The Beef Edge

With fertiliser prices skyrocketing, Teagasc Specialist Mark Plunkett is on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast with an update on the outlook for the coming months and what can you do to maintain margins in light of further possible increases. The current fertiliser price increases are unprecedented and Mark explains why they have risen so dramatically - which have been caused by a number...

With legislative changes around prescription and parasite treatment coming in 2022, on this week’s Beef Edge podcast Catherine Egan is joined by Superintending Veterinary Inspectors Caroline Garvan & Damien Barrett to discuss antimicrobial resistance, future challenges to the beef herd and the upcoming Animal Health Awareness week running from the 18-24th November. For further information visi...

For the third and final part of the ‘Getting Winter Ready’ series, this week’s Beef Edge podcast is focusing on animal housing for the coming months and Catherine Egan is joined by vet & UCD lecturer Catherine McAloon. Firstly, Catherine highlights the importance of space allowance over the winter period to maximise performance. Good ventilation is also critical and Catherine describes the two...

‘Getting Winter Ready’ is a three-part series on the Beef Edge podcast focusing on nutrition, health and housing and for this second part, vet Cara Sheridan with MSD Animal Health discusses how to manage animal health over the winter. Cara highlights the importance of making adjustments to housing, fixing drinkers and ensuring cattle are dosed and vaccinated prior to housing. It is best to try and...

‘Getting Winter Ready’ is a three-part series on the Beef Edge podcast focusing on nutrition, health and housing. For this first part, on this week’s episode Teagasc Advisor John Kelly from county Offaly discusses managing nutrition over the winter to maximise performance. John highlights that there are a combination of factors such as management, diet and housing that impact on performance over t...

In preparation for the last grazing rotation, Thomas Hogan from Nenagh Co. Tipperary, and Grass10 Beef Grassland Farmer of the Year, joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss his beef suckling to store system and his autumn plan. Thomas operates a spring calving system with 70 cows expected to calve down in 2022. Cows are mainly Limousin and Simmental cross and Thomas places...

As part of Ag mental health week, Conor Hammersley, Teagasc PhD Walsh scholar, joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the findings of his study as part of the ‘On Feirm Ground’ project. Irish male farmers experience some of the highest levels of adverse health outcomes relative to other occupations and Conor highlights how his recent study throws new light on male farmers...

With weanling sales taking place across the country, Teagasc Beef specialist, Aidan Murray, joins Catherine Egan on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast to discuss a number of finishing budgets. As no two farms are the same, Aidan advises that farmers should consider their input costs such as silage quality and concentrates, management of the beef system if it’s short or long, and stocking...

On this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast, Newford farm technician Michael Fagan joins Catherine Egan with an update on the farm and performance review of the herd in Athenry. Breeding season started on the 21st April and finished 30th June lasting 10 weeks. With 100% AI used, tail painting and two teasers bulls with chin balls alongside two Moo Heats were used for heat detection. A.I. was c...

Transferring the family farm is so much more than just a simple business transaction and there are a number of complex issues to be addressed. On this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast, Teagasc Financial Management Specialist, James McDonnell, joins Catherine Egan with key advice to help farm families through this process and all aspects that need to be considered when writing a succession p...

Teagasc Green Acres programme manager Alan Dillon joins Catherine Egan on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast with an update on the dairy calf to beef programme as well as practical beef management tips for the coming weeks. Alan explains that the main points of focus for farmers in the next 6-8 weeks is building grass as well as having a closing plan and it’s important to start preparing...

With over 34,000 audits taking place on Irish Beef & Sheep farms each year, Emma O’Gorman, Quality Assurance and Origin Green co-ordinator at Bord Bia joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to bust some myths around the audit. Emma describes how it demonstrates to customers that quality beef and lamb are produced sustainably under an accredited Scheme and provide an on-going mea...

In the second of a two-part series looking at a farm to fork enterprise, Jim Ryan, owner of Ryan’s Farm, who operates a premium on-farm butchers alongside is his farm in Kells, Co. Meath joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast. Jim describes how he manages the cattle from purchase to finish and gives advice for other farmers who may be considering this career path. Jim discusses how...

