Pat Joyce from Co. Galway, who operates a contract heifer rearing system, and his Teagasc advisor, Charlie Devaney, join this week’s Beef Edge to give an overview of the farm and the steps that Pat takes to make good quality silage.

Pat farms outside Williamstown in Co.Galway; having previously operated a suckling system, he changed in 2017 to contract rear heifers for a dairy farmer. This system has grown and expanded to over 100 heifers bring reared in recent years on two blocks of land.

Maximising weight gain as cost efficiently as possible is key, Pat advises, and this is achieved on farm by increasing grass utilisation through an extensive paddock system.

Breeding is a labour intensive part of the system with close observation of heifers on the home block used to detect heifers, along with tail paint and scratchcards. The am/pm rule is used for AI on the farm. This year Pat has installed SenseHub to aid heat detection on the outblock.

Managing costs on the farm is very important especially making quality silage which is something Pat has focused on a lot on in recent years. Pat has also red clover on the farm and he discusses how it is managed so far this year and the plan for the year ahead.

Plus, Pat highlights a few tips for any farmer considering going contract rearing.

Local Teagasc advisor, Charlie Devaney, concludes with advice for farmers making silage this year, particularly where ground hasn’t been grazed.

If you missed the recent Silage Webinar, watch it here: 

Gearing up for Silage 2026 - Webinar

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

 
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