The Beef Edge

Margaret Brennan, Assistant Principal Officer over Beef Schemes with the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, is on the Beef Edge podcast to discuss the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) course. 

One of the eligibility conditions of SCEP participation requires that participants MUST complete the mandatory SCEP training course by 15 November 2024.

The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, with the assistance of ICBF and Teagasc, and with contributions from Bord Bia and the Health & Safety Authority (HSA), have developed the mandatory SCEP training course consisting of seven modules. 

This online training course will help participants successfully implement the actions within SCEP and advise the best practices in farm safety and livestock handling. 

Participants  must complete all SCEP online training modules by 15 November 2024 to remain in the programme. This online course is now available to all SCEP participants on the website www.sceptraining.ie

A letter outlining the details on how to access the training, including the participants pin to use when activating your account, is available on Agfood account under the link for Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme

Failure to complete all modules of the online training course by 15 November 2024 will result in you being removed from SCEP and any monies paid under the programme plus the cost of your genomics tests will be recouped.

Screenshot instructions on the process of activating accounts, logging into the training and progressing through the training modules are included in the guide, which also covers frequently asked questions here:

https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/291585/cc968e73-db00-4f1a-b465-4ac1bf7cb4d3.pdf#page=null 

For any participants having technical difficulties or requiring assistance in logging into the training, help is available by email at [email protected] or by phone at 074 9707756.

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 

David Quinn, Superintending Veterinary Inspector at Department Of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is on this week’s joint episode of the Beef Edge and the Dairy Edge with hosts Catherine Egan and James Dunne to dispel some of the myths around TB (Bovine Tuberculosis).

Ireland’s TB Eradication Scheme started in 1954. A TB forum was set up in 2018 and a new eradication strategy was launched in 2021. 

David first explains that last year there were over 30,000 cases which was an increase of 6,000 on the previous year.  Currently the incidence rate is high nationally at 5%. 

David describes the skin test carried out at the annual herd test. He outlines the issues around the false positive and false negative tests, and he discusses the ways farmers can reduce farm risks and awareness around  wildlife

Further details are available at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/health-and-welfare-/tb/

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 the current extended rainfall, on this week’s Beef Edge podcast, Future Beef advisor Gabriel Trayers and Alan Dillion DairyBeef 500 manager give an update from around the country along with tips and advice to implement on farms for the coming weeks. 

Alan also discusses health issues while Gabriel outlines issues in relation to the breeding season and cow nutrition options.

With grazing rotations delayed, Alan discusses the first steps in the plan and getting silage ground on track; plus he describes some of the finishing options now that stock may not have got to grass.

Weather is improving so there is light at end of the tunnel but it is an extremely stressful time and there’s also huge financial pressure on farmers. 

Talk to neighbours and your local Teagasc advisor.  There is an extensive network of people to help, including the Teagasc National Grassland Helpline on 059 918 3155.  

The helplines are open to all farmers seeking advice in coping with the ongoing wet weather and challenging soil conditions and are open from 9am–9pm Monday to Saturday.

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 the difficult weather conditions, DairyBeef 500 advisor Gordon Peppard is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with some timely tips in relation to closing ground for silage.

Gordon highlights that on many farms silage ground won’t be cut but this could provide an opportunity to cut this silage earlier and hence have after grass coming into the rotation faster or the ability to close ground earlier for second cut silage if needed.

Gordon also describes the different fertiliser programme options and weed control available.

Developing a fodder plan for the farm to determine the area of ground that needs to be closed based on the amount of silage required is important while keeping the groups of stock that will be on the farm next winter, Gordon explains on the show.

For further details:

https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/daily/beef/silage-quality-improvements---ten-point-plan.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 

Future Beef programme farmer Trevor Boland is on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast to give an update on his farm, closing for silage and selecting sires. 

Trevor farms part-time in county Sligo and his main enterprise is an autumn calving suckler herd, calving August to October. 

The bull calves are sold at 10-12 months with a target weight of 500kg and the heifers are kept to calves at 24 months or sold as stores.

It has been a very difficult spring but Trevor has managed to turn out weanling heifers and bulls since early March. 

While nitrogen application and slurry applications have been delayed everywhere, Trevor has slurry applied to silage ground and intends to apply 18-6-12 to the grazing ground in the coming days.

