Last week, the programme farmers visited suckler beef farms in Ireland to compare production systems south of the border. One of the farms visited is featured this week

Farmer focus: Niall O’Meara, Killimor, Co Galway

Niall O’Meara runs an autumn-calving suckler herd on 24ha (58 acres) of grassland in Galway. It is a one-man unit and under Niall’s management, it is a highly efficient system stocked at 2.1LU/ha.

The herd consists of 26 autumn-calving cows, which are all bred using AI. Normally, the herd would calve around 32 cows annually, but a fertility problem struck last year during the breeding season. In an effort to increase cow numbers towards the target of 40 cows, Niall had selected 39 cows and heifers for breeding. They were put on to a fixed-time AI programme.

Unfortunately, conception rates were low, with only 26 cows proving in-calf.

This year, Niall hopes to increase cow numbers by holding more heifers for breeding. All replacements are homebred.

He has no plans to purchase additional cows to grow the herd, preferring homebred animals because of their docility, health status and milking ability.

Cows will be housed by 1 November if the weather allows them to stay at grass. Housing always occurs at least one week before the start of the breeding season.

All cows will once again be bred using AI. To safeguard against a potential fertility problem again, Niall plans to serve cows to the end of January this year instead of his usual nine-week period.

Cows started calving on 17 August and will be finished calving by October. Three cows will calve in November and one in February.

Niall plans to sell the November- and February-calving cows live through the mart with their calves at foot.

This will replace some of the lost income from having fewer heifers to sell this year.

By using AI sires, calf quality is excellent. Maternal sires with strong terminal characteristics are used on the herd.

Surplus heifers are now sold as potential breeding replacements at special sales at prices of €1,200 to €1,500, depending on the quality of the animal. Heifers are normally upwards on 15 to 16 months of age at sale.

Selling arrangement

Bull calves are now sold direct to Lisbeg Farm for finishing at 11 to 12 months of age. It has evolved into an arrangement that benefits both Niall and the finishing unit.

Bull calves are sold in August every year, at a time agreed with the finisher.

This year, 12 bulls were sold, with the first group of seven weighing 554kg liveweight at 12 months of age.

The groups averaged €2.30/kg, giving them a sale value of €1,274/head.

The remaining five bulls averaged 485kg at one year old and sold for £1,164.The simplicity of the system is something that Niall is very clear on maintaining.

He highlighted to the BETTER farmers about his outlook on balancing working and life outside of farming.

Management decisions are based on this principle and, in the future, Niall plans to stick with his 58 acres of land and focus on getting the herd to 40 cows.