Beef
Farmers warned of bluetongue risk
Following the spread of bluetongue widely across Eastern England and the detection of isolated cases in south-west England and north-west Wales, Irish farmers have once again been reminded of the risks of bluetongue.
04 October 2024
Don’t lose valuable slurry storage capacity
As the slurry spreading season has now come to pass, farmers have been urged to focus their attentions on clean water – particularly limiting its ingress into slurry stores or slatted tanks.
03 October 2024
Budget 2025 – here’s what beef farmers need to know
Teagasc Financial Specialist, Kevin Connolly is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the main headline items arising from Budget 2025, from tax cuts to increased spending.
02 October 2024
Silage testing - the starting point in making winter gains
Stemming from poor quality silage and inadequate feeding programmes, the winter period often marks a period of underperformance on dairy-beef farms.
02 October 2024
Solar powered water pumps and nose pumps available under TAMS
Fencing off watercourses to prevent cattle access is recognised as one of the ‘8-Actions for Change’ within the Teagasc Better Farming for Water Campaign. To achieve this though, an alternative water supply must be available.
30 September 2024
Slurry Spreading - Advice for Farmers and Slurry Contractors
As the slurry spreading season comes to a close across the country over the coming days, Noel Meehan and Sinead Devaney of the Teagasc ASSAP Programme explain why it is very important that farmers and agricultural contractors apply slurry very carefully so as to prevent nutrient losses to water.
27 September 2024
Herd Performance Update with John Barry Co. Tipperary
John's farm reports strong breeding success, stable grassland management, and impressive animal growth, despite challenges. Aisling Molloy, Future Beef Programme Advisor, tells us more.
27 September 2024
Striking a balance between suckler farming and off-farm work commitments
Limited economic returns have forced many of the current generation of Irish beef farmers to seek off-farm employment. By allocating the majority of their working time elsewhere, beef farming has become an early morning, late evening and weekend activity for many.
26 September 2024
Breeding, Grassland, and Nutrition Update with Ed Curtain, Co. Cork
Ed is securing sufficient feed for winter, while preparing dairy beef store cattle for finishing in November.
26 September 2024
What to look for in your replacement heifers
Calving heifers at 24 months of age brings many benefits, but a key to making it a reality on farm is selecting the most appropriate heifer early.
25 September 2024
Underweight store cattle – what are my options?
Manager of the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Campaign, Alan Dillon shares strategies farmers can follow to tackle the problem of underweight store cattle - an issue arising on some farms after a prolonged winter 2023/2024 and a poor summer of grass growth.
25 September 2024
The Teagasc Beef Budgets 2024/2025 with Aidan Murray
Following the launch of the Beef Budgets for 2024 at the National Ploughing Championships, Teagasc Beef specialist, Aidan Murray, has an update with all the details.
25 September 2024
Meet the Beef Finalists of the Environmental Sustainability Awards 2024
The Teagasc FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards recognize beef farmers leading the way in sustainable practices. These awards highlight efforts to minimize the environmental footprint, while producing premium beef and ensuring farms remain profitable and environmentally responsible.
25 September 2024
Clover grazing leaves higher profits from dairy-beef heifer systems
Research results from Teagasc Johnstown Castle have pointed to the benefits of grazing dairy-beef heifers on swards containing clover and multispecies swards.
23 September 2024
Weighing up the prospects for continental weanling to bull finishing systems
Each year, Teagasc Beef Specialist, Aidan Murray prepares a suite of financial budgets as guide to beef farmers buying cattle for further feeding and finishing. In this budget, he examines the economic prospects for continental weanling to bull beef systems.
20 September 2024
Time to do the sums on winter finishing
The winter period is fast approaching and with that comes questions on the potential costs and returns from winter finishing systems. Prepared annually by Teagasc Beef Specialist, Aidan Murray, the Teagasc Beef Budgets 2024/2025 are a good starting point for finishers wishing to budget.
19 September 2024
Staying SCEP compliant to maximise your payments
As the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) progresses, Manager of the Future Beef Programme at Teagasc, Martina Harrington reminds participating farmers on the key obligations for 2024 and 2025.
18 September 2024
Make slurry spreading a priority as closed period looms
The permitted period for slurry spreading will end on September 30 this year and farmers are reminded to make every effort to have their tanks emptied before this date.
18 September 2024
Scottish farmer Graham Lofthouse on his mixed farming system
Scottish beef and sheep farmer, Graham Lofthouse of Bankhouse Farm is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss his mixed farming system.
18 September 2024
Fodder survey: 18% of farmers have a deficit of greater than 10%
Teagasc has recently updated the National Fodder Survey across dairy and drystock farms nationwide, with input from approximately 650 farms. According to the latest survey results, 20% of farms have a small deficit to fill, but 18% of farms have a deficit of greater than 10% to fill.
17 September 2024
Finishing Holstein Friesian dairy-beef steers
Decision time is fast approaching for dairy-beef farmers to select the most appropriate finishing strategy for the Holstein Friesian steers on their farms.
15 September 2024
Beef Welfare Scheme 2024: Key details and how to apply
With the closing date for the Beef Welfare Scheme 2024 fast approaching, Manager of the Teagasc Future Beef Programme, Martina Harrington takes a comprehensive look at the scheme, what’s required, and how to apply.
13 September 2024
Schedule of SCEP in-person training events released
The schedule for in-person training events for participants in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) have been announced by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D.
11 September 2024
Options to deal with fodder deficits
Have you completed a winter fodder budget? With the winter housing period fast approaching, the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 team has some key advice on dealing with fodder deficits if there’s the potential for one to arise on your farm.
11 September 2024
Future Beef farmer, Aonghusa Fahy on his farm system and management at weaning
Galway Future Beef farmer, Aonghusa Fahy features on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to give an update on his farm system and management at weaning.
11 September 2024
The key drivers of weight gain on Aidan Maguire’s farm
Looking back at the recent DairyBeef 500 farm walk held on the farm on Aidan Maguire, Advisor on the DairyBeef 500 Campaign, Gordon Peppard tells us how cattle weight gain is maximised on the farm in Navan, Co. Meath.
11 September 2024
Farmers’ and vets’ opinions sought on animal health disease and biosecurity for European study
Farmers and veterinarians in Ireland are being asked to add their voices to a cross-European exercise to find out what animal diseases are of most concern to the agricultural community.
10 September 2024
Autumn finishing - to feed at grass or not?
Martina Harrington, Manager of the Future Beef Programme, looks at the key variables farmers have to consider when opting to feed cattle at grass this autumn in order to have animals finished prior to housing.
10 September 2024
2024 Beef Welfare Scheme application deadline approaches
Farmers wishing to apply to the 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme, a programme which incentivises meal feeding pre and post weaning and the vaccination of suckler calves, have just two weeks left to submit their applications.
10 September 2024
Monthly Grass10 Update including grassland management tips for September
It was a very challenging August this year and for the monthly Grass10 update, Niamh Doyle discusses how farmers have fed silage out over the past few weeks.
07 September 2024