Twelve DairyBeef factsheets launched by Teagasc at Beef2024 Open Day at Grange

Darryl Armitage
By Darryl Armitage

Journalist

Published 27th Jun 2024, 12:03 BST
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Twelve DairyBeef factsheets were launched at the Beef2024 Open Day in Grange this week.

This is one of the commitments from the 10 point action plan to support dairy calf to beef systems in Ireland, launched by the Department of Agriculture earlier this year.

The factsheets cover all major aspects of running an efficient and environmentally sustainable calf to beef enterprise.

They incorporate all the newest technologies such as the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) and the latest research on finishing options for various categories of cattle, such as early maturing steers and heifers and Friesian steers.

Alan Dillon, DairyBeef500 programme, Professor Pat Dillon, head of research in Teagasc, Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc director, and Dr Nicky Byrne, Teagasc beef researcher, GrangeAlan Dillon, DairyBeef500 programme, Professor Pat Dillon, head of research in Teagasc, Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc director, and Dr Nicky Byrne, Teagasc beef researcher, Grange
Alan Dillon, DairyBeef500 programme, Professor Pat Dillon, head of research in Teagasc, Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc director, and Dr Nicky Byrne, Teagasc beef researcher, Grange

Launching the factsheets the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD said: “These factsheets are extremely useful to help farmers develop their dairy calf to beef systems, making them a profitable and sustainable option for farming.”

Teagasc director of Research Professor Pat Dillon commented: “The factsheets are based on real farm data and analysis from our DairyBeef research units in Teagasc Johnstown and Teagasc Grange and also using data and farmer experiences from our Teagasc DairyBeef500 demonstration farms which are purely commercial farms operated on a range of scales and soil types nationwide.”

The factsheets, while having a heavy focus on technologies and production, also have a climate conscious aspect with many areas such as health management of calves in early life, grazing systems and silage quality all leading to a reduced age of slaughter on farms which is one of the leading methods to lower greenhouse gas emissions on beef farms.

The 12 Teagasc factsheets are:

1. Profitable and environmentally sustainable dairy-beef systems

2. Increasing the profitability of dairy-beef systems using the Commercial Beef Value (CBV)

3. Vaccination programmes for dairy-beef farms

4. Nutritional management of the dairy-beef calf

5. The first 12 weeks at grass for dairy-beef calves

6. Combating internal parasite infection on dairy-beef farms

7. Grazing management for dairy-beef systems

8. Weanling health and nutrition

9. Silage quality and concentrate supplementation

10. Pasture-based systems for early-maturing dairy-beef heifers

11. Finishing options for early-maturing dairy-beef steers

12. Finishing Holstein Friesian dairy-beef steers

The full set of factsheets can be viewed at www.teagasc.ie/dairybeef500factsheets.

Related topics:Department of AgricultureIreland

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