In the first of a two part interview finding out about a farm-to-fork enterprise, on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge, Catherine Egan is joined by Jim Ryan of Ryan’s Farm. Jim operates a premium on-farm butchers alongside his farm in Kells Co. Meath and he tells his story of establishing the business back in 2007 and how he has expanded and grown the business ever since. Jim explains that it’s...

With approximately 20% of suckler herds operating an autumn calving system, Teagasc advisor Aisling Molloy has some key tips on this week’s Beef Edge podcast. She discusses why autumn calving is appealing to some farmers and the various different beef systems that autumn calving suits. High quality silage is very important in reducing costs over the winter period in this system and targeting early...

On this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast, Teagasc Green Acres participant Aidan Maguire from Co. Meath discusses his beef system and gives an update on his farm. For the past four weeks, drought conditions have made managing grass on the farm very difficult. Aidan describes how he had to feed good quality silage ( 72 DMD) to ensure performance was not impacted. On a recent weighing, calves...

In the second of a two-part series on planning in preparation for weaning, Teagasc Specialist, Aidan Murray, advises how to reduce stress at weaning. Weaning can be a stressful time on farms both for cow and calf and there are many different weaning strategies with benefits to each process, which Aidan describes. As part of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme-Sucklers (BEEP-S), farmers may...

In the first of a two part series on planning in preparation for weaning, vet Charles Chavasse, Area Veterinary Manager with Zoetis, joins Catherine Egan on the latest Beef Edge to discuss how to prevent pneumonia. Charles first describes how most pneumonia is caused by a mix of viruses and bacteria. Vaccines are an aid to the control of pneumonia as the vaccines reduce lung damage caused by virus...

As part of #FarmSafetyWeek, beef farmer Tommy Holmes from Co. Mayo, discusses farm safety on his farm along with his Teagasc advisor Tom Kelly, Teagasc Ballina on this week’s Beef Edge podcast. Tommy outlines his store to finishing system and describes how he has moved from suckler cows to bull beef and now to bullocks. A large proportion of all fatal workplace accidents occur in agriculture each...

Chris Maughan, Technical Manager with Whelehan Crop Protection, and Teagasc Beef specialist, Alan Dillon, are on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss weed control on farm. It has been a difficult spring on farm relating to grass, particularly getting an opportunity to control weeds. Chris discusses control of docks nettles, thistles, buttercups and ragwort. He also discusses the correct sprayi...

Orla Keane, Senior Researcher at Teagasc Grange, has some timely advice in relation to updating your herd health plan and parasite control on this week’s Beef Edge podcast. It’s a good time of year when calving is over for a spring calving herd and before it starts on an autumn calving herd to review the herd health plan now and Orla highlights the importance of biosecurity and hygiene and outline...

Teagasc Green Acres dairy calf to beef participant, Martin Connolly, from Co. Roscommon gives a Beef Edge Masterclass on this week’s podcast episode. He gives an insight into his 21-22 month Friesian bull beef system and discusses the key points from managing the calf up to weaning, emphasising the importance of calf health in the early weeks of life. He discusses how he manages the stock at grass...

With an increase in grass growth in the past few weeks the challenge now on farms is to maintain quality in the sward. On this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast, Teagasc Grass 10 Manager John Maher gives top tips in relation to managing grass quality. John highlights the two main ways to manage grass at the moment. Firstly, it involves targeting ideal covers to graze of 8-10 cm and that may...

This week’s Beef Edge podcast finds out about the Certified Irish Angus Schools competition that challenges students to rear five Irish Angus calves over 18 months while completing a research project and which is organised in partnership with ABP Ireland and Kepak Group. Catherine Egan is joined by Darragh Barlow, a student at the Abbey School Tipperary town which is one of the five finalist schoo...

Contract rearer Kieran Kielty from Co. Sligo joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss how he operates a contract heifer rearing system. Kieran explains how he has developed the system over the past number of years and he outlines the importance of grassland management and quality silage in this system. As Kieran works off farm he highlights the benefits of contract rearing...