As October approaches, we are nearing the end of the third year of the Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP). This is my third year in the programme and I must say I have found the meetings both enjoyable and informative.

My group mainly consists of farmers based in West Sligo employing a variety of different farming systems. From conventional spring calving sucklers, to weanling, to store trading, to pedigree breeders, there is great variety in the group.

The two things that are common amongst all the farmers in our group is the willingness to learn and the mission to make a profit from whatever the farming system is. Our first meeting was in April 2012 and I have attended over twenty meetings to date, along with a number of mart events and presentations.

After each meeting I like to make a number of notes of important messages from each meeting.

Looking back over these notes is a great way of reminding yourself of all the things you said you would do on your own farm.

One farmer detailed the mineral bolus and vaccination programme he employs pre-housing on his autumn calvers. The bolus and vaccination programme I now use as a result of this farm visit involves giving a multi trace element bolus to all cows six weeks pre-calving. Calves are vaccinated against the RSV and Pi3 viruses, which are the primary causes of pneumonia in calves.

While it may seem costly to administer these boluses and vaccines, I have definitely seen an improvement in calf health as a result of these two measures. Calves are lively and vigorous at birth, while the incidences of pneumonia over the winter are virtually eliminated. Vets bills have been reduced and more importantly calves are given the opportunity to maximise weight gain without any setbacks, which could be worth 50kg per calf or more. This will certainly cover the cost of any mineral bolus or vaccine administered.

Grass measuring and paddock systems

This week, I hosted two local BTAP groups to discuss the merits of grass measuring and the benefits of a paddock system on beef farms. Some simple benefits I notice are my increased awareness of having quality grass in front of cattle at all times and how easy it is to handle and herd stock. When cattle see you coming into a field they are expecting to be moved to fresh grass and meet you at the gate ready for the move.

No dairy farmer would be without paddocks on the farm and I put this down to being able to see the performance of the cows through the monthly cheque from the milk processor. Beef farmers only see this cheque a few times during the year.

However, if each animal for sale in a twenty cow herd was only to gain an additional 50kg as a result of paddocks, the increase in this cheque would be over €2,000 per year. Given the current beef crisis, every extra euro we earn is vital and could be the difference between making a profit or loss on a lot of beef farms in the country.