Beef
Should I bulk up silage in the first cut?
After a long winter that exhausted silage stocks on many farms, the temptation is to ‘bulk up’ the first cut of silage. However, this may prove to be a false economy.
26 April 2024
Breeding season commences at Newford
With calving completed, Michael Fagan outlines the breeding programme for the Newford herd, highlighting the sires that will be used over the coming weeks.
25 April 2024
Dispelling some of the myths around TB
David Quinn, Superintending Veterinary Inspector at the Department Of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is on this week’s joint episode of the Dairy Edge and the Beef Edge with hosts James Dunne and Catherine Egan to dispel some of the myths around TB (Bovine Tuberculosis).
24 April 2024
Replacing used P and K
A recent Teagasc Beef Newsletter article addresses the decline in soil phosphorous and potassium levels due to reduced fertiliser application, its impact on nitrogen efficiency and farm emissions, and provides recommendations to mitigate these effects.
24 April 2024
Getting turnout right with dairy-beef calves
Fergal Maguire, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, flags the importance of ensuring the successful transition of dairy-beef calves to grass, noting why it’s critical for performance until housing.
24 April 2024
Growing Organics: Navigating a difficult spring in Kerry
Thomas Kavanagh, a participant in the Growing Organics Monitor Farm Programme, operates a suckler to weanling system outside Dingle, Co. Kerry. Like so many farms across the country, a wet spring has brought challenges in terms of grazing and readying silage crops.
22 April 2024
Beef farm actions for the coming weeks
On the back of the current weather challenges, this week's Beef Edge podcast features Gabriel Trayers, Future Beef Programme Advisor, and Alan Dillion, Manager of the DairyBeef 500 Campaign, who provide an update from around the country and offer tips and advice for beef farms over the coming weeks.
17 April 2024
Getting your cow back in calf - the key factors to consider
The Teagasc Future Beef team hosted a webinar recently, which focused on the challenge of ‘getting your cow back in calf’, Aisling Molloy summarises the key points in this article.
17 April 2024
Making a start at grazing – small numbers, large areas
Turnout has been delayed on many beef farms across the country. With a turnaround in the weather forecast, Martina Harrington, Future Beef Programme Manager, provides some key tips on managing the transition back to grass.
16 April 2024
Dairy Beef Index Series: Mullen family farm, County Meath
The DairyBeef 500 team discusses the operations of the Mullen family dairy farm in County Meath, in the first of five Dairy Beef Index Series articles.
15 April 2024
Treating scour challenges after an extended housing period
A wet start to 2024 has delayed the turnout of spring-born calves and their dams to grass – heightening the risk of health issues developing.
13 April 2024
Crop establishments, silage supplies and slurry storage pressures continue
The convening of the National Fodder and Feed Security Committee on April 9 heard that pressures relating to spring crop establishments, silage supplies and slurry storage are continuing to create significant challenges at farm level.
13 April 2024
Challenging year curtails profitability on DairyBeef 500 farms
Profitability levels recorded on farms enrolled in Teagasc’s DairyBeef 500 Campaign were curtailed by challenging weather conditions and somewhat lower levels of animal performance over the course of 2023, Alan Dillion, Co-ordinator of the Campaign, tells us more.
11 April 2024
Tips and advice for closing silage ground
With the difficult weather conditions, Gordon Peppard, DairyBeef 500 Advisor, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with some timely tips in relation to closing ground for silage.
10 April 2024
Getting your head around what bulls and females are now eligible for SCEP
The recent changes to EuroStar indices, where the economic value of the traits were updated and a cost for carbon incorporated, has caused bull, heifer and cow EuroStar values to move.
10 April 2024
Details of Fodder Transport Support Measure revealed
As part of the meeting of the National Fodder and Feed Security Committee, today, April 9, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D, revealed details of a measure to support the transport of fodder to areas where supplies are running tight.
09 April 2024
Maintaining positive wellbeing during this challenging spring weather
Finola Colgan, Development Officer at Mental Health Ireland, and Francis Bligh, Health and Safety Specialist at Teagasc, give advice on maintaining positive wellbeing during this challenging spring weather.
09 April 2024
Supporting farmers through this difficult period
Following a difficult spring and no immediate respite from the weather challenges being faced at farm level, Teagasc has moved to introduce a number of measures to support farmers.
08 April 2024
Springing into Organics: A Clover Grazing Guide
Clodagh Morgan, Walsh Scholar, Teagasc Galway/Clare, discusses the role of clover in enhancing soil fertility, biodiversity, and sustainability.
08 April 2024
Breeding the key to suckler success
With the breeding season just around the corner, Kilkenny farmer Ruairí Cummins talks about his farming system, and a breeding strategy for improving his suckler herd’s performance while also meeting SCEP targets, writes Aisling Molloy, Teagasc FutureBeef Programme.
07 April 2024
2024 BISS applications for New Registered Farm Partnerships
Ruth Fennell, Collaborative Farming Specialist, outlines the process and considerations for registering a new farm partnership, focusing on steps for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
07 April 2024
Calving coming to a close and preparing for breeding at Derrypatrick
Two key aims of Derrypatrick herd are to achieve a nine week breeding season and to have over 80% of the cows calving in the first six weeks. Peter Doyle, Research Officer at Teagasc Grange, tells us how this is achieved.
06 April 2024
Newford update: Calving progress, replacement heifers and managing through a wet spring
89% of the cows in the Newford herd had calved up to March 24, writes Michael Fagan, who also details the management of the replacement heifers and grassland management on the farm now based in Co. Roscommon.
05 April 2024
Future Beef farmer Trevor Boland gives an update on his farm
Future Beef Programme farmer, Trevor Boland is on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast to give an update on his farm, focusing on closing for silage and selecting sires.
03 April 2024
Major turnout at least 7-10 days away on drystock farms
High levels of rainfall, resulting in challenging grazing conditions, have created difficulties on beef and sheep farms this spring, Pearse Kelly, Teagasc Head of Drystock Knowledge Transfer, told the National Fodder and Food Security Committee on March 29.
03 April 2024
Easing the burden of coccidiosis
This spring has posed many challenges on farms throughout the country. Tommy Cox, Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor, writes that one such challenge which can be particularly prevalent on some calf rearing farms is coccidiosis.
03 April 2024
Can farms combining livestock and crops improve sustainability?
Tasos Chatzichristou, PhD student in Agricultural Economics at Teagasc, tells us why mixed farming systems are a potential solution to bridging the gap between agriculture's economic and environmental challenges.
31 March 2024
Beef-Quest: on a mission to reduce finishing age
Paul Smith, Mark McGee, Bernadette Earley, Edward O’Riordan, Paul Crosson and David Kenny, Teagasc Grange, and Alan Kelly (UCD), outline the new Beef-Quest Project.
30 March 2024
Advisory messages from the National Fodder and Food Security Committee meeting
An online meeting of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) took place on Friday, March 29, at the request of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD.
29 March 2024
Suckler herd breeding season success
A successful breeding season within a suckler herd hinges on a number of key factors, Professor David Kenny, Head of Animal and Bioscience Department at Teagasc, told a recent Future Beef Webinar titled: ‘Getting your cow back in calf’.
28 March 2024