Beef

Early weaning and clover incorporation in action at Newford
The performance achieved from grazed grass offers economic benefits to beef farmers, attendees at last week’s Newford Suckler Open Day heard. However, to maintain quality and performance, grass must be managed correctly.
01 June 2023

Shane Keaveney’s breeding season and farm update
Roscommon Future Beef Farmer Shane Keaveney is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the breeding season to date and to give an update on the farm.
31 May 2023

Artificial insemination: Proven, practical and profitable
Three-quarters of all calves born in suckler herds are from stock bulls (ICBF). By not using AI, a lot of farmers are missing out on access to the best genetics at a lower cost than maintaining a stock bull, explains Gabriel Trayers, Teagasc Future Beef Programme Advisor.
31 May 2023

Dosing cattle - habit or necessity?
Aidan Murray, Teagasc Beef Specialist, offers advice on dosing and questions do farmers need to change their dosing practices.
31 May 2023

How’s the breeding season progressing for Future Beef Programme farmers?
Aisling Molloy, Future Beef Programme Advisor, outlines how the breeding season is progressing for some of the farmers enrolled in the Future Beef Programme.
30 May 2023

Watch: Missed the Newford Suckler Open Day?
Hundreds of farmers travelled west earlier this week for the Newford Suckler Open Day, where they learned of the changes and lessons learned since the project was initially set up in 2015.
28 May 2023

The story so far for the Tipperary Calf to Beef Demo Farm
The Tipperary Calf to Beef Demonstration Farm – trading as Ballyvadin Beef Farm Ltd. – was established by Teagasc, in conjunction with Dawn Meats and Shinagh Estates Ltd., to demonstrate the best technologies for profitable and sustainable production of beef calves from the dairy herd.
27 May 2023

Ensuring the successful transition to grass with dairy-beef calves
The busy calf rearing period is coming to an end on dairy calf to beef farms around the country. In this article, Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor Tommy Cox looks at how to minimise setbacks when transitioning calves from indoor to outdoor life.
24 May 2023

What will impact silage quality this year?
Teagasc Grass10 advisor, Joseph Dunphy, is on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast to discuss grazing management on farms at the moment and the dos and don’ts when it comes to harvesting silage.
24 May 2023
Watch: 100% AI and a 10-week breeding season delivering for Newford
Some may be fazed by the thoughts of using 100% artificial insemination (AI) on a fragmented suckler farm. However, this was certainly not the case and in fact the direct opposite for Newford based on the breeding performance of the herd.
23 May 2023

An overview of Newford and the financial performance being achieved
Newford welcomed visitors today, where the changes that have occurred since the farm was established were discussed at detail. Padraig French and Paul Crosson, Teagasc, along with Matthew Murphy, Dawn Meats, provided an overview and discussed the levels of profitability being achieved.
23 May 2023
Watch: Optimising animal performance to achieve a younger age of slaughter at Newford
Attendees at today's open day at Newford heard how a focus on grassland management, genetics and optimising animal performance is resulting in a reduction in slaughter age.
23 May 2023

Earlier finishing reduces GHG Emissions in Newford beef herd
Farmers attending a successful Newford Suckler beef demonstration farm open day in Athenry today, Tuesday, 23 May learned of the changes and lessons learned since the project was initially set up in 2015.
23 May 2023

Angus calf five-point sustainable production plan - from Croke Park to the Ploughing
In the quest for more sustainable beef production, four students from the Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan, Westmeath have developed a five-point sustainable farm plan in combination with rearing Angus animals.
22 May 2023

Proinnsias Creedon Future Beef Farm Update
Proinnsias farms with his wife Máire and sons Ciarán, Aodhán and Diarmuid. The farm is located in Barrathanaknock, Clondrohid, Macroom, Co. Cork. Here Aisling Molloy, Future Beef Programme Advisor, gives us an update on his farm.
22 May 2023

Building winter feed reserves with Future Beef farmers Eamon and Donnchadh McCarthy
Eamon McCarthy and his son Donnchadh are farming in Carrigeen, Glendine, Youghal, Co. Waterford. Both work part-time on the farm. Here Aisling Molloy, Future Beef Programme Advisor, gives us an update on nutrition and performance on their farm.
21 May 2023

The factors affecting bull fertility
David Kenny, Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Co. Meath, reports on some of the factors affecting the fertility of bulls.
21 May 2023

Come see what is new at Newford suckler farm
The Newford suckler farm is a suckler calf-to-beef demonstration unit located in Athenry, Co. Galway. The farm was established by Teagasc and Dawn Meats, with the support of the Irish Farmers Journal and McDonald’s in 2015.
20 May 2023

Controlling docks with Future Beef farmer Michael McGuigan
Michael McGuigan has worked hard to control docks on his farm. Docks are the major weed of intensively-managed grassland. Despite the best efforts of many farmers to control them, their persistence is stubborn and unyielding.
19 May 2023

Ticking the beef breeding boxes down Wicklow way
Located just outside Aughrim, Co. Wicklow, John Pringle operates a mixed suckler and sheep farm on 62.48ha of grassland. The suckler herd consists of 45 mainly Simmental-sired cows, while a lowland flock of 225 ewes are also carried.
19 May 2023

Reminder: Deadline for SCEP applications approaching
Applications to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) will close early next week.
18 May 2023

Newford Farm update and preview of the open day
Donall Fahy of Newford Farm joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to provide an update on the Newford Farm and to preview the upcoming open day on Tuesday, 23rd May from 2-6pm.
17 May 2023

Mid-season dosing for dairy-bred calves
Dairy-bred calves may have been at grass for 5-6 weeks. Despite the poor weather, lungworm and gut worm exposure may result in the requirement for treatment for these animals at this stage of the year, Alan Dillon, DairyBeef 500 Campaign Co-Ordinator tells us more.
17 May 2023

Making quality silage to offset the rising meal price
It is difficult to predict next winter’s concentrate prices. Beef farmers who have been growing or finishing cattle will need to offset the rising meal price by improving the quality of silage they make, which will allow them to feed less meal per head, while still achieving target growth rates.
16 May 2023

Breeding management and fertility - the main factors to consider
A key aspect of running an efficient suckler system is good breeding management and herd fertility. Cow nutrition, bull fertility, the incidence of calving difficulty and herd health are some of the main factors that affect fertility in the herd.
13 May 2023

Diary date: Major open day at Newford
Teagasc and Dawn Meats, in collaboration with the Irish Farmers Journal and McDonalds, are delighted to welcome all farmers and stakeholders in the beef sector to the Newford Suckler Demonstration Farm Open Day on Tuesday, 23rd May in Athenry, Co. Galway from 2pm-6pm.
12 May 2023

Readjusting the silage plan with Future Beef farmers Michael and Niall Biggins
Changeable weather during the months of March and April delayed the closing of silage ground on most drystock farms, which may result in a later cutting date.
12 May 2023

Salesian Agricultural College launch organic conversion plan for drystock enterprise
The Salesian Agricultural College’s proposed conversion of their beef and sheep unit to organic was officially launched at Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick today, Thursday, 11 May 2023.
11 May 2023

What you can expect from and the requirements for a Bord Bia audit
With 95% of beef Quality Assured at point of slaughter and 54,000 audits taking place on Irish beef and sheep farms, Damien Murray, Operations Co-ordinator Origin Green with the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme, busts some myths around the audit on this week’s Beef Edge podcast.
10 May 2023

Newford Farm Update
On Friday, 5th May the IDA announced that Dexcom, Inc., a global leader in continuous glucose monitoring for people with diabetes, plans to build its newest global manufacturing facility in Athenry, Galway.
09 May 2023