A key focus in phase two of the Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm programme is the dissemination of information and lessons learned from the programme into the wider farming community.

One of the methods selected was setting up a number of satellite or discussion groups around phase one that farmers carried forward into phase two.

The launch of the Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP) saw some groups also twin as a satellite and BTAP group.

In 2015, it is planned to roll out a number of projects across the satellite groups.

These projects will be detailed in the coming weeks, with information profiled throughout the year so that other discussion groups can adopt similar projects and compare their progress.

Value of groups

The economic value to farmers of partaking in discussion groups was shown last week by Teagasc as having the potential to deliver on average €95/ha more to a farmer’s net margin.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a number of farmers in the Tuam Beef Group – the satellite group operating around BETTER farm participant Billy Gilmore and facilitated by Teagasc B&T adviser Gabriel Trayers – to see what changes were being implemented and what impact they are having.

Last week’s beef page covered the once-calved heifer operation run by John and Jim Byrne. This week, we are profiling a mixed suckler and sheep enterprise and a specialist weanling producer.

Grass utilisation

Pat Donnellan farms a mixed 25-cow suckler-to-weanling/store herd and a mid-season lambing flock of 165 ewes in Lavally, Co Galway (55 lambing early February, 110 lambing end February).

Also current chairman of the group, Pat said that one of its biggest benefits is witnessing different practices in place on other farms and challenging yourself to adopt changes that might suit or improve the farming enterprise.

A major area Pat has focused on over the last three years is improving grassland management. Improvements made in grass utilisation, grass quality and volume grown are being used as a key driver to gradually increase the farm’s stocking rate and to lift output.

Pat said that a mistake made in the past was letting ewes have full access to the farm over the winter months. This led to severe grass shortages in spring for both ewes and lambs and January/February-calving cows, resulting in increased concentrate usage, higher costs and reduced animal performance.

The system now in place is closing paddocks from October onwards, with about 80% of the farm currently closed. About 100 ewes will be housed in early January with the remainder tightened up and supplemented.

“I suppose in the past I thought ewes did better outdoors and it reduced labour early in the winter. Since I improved silage quality for ewes indoors and put plans in place to have a supply of grass in spring, it has turned both enterprises around.

“It has greatly reduced labour by cutting out feeding at grass earlier in spring and stock perform much better on a good supply of grass over supplementing on limited grass supplies.

“I’ve also seen the value of batching ewes and lambs in larger groups quicker and moving to a rotational grazing system faster in spring to give grass a chance to recover and have a fresh bite ahead of ewes.”

Bringing about changes in grassland management is a gradual process. Pat has a long-term plan in place, whereby he hopes to capitalise more on increased grass utilisation by inserting more paddocks and improving sward productivity by lifting soil fertility.

“I’m a great believer in mixed grazing and the advantages it brings in animal performance. Splitting paddocks to retain mixed grazing is trickier than in an all-beef system, but worth the effort. I have a few put in and can see a big difference.

“I think there is also much more I can get from my grass by improving sward fertility. I’m going to focus on this before undertaking any major reseeding jobs.

“When I have all swards performing where I want them, I can then progress a step further and reseed with the full confidence that sward fertility is sufficient to make maximum use of the reseed.”

Future plans

Ewe numbers on the farm have been lifted from 150 to 165, along with running 20 to 30 replacement ewe lambs (another 20 purchased as hoggets).

There are also plans in place to increase suckler cow numbers to 30, with additional heifers calving in spring 2015 (lift stocking rate from 1.5LU/ha to 1.8LU/ha).

On the suckler side, Pat is hoping to tighten the calving period and have the majority of cows calving in January and February to have calves capable of utilising grass to maximum effect and achieve optimum weanling weight to drive output.

Steps put in place in previous years have been offering calves outdoor access in early spring to minimise on indoor health issues and also weaken the cow/calf bond to encourage resumption to cyclicity.

Commenting on group activity, Pat is firm in his opinion that groups should remain an integral part of active farming: “Information is great power, but it is even more powerful when you have group dynamics to push it on.”