Kildalton Beef Unit operates a mixed grazing system for the cattle and heifers with the sheep flock and all grazing groups rotate around paddocks.  Two paddocks are reseeded each year and the grass seed includes clover. 

The herd operates a 50% AI and 50% stock bull breeding programme for 12 weeks. Billy Fraher does the AI across the herd and between good conception and culling they don’t carry barren cows. Billy splits the herd into high replacement star cows plus their calves run with the replacement heifers and get material AI straws while the main herd is a mix of stock bull and selective AI. A Fr x steer with a chin ball is used for heat detection along with tail painting. 

The herd is there for skills training of the students in Kildalton and WIT. The staff demonstrate various systems, breeds, skills and management to students through the suckler herd. The aim is to have a 4-5 star herd of cows that can leave a gross margin of over €1000 annually  from a high input high output system with good grassland management allowing the farm to  carry +2.6 LU / ha annually on a sustainably run farm.

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The Beef Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.