TResearch Spring 2025
Powder to the People
Powder to the People
Help the Environment; Boost Farm Profits
Proceedings from Moorepark'11 which took place in Teagasc, Moorepark on 29 June 2011
The Derrypatrick Herd, Grange was established in 2009 for the purposes of research demonstration to Irish suckler beef producers. The objective is to establish a high profit, grassbased, sustainable suckler beef systems research herd evaluating and demonstrating optimal animal breeding, grass-based feed nutrient supply and technical efficiency. The animals or carcasses produced will be suitable for the high priced continental EU markets i.e. lean carcasses of good conformation.
This booklet describes in detail the conversion of the new Greenfield farm from a tillage farm to an operational dairy farm. It details and describes the infrastructure at the Greenfield Farm including milking facilities, animal and slurry accommodation and grazing infrastructure. It also describes the process of conversion including the project management of infrastructural development, stock acquisition as well as the physical and financial performance of the farm during the first year.
A paper from Adam Woods, Teagasc, Grange, presented at the National Beef Conference in Cillin Hill, Kilkenny on 5th April 2011
Dairy calf-to-beef conference 2010
Dairying: Entering a decade of opportunity
Teagasc National Liquid Milk Conference 2010
Grange Suckler Beef Open Day Booklet
The dairy industry in Ireland is facing new and challenging times with the impending removal of the milk quota regime and volatility in milk price. Robust cows that will efficiently deliver high yields of milk solids from grazed grass, with consistently excellent fertility, will maximise profit regardless of future milk price volatility. Currently however, fertility performance (conception rates, survival and calving pattern) continues to be sub-optimal, eroding profit margins on Irish dairy farms and restricting the supply of high quality replacements. Data from the ICBF indicates that the average calving interval of Irish dairy herds is 389 days, with an average 6-week calving rate of 58% and 18% of cows recycled on a yearly basis. Similarly, indications are that reproductive performance on dairy farms in the northern half of the country is significantly poorer. This is a significant cost on the average dairy farm and reduces the supply of high EBI AI bred replacements thereby restricting Ireland’s ability to increase milk production in the future.
Moorepark Dairy Greenfield Open Day January 19th & 20th 2010