Organic Farm Walk - Eanna Canavan
19 October 2023 19 October 2023Venue Eanna Canavan, Gortaclob, Doolin, Co. Clare. Eircode: V95 DX82.
Join us on Thursday, 19 October at 11am for an Organic Farm Walk on the farm of Eanna Canavan, Gortaclob, Doolin, Co. Clare. Eircode: V95 DX82.
On the farm there is a suckler enterprise of 15 spring calving suckler cows. The majority of the weanlings are sold in the autumn, with a few of the best heifers kept as replacements. Occasionally, a derogation is sought and a conventional replacement heifer is purchased. In organics there is leeway for the purchase annually of 10% of the cow herd in the form of maiden or in calf heifers, with prior permission from the OCB (Organic Control Body).
The cow breeds are a mixture of Charolais, Limousin, Shorthorn and Droimeann, and are all crossed with a Shorthorn stock bull.
| Stock Type | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Suckler cows | 15 |
| Calves | 15 |
| 1 – 2 year olds | 3 |
| Bull | 1 |
Calving starts in early February and the majority have calved by the end of April. Cows are calved indoors and are let out as soon as possible post calving depending on weather conditions. This minimises the risks of scour and pneumonia in young calves.
Cows are joined with the Bull in June and July, with weaning occurring in late October or early November when the cows are being brought in for winter housing. Over winter, cows and weanlings get fed grass silage, and are housed in a mix of slatted and dry bedded housing. Where a farmer has all slatted houses, access to dry solid floor bedded housing will have to be made available through creep areas or by giving access to new solid floor shed. In organics animals must have at least 50% of their lying area in the form of solid straw bedded area. A 60% grant is available through TAMS for organic farmers to develop more housing, to repurpose current buildings, or to invest in new machinery such as a topper or a dung spreader.
The land area consists of 41.15 ha of grassland and 4.73 ha of forestry.
Cows and calves are grazed on a rotational basis around the farm using a paddock system. Topping is carried out as necessary after grazing to improve grassland performance and to control weeds.
The paddock system plays a critical role in the control of parasites on the farm, with a rotation length of greater than 25 days in practice, reducing the worm burdens and the frequency of administering wormers.
Liver fluke has not been seen to be an issue due to the drier nature of the ground, however regular dung samples are taken as a precaution.