Beef
Early born heifers make better ‘Future’ replacements
‘There is no point picking an April-born calf to breed the following May or June.’
08 April 2025
Doubling the rate of gain in the Dairy Beef Index
A new initiative to accelerate genetic gain in beef bulls used on the dairy herd is being evaluated by Teagasc pending stakeholder discussions and support, Laurence Shalloo, Stephen Butler, Cliona Ryan, Rachel Doyle, Padraig French and Nicky Byrne, Teagasc, tells us more.
07 April 2025
Heat detection tips for suckler herds
Heat detection – or lack of – is often touted as a contributing factor for the low uptake of AI on Irish suckler herds.
06 April 2025
AI results in the Derrypatrick herd
The Derrypatrick herd is an 80-cow suckler calf-to-beef research herd at Teagasc Grange. The spring-calving herd receives 100% artificial insemination (AI) and completes the breeding season over a nine-week period, Research Officer in Teagasc Grange, Dr. Peter Doyle tells us more.
05 April 2025
Recap: A Farmer’s Guide to Suckler Breeding Webinar Series
The Future Beef team hosted a series of webinars, which focused on a farmer's guide to suckler breeding, covering topics such as pre-breeding essentials, breeding the ideal cow, and the latest technologies and how to use them properly.
05 April 2025
The benefits of AI in suckler herds
With less than 20% of calves in Irish suckler herds bred from artificial insemination, Catherine Egan, Beef Specialist, and Prof. David Kenny, Head of the Teagasc Animal and Bioscience Research Department, look at some of the potential benefits of AI usage.
04 April 2025
Understanding myostatin and its role in muscle growth and carcass traits in cattle
The myostatin gene, a key player in regulating muscle growth in cattle, has gained significant attention in the agricultural and livestock communities.
03 April 2025
Why Gareth Peoples prioritises high-quality silage
Teagasc Signpost Programme Participant, Gareth Peoples fills us in on how things are progressing on his farm this spring, focusing on grassland management and his plan for producing excellent quality silage – a must for his calf-to-beef system in Co. Donegal.
03 April 2025
Getting suckler cows bulling earlier
In advance of the suckler breeding season, Catherine Egan, Beef Specialist at Teagasc, and Prof. David Kenny, Head of the Teagasc Animal and Bioscience Research Department, look to Teagasc research to find solutions to get cows bulling earlier this spring.
02 April 2025
Listen: The benefits of grass-white clover and multispecies sward systems
Teagasc researcher, Sarah Burke is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss her latest research on grass-white clover and multispecies sward systems.
02 April 2025
How to build the best dairy calf to beef system for your farm
A father-and-son farming partnership in Cavan are using two complementary beef systems to optimise the use of their farm’s buildings, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, Fergal Maguire tells us more.
31 March 2025
Are you eligible for the 2025 Dairy-Beef weighing scheme?
After its departure from the scheme ranks in 2024, the National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme has made a return for 2025.
29 March 2025
Five things beef farmers need to know this spring
The Beef Edge podcast is delivering expert insights on performance, production, and profitability - anywhere, anytime. Catherine Egan highlighted her top episodes for spring in a recent RTÉ Brainstorm article.
28 March 2025
Reviewing beef prices and budgets for coming months
Teagasc Beef Specialist, David Argue is on this week’s Beef Edge discussing cattle finished so far this year and, given current increasing beef prices, budgets for the coming months.
26 March 2025
The Importance of Fertility Testing and Completing a Bull NCT for Suckler Farmers
For suckler farmers a healthy bull is key to a productive herd. Fertility testing and the Bull NCT help spot issues early. A subfertile bull could cost you €90 per cow. Martina Harrington tells us more.
26 March 2025
Maximising Beef without Compromising on Calving
Beef from the dairy herd makes up nearly 66% of the national kill in Ireland. This proportion will likely increase in the future. Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, and Dan O’Riordan, ICBF, explain how farmers can balance easy calving with strong beef traits, getting the best of both worlds.
24 March 2025
Farm Update with Cathal Irwin, Future Beef Farmer
Grass growth is the big challenge this year on Cathal Irwin's beef farm, he is focusing on soil fertility, slurry management, and feed quality to maximise productivity and keep his herd thriving.
23 March 2025
Research update: National beef cattle performance
Paul Smith, Mark McGee, Bernadette Earley, Edward O’Riordan, Paul Crosson and David Kenny of Teagasc Grange, and Alan Kelly, UCD, report on national beef cattle performance in 2024.
21 March 2025
The happenings on Gareth Peoples’ DairyBeef 500 farm in Co. Donegal
Gareth Peoples, a participant in Teagasc’s DairyBeef 500 and Signpost Programmes, fills us in on the latest happenings from his farm in Co. Donegal.
20 March 2025
Benefits of AI and the use of Synchronisation in Suckler Herds
The calving season is coming to an end on farms and the focus will soon turn to the breeding season. Currently AI usage is low on beef farms with only 20% of all calves born to suckler herds by AI sires. James Mullane tells us more.
19 March 2025
Future Beef farmer, Proinnsias Creedon, on managing grass this spring
Teagasc Future Beef farmer, Proinnsias Creedon, and his advisor, James Mullane, are on this week’s Beef Edge Podcast with an update on the farm and how Proinnsias is managing grass this spring.
19 March 2025
Spring fertiliser plan delivering grass at Newford
A combination of making the best use of cattle slurry and applying protected urea only when the conditions were correct have formed the bedrock of Newford Farm’s spring fertiliser plan, Michael Fagan tells us more.
19 March 2025
Getting the calf rearing basics right
The increased price of restocking farms this spring may entice more farmers to look at rearing calves. For farmers contemplating such a move, Drystock Advisor in Teagasc Mullingar, Stephen O’Callaghan provides a refresher on the basics of calf rearing.
19 March 2025
The common causes of scour and when do they occur
Scour represents a significant health challenge to suckler calves. Caused by a wide array of bugs or viruses, understanding when the disease is likely to occur can aid in identifying the cause, Future Beef Programme Manager, Martina Harrington tells us more.
18 March 2025
Key management strategies for reducing respiratory disease on dairy-beef farms
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), also known as pneumonia, is one of the most prevalent diseases of dairy-beef calves, and is caused by a range of bacteria and viruses.
15 March 2025
A teaser bull’s role in maximising breeding success
Teaser bulls can help improve heat detection, shorten calving intervals, and boost breeding efficiency.
15 March 2025
‘A farmers’ guide to suckler breeding’ focus of upcoming webinar series
The Future Beef team is hosting a series of webinars this March and April, which will focus on a farmers' guide to suckler breeding.
14 March 2025
Delivering a more fertile suckler herd
Regardless of your suckler production system, whether that be producing weanlings, selling stores or carrying all progeny to finish, having a herd of fertile suckler cows is a cornerstone.
14 March 2025
Reviewing the 2024 profitability of the Future Beef Programme
Teagasc Future Beef Programme Advisor, Aisling Molloy is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to give an update on the Future Beef Programme and to review profitability for 2024.
12 March 2025
Calving difficulty scores - do they deliver?
Suckler farmers, stemming from the necessity of producing a live calf annually with minimal intervention, have become more attuned to the calving difficulty scores of the sires used on their farms.
12 March 2025