Beef Newsletter - June 2023

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In this month's edition:

• Fertilising for second-cut silage
  Second-cut silage will be an important crop on many farms in 2023 to replenish and build silage reserves for the coming winter. This crop tends to be lower yielding compared to first-cut silage. Where the first cut has been harvested, it is important to ensure that second-cut crops are fertilised adequately to ensure a good yield of grass. 
• Breeding season tips
  How is your breeding season progressing so far? Where a stock bull is being used it is still important to record when cows are showing heat so that the number of repeats can be measured. Up to 25% of breeding bulls are sub-fertile, with around one in 20 being completely infertile.
• Weaned calves at grass
  Keeping calves thriving at grass is the priority once they have been weaned off milk replacer and turned out to grass. Continue to feed calves a ration throughout June. If they are eating a lot of meal while indoors this will need to be gradually reduced over a couple of weeks while they adjust to eating grass. Aim to be feeding no more than 1.0kg per day. 
• DairyBeef 500 walk
  The first of this year’s DairyBeef 500 farm walks takes place on the farm of Ciaran Bartley, who operates a dairy calf-to-beef system on 74 hectares in Boher, Co. Limerick. The event is on Thursday, June 29, at 6.00pm. The main focus will be to demonstrate the improvements made on the farm in recent years and how this has had a positive effect on the financial performance of his enterprise.
• Research Update - Forage or concentrate?
  Peter Doyle, Edward O’Riordan, Mark McGee, Paul Crosson and Aidan Moloney of Teagasc Grange Research Centre report on the effect of forage- or concentrate-beef production systems on farm profit, carbon footprint, land use and meat nutritional value. The effect of contrasting suckler weanling-to-beef production systems on steer performance, land use, farm economics and GHG emissions was evaluated.
• Health & Safety - Organise to stay safe
  So far in 2023, three farm workplace fatalities have been reported to the Health and Safety Authority (provisional data at May 15). A Teagasc National Farm Survey study has shown that over 4,500 farm workplace injuries occur annually, with 80% requiring medical treatment. During June, farm work gets busy, especially with tractor and machinery and livestock-related work. Organising work is crucial to prevent injuries. This involves keeping safety to the fore by having all guards in place and using safe work practices.
• 12 steps to reducing emissions
  Over 12 months, the Teagasc advisory newsletters will outline one action per month farmers can take to reduce their emissions. This month the focus is on step 7 - Improve animal health