Procurement Manager, Jonathan Forbes told the crowd that there are three different finishing systems operated on the farm; Commercial –retail spec cattle, Grain fed bulls for the Italian retailer and Herefords for the domestic market. Forbes said that the finishing unit is run independently of the Meat Division and a separate set of accounts are provided.

The farm consists has been built up over the years, the first 250ha having been purchased in the 80’s and it currently stands at 320ha. Greg McCloskey, farm manager told the group that the yard has capacity for 1800 head at a time, and that it finishes about 3500 cattle a year. In total, just four labour units operate the feedlot, with contractors used to carry out tillage operations.

Approximately 101ha are sown with Avatar winter Wheat, there are 123ha sown with winter barley and a further 30ha of maize. In terms of maize, he said that they are focused on producing silage with a high starch content, not yield. In addition there are 65ha of grassland, used to produce grass silage and for grazing. McCloskey told the group that they use a crop rotation and in recent years they have started to chop straw on the headlands as well as opting to reduce traffic on fields to avoid compaction and damage. Slurry and dung produced on the farm is applied to the tillage ground, and the surplus is exported to neighbouring tillage farms.

In this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, we give a detailed look at how a focus on health, and the implementation of a strict protocol for purchased in cattle have reduced mortality and helped reduce veterinary costs on the farm.