With silage ground being closed, Trevor intends to cut silage in mid-May to make quality silage for feeding to fresh calved cows and yearlings next winter over 74 DMD.

Trevor uses 100% AI which helps him match each sire to the cow. Calving ease is very important and carcass value 30-40kg are a key focus whilst not compromising on milk

Come along on the 12th April at 5:30pm to visit Trevor’s farm at Skreen, Co. Sligo to find out more.  Eircode: F91 X535.

Further details at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/national-events/events/future-beef-farm-walk---trevor-boland.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 

DairyBeef 500 Manager, Alan Dillon, is on this week’s episode of the Beef Edge podcast with some tips for rearing calves at this time of year, the financial performance update for 2023 as well as slaughter performance.  

With a difficult spring to get cattle out to grass on programme farms, Alan outlines the plan at the moment with some cattle going to be kept in and finished from the shed due to difficult grazing conditions. 

Sourcing calves this spring there is big variation on price and delay of calves. Alan outlines some key tips for rearing calves up to weaning. The profitability for 2023 was on average €542/Ha. Alan outlines the slaughter performance for 2023 across the different categories of stock Fr, AA/HE, heifers and steers.

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 

Ken Gill operates an autumn calving, organic suckler to beef system located in Co Offaly and he joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to explain his system. 

He has 73 suckler cows calving from the end of July to mid-September and all progeny are brought to beef with the aim to slaughter at 24 months.

Ken says that one of the big changes he had to make when converting to an organic system was in relation to housing on the farm.

Being organic means that crop rotation is vital to ensure the continued health of the soil and to aid weed suppression.  Oats are grown for sale, with a small quantity retained for feeding on the farm. Red clover/perennial ryegrass is grown for quality silage and winter fodder crops are also sown in certain areas of the farm.

100% A.I. is used to avail of the best genetics available, with visual being the main heat detection aid.  Ken offers advice for farmers considering an organic system and says that it is a profitable system for him.

Ken will also feature in the first of a three part Future Beef webinar on Wednesday 20th March at 8pm.

On Monday, March 25th at 8pm the webinar will focus on getting your cow back in calf and on Wednesday March 27th at 8pm the webinar will focus on genetics for the future.

Further webinar details are here: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/events/

You can read more about Ken’s system here: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/farmers/ken-gill/

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 

When it comes to this time of year, the question of doing an agricultural course arises and with so many on offer it can be difficult to decide what Teagasc course suits best.

On the latest Beef Edge podcast, Teagasc education officer, Serena Gibbons, discusses the range of Teagasc education courses that are available and how you can apply.

Log on to www.teagasc.ie/education where you can find lots of information and also contact details of the education officers in each region.

There is also a webinar at 11am on March 20th on land based apprenticeships and the details are here:

https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/national-events/events/land-based-apprenticeships-live-webinar.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 

This week it’s a joint episode between the Beef and Dairy Edge podcasts with dairy farmer Paul Delaney joining Emma-Louise Coffey & Catherine Egan to discuss the importance of genetics in the dairy-beef system to maximise performance and profitability. 

Paul first gives an overview of his system. Two thirds of the cows are calved to date and Paul has used a number of continental sires to breed top quality calves. Paul previously was a suckler farmer prior to converting to dairy in 2015. 

While selecting sires for gestation length and calving difficulty he has no issue with the sires he’s selected while focusing on beef characteristics. He puts a huge value on having two customers for calves that return year on year. 

Paul also discusses the value of good calf genetics can have on the whole process from calf birth to finish and further in the processors.  

For further details on the DairyBeef 500 campaign: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/beef/dairy-calf-to-beef/dairybeef-500/

More information on the Dairy Beef Index is at: 

https://www.icbf.com/dairybeef-results/

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 a difficult spring leading to challenging grazing conditions, Teagasc Grass10 Manager, John Maher, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast with his top tips in relation to grassland management this spring. 

John discusses the current soil temperatures and grass growth across the country and on farms where grazing has been delayed and very little grazing has taken place to date, John explains what the key steps are to get stock to grass in the coming weeks. 

John highlights the grazing targets to hit to avoid having too much grass left at the end of the rotation or having too much grazed. 

Slurry has been spread on most farms and for those planning to go with slurry in the coming weeks John advises this should be applied on silage ground.

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