The Beef Edge – Details, episodes & analysis

Following the launch of the Beef Budgets for 2024 at the National Ploughing Championships, Teagasc Beef specialist, Aidan Murray, has an update with all the details.

Aidan compares the national kill figures to 2023 and discusses how have the prices changed in comparison to this time last year. 

Aidan also highlights how the Irish supply of beef looks for the rest of the year. 

Prices are good and there is demand around the ring at the moment for heavier type of stock with Aidan comparing changes in prices for different categories of stock.

Plus, for farmers buying cattle at the moment and planning to finish them, he advises that it is important to be aware of the expected costs and price needed to cover it.

The Teagasc Beef Budgets 2024/2025 are available at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2024/teagasc-beef-budgets-20242025.php 

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

 
Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Scottish beef and sheep farmer, Graham Lofthouse of Bankhouse Farm, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss his mixed farming system.

The farm is located 30km south of Edinburgh and is 200-300m above sea level.  The average rainfall is around 1,000mm. There are 470 ewes on the farm and 84 suckler cows. 

Graham discusses how the sucker herd is managed from birth to weaning. Breeding and genetics is very important on the farm and Graham outlines the breeding policy. 

Graham also discusses the cattle performance of the stock that were finished on the farm and compares them to the cattle that were sold as stores in 2023.

Maximising weight gain from grass is essential with Graham describing the paddock system and leader follower system that he operates.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

 
Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Teagasc Beef Specialist, Aidan Murray, discusses beef management tips for the month ahead on the latest Beef Edge podcast.  

Aidan says that farmers with autumn calving herds should keep cows fit prior to calving, ensure minerals are supplemented pre-calving, particularly iodine and copper, and he explains ways to avoid mastitis and create awareness at this time of year.

Aidan recommends that cows should be scanned in the spring calving herd to help reduce farm demand and discuss options to sell live or to feed on and finish. 

Aidan also highlights the implications of selling cows or calves prior to five months of age for the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme penalties.

He then outlines different options for bulls and heifers for finishing in the coming months.

Calves on dairy beef farms are weaned and being rotated at grass, and Aidan says to use faecal sample results and treat calves accordingly. Plus Aidan discusses treatment options if calves are currently coughing.

Finally, Aidan goes through various options for farmers to consider if they are short on fodder. As sourcing straw is an area of concern for farmers, Aidan outlines the steps farmers can take now and other alternatives to consider.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

 
Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com 

Teagasc Researcher Colin Byrne joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with an update on the Maternal Herd in Teagasc Grange Co. Meath. 

Colin give a background to the herd and outlines the future research being carried out, plus he discusses this year’s weanling performance and the management over the coming winter.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Teagasc Beef Specialist Aidan Murray joins Catherine Egan on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast with some top tips on managing nutrition with high feed costs this winter. 

Aidan outlines the current position with feed availability this winter and discusses the various options.

This year, he explains, it’s very important for farmers to test silage in order to reduce costs as much as possible.  

Aidan also describes how to take a silage a sample from a pit or bales and he discusses the target weight gains to be achieved this winter.

Taking a sample:

https://fb.watch/gG4BuzU5qp/

Understanding your sample results:

https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2020/understanding-the-silage-test-results.php

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

With heavy rainfall across the country, a lot of cattle were housed over the past fortnight. 

Natascha Meunier from Animal Health Ireland, joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss the key parasites farmers should keep in mind this winter, what you should be treating for, when to dose and which product to use.

Natascha also discusses fluke, worm and lice treatments and she outlines the Beef Health Check report analysis findings and how farmers can access their report.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Teagasc’s Michael Fagan is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to give an update on the Newford Demonstration Farm in Athenry Co. Galway, with an insight also into the heifers that were finished.

To date, 83% or 33 out of the 40, 2021-born beef heifers have now been sold at an average age of 17 ½ months, or 527 days of age. Heifers were drafted off grass with no concentrate supplementation provided since turnout. 

All 2022-born progeny have now been weaned.  The male weanlings (60), which well outnumber the heifer weanlings (26) were weaned on the 12th of September while heifer weanlings were weaned on the 20th of September. 

The male weanlings were weaned at 327 kg equating to an average daily gain (ADG) of 1.37 kg from birth to weaning. The heifer weanlings were weaned at 328 kg and recorded an ADG of 1.32 kg from birth to weaning.

Further details at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/daily/beef/newford-farm-notes---83-of-2021-born-beef-heifers-have-now-been-sold-at-an-average-age-of-17--months.php

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

As part of Sustainability Week, Teagasc Farm manager of the Kildalton suckler herd, John O’Connor, joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with a focus on calving at 24 months which also helps to reduce emissions. 

The stock on display at the Teagasc stand at the Ploughing this year were the beef herd in Kildalton college and John describes the cow, her bull calf and the heifers that will be calving next January.

From weaning, to first winter breeding, second winter and pre and post-calving, John discusses each stage of the heifer’s life and the targets she must achieve.
 
To book a place at one of the calving at 24 months workshops, click on the following link: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/calving-heifers-at-24-months---workshops/

Teagasc Signpost Sustainability Week will take place from the 14-21st of October and full details of the activities for the week are available at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/environment/climate-change--air-quality/signpost-programme/signpost-sustainability-week-2022/

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Michael McGuigan from Longwood, Co. Meath is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with an insight into his beef system and his targets in detail.  He is a participant in the Future Beef programme and farms part-time, managing his own company off-farm. 

Michael bought the farm in 2016 and set about developing it and improving the soil fertility and grassland. He farms 23.5 hectares and it is a mixture of sandy gravel and clay soil. 

Michael runs a suckling to weanling system consisting of all Autumn calvers. The males are sold as weanlings while the heifers, if not retained for breeding, are sold for export or sold in show and sales in the local mart. He is using 100% A.I. to allow him to use the best genetics available. 

Further updates on Michael’s farm are available here: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/farmers/michael-mcguigan/

Podcast Survey

In order to understand the aspects of podcasts which are most appealing and beneficial to you the listener, it would be appreciated if you could take 3-4 minutes to complete the following survey to give your feedback:  

https://forms.office.com/r/mDZTE9zPy4

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Teagasc advisor, Austin Callaghan from county Mayo, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with some key advice to help apply for ACRES and to complete your plan.

The major difference in ACRES compared to previous agri-environment schemes will be the change from action-based payments to results-based payments.

When it comes to the plan, Austin outlines that many farmers will undertake grassland actions, such as the following: low-input grassland receiving up to €450/ha; extensive grassland: €200/ha; commonage: €220/ha; and low-input grassland on peat up to €450/ha.

Austin describes a number of actions farmers may select such as planting trees, hedges, archaeological monuments, traditional dry stone walls, low-emission slurry spreading and winter bird food plot.

For further details:

https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2022/Environment_August_2022_web.pdf

Podcast Survey

In order to understand the aspects of podcasts which are most appealing and beneficial to you the listener, it would be appreciated if you could take 3-4 minutes to complete the following survey to give your feedback:  

https://forms.office.com/r/mDZTE9zPy4

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com