Beef Newsletter - April 2024

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In this month's edition:

• Replacing used P and K
  Fertiliser sales of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) have fallen considerably over the last two years. This is not surprising with the large increases we saw in the price per tonne. Many farmers also decided to take a ‘holiday’ from applying P and K to lessen the impact further. We are now seeing the result of this reduction in the soil sample results that are coming back.
• Training a young bull
  A lot of new stock bulls have arrived on suckler farms in recent weeks and many more will be bought over the coming months. Most new stock bulls are very young and inexperienced, and it is important that they are given every chance to make sure they work to their capacity, especially in their first year in a herd.
• BRD housing project
  John Donlon of Teagasc Grange outlines the new BRD housing project, which aims to identify the key housing-related risk factors for bovine respiratory disease in pre-weaning dairy-beef calves. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) presents a significant challenge to maintaining the health and welfare of dairy-beef calves. It is the leading cause of mortality in calves between one and five months of age.
• Date for the diary
  Teagasc will hold a major open day at our beef research centre in Grange, Co. Meath, on Wednesday, June 26. This will be a must-attend event for anyone with an interest in beef farming. Find out more here