland showing a 1.2t DM/ha reduction in total grass growth for the first six months of the year when compared to the previous five-year average, the Teagasc Grass10 team is advising farmers to complete a fodder budget to review their winter feed situation.
03 July 2024
Investigation of summer scour syndrome
Typically presenting in weaned dairy and dairy-beef calves within a month of turnout to grass, researchers in Teagasc Grange are investigating the summer scour syndrome (SSS).
03 July 2024
The dos and don’ts of dosing dairy-beef calves
The Teagasc DairyBeef 500 team share key tips and advice on combating internal parasite infection on dairy-beef farms.
02 July 2024
Labour on beef farms
In advance of BEEF2024, Teagasc completed an online labour survey of beef farms, which examined the level of off-farm employment, hours worked and some of the challenges arising in developing sustainable beef systems.
02 July 2024
Commercial Beef Value benefits showcased to dairy-beef producers
Farmers visiting the Dairy Calf-to-Beef Village as part of BEEF2024, Teagasc’s National Beef Open Day, heard of the benefits of the Commercial Beef Value (CBV), and how its use at purchase time can result in more profitable and efficient dairy-beef systems.
02 July 2024
Lifetime clover systems study underway at Derrypatrick
Researchers in Teagasc Grange are examining the role clover – both white in grazing swards and red in conserved silage – can play in suckler beef systems through the Derrypatrick herd.
01 July 2024
Five-star cows deliver more
Farmers attending BEEF2024 were told of an analysis completed by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), which compared the performance of one-star and five-star suckler cows on basis of their Replacement Index.
01 July 2024
Watch: Farm construction and work at height video released
A new video which focuses on approaches to safely manage on-farm construction and farm maintenance projects was released at BEEF2024, the Teagasc National Beef Open Day, on June 26.
30 June 2024
‘Top 3 MACC measures’ must be prioritised in beef's emissions reduction journey
Marie Donnelly, Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC), joined the ‘Securing your Future in Beef Farming’ forum at the Teagasc National Beef Open Day, BEEF2024, on June 26, where she highlighted the group’s work in advising Government policy on climate.
29 June 2024
New project to address research gaps in organic farming
Aiming to address the current research gaps and to demonstrate technically-efficient organic systems of production to farmers, the Growing Resilient Organic Farming Systems (GROFarmS) is a new Teagasc organic farming research project being undertaken in conjunction with University College Dublin.
28 June 2024
Winners of ‘This is Beef Farming’ photo competition announced
The ‘This is Beef Farming’ photo competition, run by Teagasc and kindly sponsored by FBD, highlighted the multiple things that make Irish beef farming great. The competition was open for entries in the run up to the BEEF2024 Open Day.
28 June 2024
12 DairyBeef Factsheets Launched
Twelve DairyBeef factsheets were launched at the Beef2024 Open Day in Grange this week. This is one of the commitments from the 10 Point Action Plan to Support Dairy Calf to Beef Systems in Ireland, launched by the Department of Agriculture earlier this year.
27 June 2024
Safety during Busy Times on the Farm
The summer is some of the busiest times on Irish farms with many essential activities taking place. Children are on holidays from school and may be out and about on farms. Martina Donnelly discusses ways to stay safe during this busy time.
27 June 2024
The Growing Resilient Organic Farming Systems project (GROFarmS)
With the launch the GROFarmS project taking place today at BEEF 2024 National Beef open day in Teagasc Grange, Teagasc organic specialist, Elaine Leavy, and Teagasc researcher, Kevin Kilcline, join Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast.
26 June 2024
Heavier carcasses at younger ages a key win for dairy-beef producer
Reporting live from the DairyBeef 500 Forum at BEEF2024, Fergal Maguire highlights the key improvements Charlie Smyth has made to his farming system in recent years – all leading to a more profitable and efficient dairy-beef system.
26 June 2024
Watch: Creating a win-win for beef
Failing to achieve performance targets is a serious cause of inefficiency within Irish beef production systems, Dr Mark McGee, Research Officer at Teagasc, told those attending BEEF2024 in Teagasc Grange, today, June 26.
26 June 2024