Beef
Shane Keaveney’s actions to protect water quality
Shane Keaveney, a suckler farmer from Ballinlough, Co. Roscommon, is going above and beyond to lessen the impact of his farming practices on water quality – specifically the watercourse bounding his farm.
20 February 2025
Calving the suckler cow: When to intervene?
Have you found yourself puzzled on a cold and wet February or March night wondering: ‘Should I intervene now or does the cow need more time to calve?’
19 February 2025
Making spring grass count at Newford
Maximising weight gain from grass is a priority at Newford Farm. Michael Fagan tells us how this starts with early turnout and making the best use of spring grass.
19 February 2025
Calf housing tips to maximise performance
Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor, Tommy Cox discusses calf housing to maximise performance on this week’s Beef Edge podcast.
19 February 2025
Host Farm Placements proving valuable to Kildalton College students
Placement is a win-win for both the student and farmer, writes Declan Byrne, College Teacher/Placement Officer, Teagasc Kildalton College, who shares how it’s shaping students for their future careers.
18 February 2025
Farm-to-farm sourcing a must for this Meath dairy-beef producer
Animal performance on Aidan Maguire’s DairyBeef 500 farm in Co. Meath starts on day one, the day on which he purchases his calves.
17 February 2025
Trevor Boland’s 2024 farm review: Breeding, performance and finances
Aisling Molloy, Future Beef Programme Advisor, visits Trevor Boland in Co. Sligo, and reflects on the herd’s breeding and animal performance, along with the returns achieved from his autumn-calving suckler system.
12 February 2025
Listen: Fertiliser applications and the National Fertiliser Database
In the second part of a two-part series on fertiliser application, Specialist on the Signpost Programme, Mark Plunkett joins Catherine Egan on the Beef Edge podcast to discuss fertiliser application and the National Fertiliser Database.
12 February 2025
Watch: A glimpse inside Newford’s busy February
February is a busy month on the Newford Farm, writes Michael Fagan who fills us in on the day-to-day management of the herd.
11 February 2025
6 steps to good navel care in calves
The Teagasc Future Beef team have complied six steps for good navel care in calves. By following these steps, you can significantly reduce the incidence of navel ill in calves, ensuring healthier livestock and a more successful calving season.
10 February 2025
Watch: Dairy-beef breeding tools in brief
As part of the series of on-farm Calf Care events, farmers were reminded of the purposes of the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) and the Dairy Beef Index (DBI).
06 February 2025
Listen: The rules and regulations of Nitrates
As thoughts on farms move to fertiliser application, Teagasc Environment Specialist, Tim Hyde joins Catherine Egan on the Beef Edge podcast for the first of a two-part podcast on the rules and regulations surrounding nitrates.
05 February 2025
Scour - limiting its impact
A costly disease when occurring at farm level, Manager of the Future Beef Programme at Teagasc, Martina Harrington takes a look at some of the steps farmers can take to reduce the impact of scour this calving season.
05 February 2025
Practical tips for the calf buyer
Sourcing healthy, well-bred calves is a cornerstone of a successful calf to beef enterprise, writes Tommy Cox, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, who highlights why careful planning can go a long way in keeping your herd healthy, boosting productivity and improving profits.
05 February 2025
Utilising the CBV to purchase your 2025 Dairy-Beef Calves
As the agricultural industry continues to evolve, the use of new technologies is crucial for beef farmers looking to increase profitability on farm. Niall Mullin explores how you can leverage the CBV to make informed purchases of your 2025 dairy-beef calves.
03 February 2025
How can the accuracy of fertiliser application be improved?
Setup and calibration of fertiliser spreaders is very important to ensure even distribution of fertilisers when spreading. This involves adjusting the spreader settings to achieve accurate application rates and uniform coverage.
03 February 2025
Benefits and use of the new Mart Tracker
Chris Daly from ICBF joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the new Mart Tracker and the Commercial Beef Value (CBV).
31 January 2025
Can anything more be paid for dairy-beef calves this year?
With beef prices around €6/kg as we head into spring 2025, one question on both dairy farmers’ and calf purchasers’ minds is what price will calves be? DairyBeef 500 Manager, Alan Dillon looks at some of the key variables in play.
29 January 2025
More than cost to consider when selecting a pre-calving mineral
Ensuring suckler cows are adequately supplied with pre-calving minerals is an essential practice in ensuring the birth of vigorous and healthy calves.
27 January 2025
CBV driving performance in west Cork
Farming in one of the most scenic parts of the country, James O’Sullivan is using the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) to drive performance from his dairy calf to beef system in west Cork.
25 January 2025
Manage body condition score for better fertility and calving
With spring calving fast approaching, suckler farmers have been reminded of the importance of ensuring their cows are in the optimum body condition score ahead of calving.
24 January 2025
Preparing for Calving Part 3: Caring for the newborn calf
For the final part of the Beef Edge podcast’s special series on preparing for calving, Teagasc vet, John Donlon focuses on caring for the newborn calf.
22 January 2025
Accessing CBV - 3 tools every calf buyer needs to be aware of
The development of a number of tools by ICBF now means that accessing Commercial Beef Value (CBV) data is now much easier for the purchasers of calves, weanlings or even store cattle.
22 January 2025
Dairy-beef finishing – the key elements to get right
Aisling Claffey, Ruminant Nutrition Specialist at Teagasc, recently explored the key variables dairy-beef producers have to consider when maximising the efficiency of their finishing system.
20 January 2025
Future-proofing a part-time beef enterprise in Tipperary
Investment in facilities, technology and business partnerships will ensure the future of Michael O’Donnell’s calf-to-beef farm in south Tipperary. Alan Dillon tells us more.
19 January 2025
Calving preparations and performance at Ballyhaise
Consisting of 35 spring-calving, continental-type suckler cows, Liam McWeeney and Noel Prunty provide an update on the performance of the Ballyhaise suckler herd and outline how they are preparing for the upcoming calving season.
18 January 2025
Nitrogen rate effect - research update
Edward O'Riordan, MJ Kelly, Sarah Burke and Mark McGee, Teagasc Grange, report on the effect of nitrogen fertiliser application rates on herbage yield and sward white clover content.
18 January 2025
4 reasons why farmers should use the Commercial Beef Value
The Commercial Beef Value (CBV) is an invaluable tool for cattle producers who want to make informed decisions when purchasing calves or dairy farmers looking to enhance calf sales, Advisor on the DairyBeef 500 Programme, Gordon Peppard tells us more.
17 January 2025
Preparing for calving on suckler farms
The Teagasc Future Beef Programme will host two important webinars next week in order to prepare farmers for the upcoming spring-calving season.
16 January 2025
Grazing forage crops - Michael McGuigan’s approach
Weanlings on the farm of Michael McGuigan, a participant in the Future Beef Programme, commenced grazing a forage crop in mid-November. Read the management steps he’s following in this article.
15 January 2025