Beef
The successful control of liver fluke
Liver fluke is a parasite of cattle and sheep. Like most parasites, it can only be picked up off grass. It has a 12 week life cycle within the animal’s liver, in which time it can cause severe damage. Martina Harrington gives advice on how to manage it.
20 October 2023
What should you do when you get the IBR test results?
By participating in the National Beef Welfare Scheme, herd owners will avail of funding to investigate the IBR status of their own herds, providing information to better manage risk, improve biosecurity and inform decisions on vaccination at herd level.
19 October 2023
Growing Organics: Establishing an organic suckler enterprise in Kerry
Thomas and Noreen Kavanagh joined the Growing Organics Monitor Farm Programme in 2023. Their participation will run for five years and is aimed at promoting the adoption of best practices at farm level to increase the future viability and sustainability of the Irish Organic sector.
19 October 2023
Controlling lice at housing
Alan Dillon, DairyBeef 500 Campaign Co-Ordinator, tells us about lice treatment and what can happen if we fail to treat.
18 October 2023
Winter management of Gareth Peoples' DairyBeef 500 farm
DairyBeef 500 farmer Gareth Peoples is on this week's Beef Edge podcast to discuss winter management on his dairy-beef system in Co. Donegal.
18 October 2023
October management tips on beef farms
Your grazing management plan in October will determine how much grass you will have on your farm next February and March. Farms that are targeting to turn at least some stock out between Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day need to start closing up fields and paddocks no later than October 10.
18 October 2023
Decision time, finish off grass or house?
2023 has proven to be a very difficult year to farm in many parts of the country. Alan Dillion, DairyBeef 500 Co-ordinator, writes about how to make the important decision, to either finish cattle off grass outdoors or to house them for a period and feed meal and silage inside.
18 October 2023
Improving biodiversity through ACRES with Future Beef Farmer John Dunne
John Dunne and his son James have had a very busy summer. Along with the day-to-day running of a large farm, they had to fence almost 3km of a riparian buffer strip as part of his Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) plan.
17 October 2023
Key dates and actions for the National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme
Over 14,383 farmer applicants joined the Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme in 2023. This is a substantial increase in farmer participants from the first Dairy Beef Programme announced in 2020 where 8,474 herds applied.
15 October 2023
Closed period for slurry spreading around the corner
After being extended on two occasions over the last number of weeks, the closed period for the application of slurry will now commence on October 15th 2023.
13 October 2023
Taking steps to improve sustainability on a west Cork dairy-beef farm
James O’Sullivan, a Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Campaign and Teagasc Signpost Programme participant, is implementing steps to improve the sustainability of his west Cork holding.
12 October 2023
National Beef Welfare Scheme to continue in 2024
The National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS) – the replacement for BEEP-S – will continue into 2024, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has announced.
11 October 2023
Aiming to improve animal performance without additional meal
Martin Connolly farms part-time just outside the village of Castleplunket in Co. Roscommon where he operates a dairy calf-to-bull beef system. The farm consists of 60 Ha of grassland in total, which is divided in four main blocks within a 3-mile radius of the farm yard.
11 October 2023
Research update: Breeding and weaning update from the maternal herd at Grange
Colin Byrne, Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Teagasc Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, reports on the breeding performance of the maternal herd and weaning update.
11 October 2023
Factors to consider when buying autumn born calves from the dairy herd
Gordon Peppard tells us that a number of winter milk producers are currently calving cows and many of these calves will be sold on to beef farmers to be reared and slaughtered in a calf to beef system. These calves will enter many different heifer, steer and bull beef systems.
11 October 2023
Maintaining calf performance at grass for the rest of the grazing season this autumn
In general, the summer gone by has been tough on calves at grass. Most calf to beef producers found the growth rates of calves during the wet July and August has being back on previous years.
09 October 2023
Controlling parasitic infection & pneumonia in growing & finishing beef cattle
To ensure a healthy weanling, the aim is to minimise their exposure to disease & maximise their defence against disease. Researchers Orla Keane, Bernadette Earley & Edward O’Riordan give information on control of stomach worms, lungworm & fluke & the prevention pneumonia/bovine respiratory disease
07 October 2023
How are weaning and finishing cattle performing on Newford Farm?
Stephen Frend gives us an update on performance from Newford Farm.
06 October 2023
Top tips for animal health at housing
With the housing of animals coming around again, farmers’ thoughts are turning to parasite control, on this week’s Beef Edge podcast, Dr. Natascha Meunier, Beef Health Check , Programme Manager with Animal Health Ireland, discusses the parasites to look out for and how to treat them.
04 October 2023
What's working for Future Beef farmer Ger McSweeney and his plans for the future
Aisling Molloy tells us about Ger McSweeney who is farming over 31ha in Toorenbawn, Millstreet with his wife Karen and their daughter Ella.
04 October 2023
Nutrition, health and performance on Kay O'Sullivan's organic farm
Kay is organically farming over 35 Ha near Mourneabbey Co Cork. Along with suckler cows she also has 75 ewes and 11Ha of Forestry.
04 October 2023
Autumn Beef Health Walks
The Teagasc Beef Specialist and local Advisory team are hosting a series of Autumn Beef Health Walks in association with Animal Health Ireland (AHI).
03 October 2023
Dates for your diary - scheme deadlines
In the latest edition of the Teagasc Future Beef Newsletter, the team remind us of important upcoming scheme deadlines.
02 October 2023
Reduced slaughter age strategy delivers in Mayo
Reducing the slaughter age of their beef animals has delivered impressive results for DairyBeef 500 participants Jarlath and Austin Ruane, reports Tommy Cox, DairyBeef 500 Advisor.
30 September 2023
Teagasc Beef Budgets 2023/2024
Every autumn Teagasc produces a set of financial budgets as a guide to beef farmers who are buying cattle for finishing over the following 18 months.
29 September 2023
“Getting Winter Ready” on-farm beef events
Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland (AHI) are running a series of on-farm beef events throughout October to highlight the importance of housing, nutrition and animal health to maximise performance over the winter months.
27 September 2023
How Proinnsias Creedon maximises his farm performance over winter
Proinnsias Creedon, Future Beef farmer, joins host Catherine Egan on this week's episode of The Beef Edge podcast to give an insight into his beef system and how he maximises performance over the winter.
27 September 2023
Getting ready for housing on DairyBeef 500 farms
With daylight hours declining and heavy rainfall over recent weeks, the housing of stock is under way or just around the corner on many farms throughout the country. Tommy Cox, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, reports that this is also the case among DairyBeef 500 participants.
27 September 2023
Final day to apply to the National Beef Welfare Scheme
Farmers have just hours left to apply to the National Beef Welfare Scheme, which will close to applications at midnight, today, September 26th.
26 September 2023
Seven-day extension to slurry spreading period
A one-week extension for the application of slurry has been granted, with the closed period for slurry spreading now commencing on October 8 rather than September 30, 2023.
22 September 2023