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.

Trevor farms part-time in Co. Sligo and his main enterprise is an autumn-calving suckler herd, calving August to October. The bull calves are sold at 10-12 months with a target weight of 500kg and the heifers are kept to calve at 24 months or sold as stores.

It has been a very difficult spring, but Trevor has managed to turn out weanling heifers and bulls since early March.

While nitrogen application and slurry applications have been delayed everywhere, Trevor has slurry applied to silage ground and intends to apply 18-6-12 to the grazing ground in the coming days.

With silage ground being closed, Trevor intends to cut silage in mid-May to make quality silage (>74 DMD) for feeding to freshly-calved cows and yearlings next winter.

Trevor uses 100% AI which helps him match each sire to the cow. Calving ease is very important and carcass values 30-40kg are a key focus whilst not compromising on milk

Listen in below:

Trevor will host a farm walk on April 12 at 5.30pm at Skreen, Co. Sligo, Eircode: F91 X535.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com, visit the show page.