Teagasc Green Acres Newsletter Issue 3
This issue of the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme e-Newsletter has an update on Aidan Maguire's farm; Key management tips; focus on weight targets and tracking thrive over previous years on the Green Acres farms. The Green Acres Calf to Beef e-Newsletter issues fortnightly. See it here
Issue 3 - 8 July 2021
Aidan Maguire, Navan, Co. Meath
The appetite for grass from all groups of cattle continues to increase as they grow and put on weight. This is most obvious in the spring born calves who are beginning to make an impression on the paddocks they are grazing. The next major task on hand is to weigh all of the cattle on the farm in the coming days to see how they fair relative to the targets set for them.
Key Management Tips
Continue to monitor the health of your calves at grass over the coming weeks – listen out for signs of lungworm, conduct faecal egg tests to gauge worm burden, keep an eye out for cases of pneumonia - Weigh all of your stock in the coming weeks and compare them to the targets set for them. This will inform your decision making over the coming months
- Assess the condition of cattle you are finishing off grass this summer, draft for slaughter at the correct fat score
- Mid-summer is an ideal time to spray grassland for weeds. Always follow the manufacturers guidelines and DAFM regulations when spraying
- Maintain a grazing rotation length of 18-21 days. Maximise grass quality as much as possible through grazing the correct covers (8-10cm), applying Nitrogen post grazing and top post grazing when needed
Staying focused on weight target
In the Teagasc Green Acres programme all cattle are weighed three times annually at turnout, mid-season & housing. The weighing of all stock will be completed over the course of early July as part of the annual mid-season weighing. This will allow each farmer to gauge how different groups of stock are performing relative to the targets set.
Tracking thrive over previous years
Having two years’ worth of regular cattle weighing to look back on for the Teagasc Green Acres farms allows us to accurately track changes in animal performance from year to year. An aim of the Teagasc Green Acres programme is to continually improve efficiency year on year and demonstrate how best practice can impact on animal and system efficiency.
The Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef e-Newsletter will issue fortnightly and you can read it here each fortnight on on Teagasc Daily.
To find out more about the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme click here
