Beef Newsletter - April 2025

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In this month's edition:

• Grassland management
  As daylight hours increase and soil temperatures rise, grass growth rates are expected to accelerate significantly in April. If you haven’t already closed off your silage ground, now is the time to do so – continuing to graze it will delay your first silage cut into June, impacting both quality and the start of the second-cut growth phase.
• Weaning calves off milk replacer
  Calves purchased in recent months will soon reach the weaning stage on many farms. Ensuring a smooth transition from milk replacer to a fully solid diet is crucial for maintaining growth and preparing calves for turnout.
• ICBF Mart Tracker: a smarter way to buy livestock
  The ICBF Mart Tracker is a new online tool designed to help farmers easily find animals for sale at marts each day. When an animal is entered for sale, its passport (blue card) is scanned at intake, and its details are transferred to the ICBF. If genetic index data – such as Euro-Star ratings or CBV – is available, it is linked to the animal's profile.
• Research Update - BRD housing project update
  Dr John Donlon of Teagasc, Grange, is studying the quality of air in calf housing. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) presents a significant challenge to maintaining the health, welfare and productivity of dairy-beef calves. The air in calf housing contains irritants to the respiratory tract, which may predispose calves to BRD. Housing air is also thought to be a vector for pathogens that cause BRD. As part of this project, we are monitoring the air in 10 sheds used to rear dairy calf to beef.
• Health & Safety - Safe fertiliser spreading
  Check your tractor and machine before spreading fertiliser. Ensure that PTO guards are in place and secure. Lifting equipment for large fertiliser bags must be in good condition. Use long-handled knives to open bags, stay clear, and always lower equipment when it is not in use. Drive carefully at all times, especially in the farmyard. If you must travel on slopes, carefully assess the risk of overturning. Stay vigilant.