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By Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme advisor Seán Cummins In an era of beef price volatility, maximising animal performance and keeping a firm handle on costs are key to generating a profit in calf to beef systems. As profitability is a function of sales, less purchases and costs, maximising the performance of every animal is key to optimising profitability. Notable improvements in livestock performance have been recorded across the Teagasc Green Acres farms. One farmer who has made a number of tweaks and is now beginning to witness increased performance is Richard Long in Ballymaca...

By Teagasc Green Acres programme advisor James Fitzgerald Farming just outside Moate, Co. Westmeath, Irvine Allen has been a participant in the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme since the spring of 2019. In following the plan drawn up for his farm, he is now rearing 110-120 Holstein Friesian bull calves each spring and will carry these through to slaughter from 21-30 months-of-age. Prior to enrolling in the Teagasc Green Acres Programme, Irvine was rearing a mixture of autumn and spring-born Holstein Friesian bull calves and early-maturing bull and heifer calves, bringing them throug...

By Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme advisor Seán Cummins With the development of antimicrobial resistance, there’s an increased focus on the way in which antibiotics are being used in both human and animal health. Peter and Thomas O’Hanrahan, participants in the Teagasc Green Acres Calf-to-Beef Programme, have recorded a significant reduction in the quantity of antibiotics being used on their farm on the outskirts of Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. Expressed on a milligram per kilogram of liveweight output basis, the O’Hanrahans used 6.4mg/kg of liveweight output in 2020, down from...

March 7, 2021, 6:10 am By Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme advisor Seán Cummins In calf-to-beef systems, the margins for ensuring any levels of profitability are based on maximising animal performance efficiency and minimising unnecessary financial costs. An analysis of the slaughter performance of animals produced on the Teagasc Green Acres farms was compiled earlier this year, which examined the physical (carcass weight, grade and fat scores) and financial performance (€/kg) of animals slaughtered over the course of 2020. Calf purchase price vs carcass value To delve further in...

February 25, 2021, 11:01 am With increasing regulations and guidelines coming into play around the usage of antibiotics on farms, being able to reduce its necessity would be hugely beneficial to farmers. Speaking on the third episode of the ‘The Calf Show’ series hosted by AgriLand last night – Martin Connolly, a participant in the Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme, spoke about his experience of implementing a herd health plan and the benefits he is seeing because of it. Reoccuring health issues When discussing how he began putting a plan in place for vaccinating his calves, Martin r...