The 32nd Royal Ulster Winter Fair in association with Danske Bank takes place next Thursday, 14 December, at the Eikon Exhibition Centre located at the Maze, Lisburn.
It is the third year that Northern Ireland’s premier dairy show is at its new venue at the Maze, with the event opening at 9am and closing at 5pm.
Central to the day is the show ring where livestock exhibitors from across Ireland will be competing for the title of supreme champion. The judge for this year’s event is Hank Van Exel, who is travelling from California. Judging starts at 9am with the breed championships at 3pm, and the supreme championship at 4pm.
Last year, picking up the top accolade was the fifth-lactation Holstein cow, Desmond Dundee Embrace, exhibited by Philip Jones of Hallow Holsteins, Wexford, and jointly owned by Roy Cromie from Donegal.
It was the second time this cow took the supreme champion title, having previously won in 2014. It also continued a recent trend of exhibitors from the Republic of Ireland taking the top awards at the event.
Hoof trimming
After attracting little interest in previous years, a series of industry seminars has been dropped. However, new this year are hoof-trimming demonstrations undertaken by Millfarm Hoofcare, who are based in the northwest. The demos take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.
There is also the usual mix of trade stands, with space fully booked, and approximately 220 exhibitors expected to attend.
Admission for adults is £10; 12 to 18 years is £8; seniors (over 65) is £8; and under 12s are free when accompanied by an adult.
RUAS members are admitted free of charge.
Discounted tickets (£2 less) are available to purchase online at www.winterfair.org.uk on or before Wednesday 13 December.
9am: judging of showmanship classes.10am: judging of dairy Shorthorn, Jersey, Ayrshire and Holstein breed classes; judging of junior championships.12pm: lunch break.1pm: judging of heifer championships.3pm: judging of breed championships.4pm: judging of supreme championship.Visit the IFJ stand
The Irish Farmers Journal stand is centrally located in the main hall. Please call in for a chat over a cup of tea or coffee. We will also have various merchandise available for sale, including the latest issue of our Irish Dairy Farmer magazine.
AFBI research highlighted at Winter Fair
AFBI researchers will be on hand at this year’s Winter Fair to highlight the range of current topical research projects and issues including the latest developments on:
Calf and heifer rearing.Optimum concentrate feed rates.Alternative feeds where silage is short.Zero grazing.In addition, there will be a special focus on the 2017 GrassCheck project, with a demonstration examining the effect of soil compaction and sward quality on grass growth.
Researchers will also be available to discuss a number of new projects that include minimising antibiotic usage, reducing ammonia emissions, measuring grass growth and strategies to optimise performance within feed-to-yield systems.
This final project will be conducted on 30 commercial dairy farms, and if anyone is interested in getting involved, they should make themselves known to AFBI staff.
Caledon – the latest grass variety
The latest AFBI grass variety coming to the market is named Caledon, and it will be launched at this year’s Winter Fair.
It is an intermediate tetraploid perennial ryegrass with a heading date of 29 May. On UK trial sites, it has produced high yields of good-quality forage, especially under silage management.
Caledon will be marketed through Barenbrug UK Ltd, and limited quantities of seed will be available in spring 2018.
The 32nd Royal Ulster Winter Fair in association with Danske Bank takes place next Thursday, 14 December, at the Eikon Exhibition Centre located at the Maze, Lisburn.
It is the third year that Northern Ireland’s premier dairy show is at its new venue at the Maze, with the event opening at 9am and closing at 5pm.
Central to the day is the show ring where livestock exhibitors from across Ireland will be competing for the title of supreme champion. The judge for this year’s event is Hank Van Exel, who is travelling from California. Judging starts at 9am with the breed championships at 3pm, and the supreme championship at 4pm.
Last year, picking up the top accolade was the fifth-lactation Holstein cow, Desmond Dundee Embrace, exhibited by Philip Jones of Hallow Holsteins, Wexford, and jointly owned by Roy Cromie from Donegal.
It was the second time this cow took the supreme champion title, having previously won in 2014. It also continued a recent trend of exhibitors from the Republic of Ireland taking the top awards at the event.
Hoof trimming
After attracting little interest in previous years, a series of industry seminars has been dropped. However, new this year are hoof-trimming demonstrations undertaken by Millfarm Hoofcare, who are based in the northwest. The demos take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.
There is also the usual mix of trade stands, with space fully booked, and approximately 220 exhibitors expected to attend.
Admission for adults is £10; 12 to 18 years is £8; seniors (over 65) is £8; and under 12s are free when accompanied by an adult.
RUAS members are admitted free of charge.
Discounted tickets (£2 less) are available to purchase online at www.winterfair.org.uk on or before Wednesday 13 December.
9am: judging of showmanship classes.10am: judging of dairy Shorthorn, Jersey, Ayrshire and Holstein breed classes; judging of junior championships.12pm: lunch break.1pm: judging of heifer championships.3pm: judging of breed championships.4pm: judging of supreme championship.Visit the IFJ stand
The Irish Farmers Journal stand is centrally located in the main hall. Please call in for a chat over a cup of tea or coffee. We will also have various merchandise available for sale, including the latest issue of our Irish Dairy Farmer magazine.
AFBI research highlighted at Winter Fair
AFBI researchers will be on hand at this year’s Winter Fair to highlight the range of current topical research projects and issues including the latest developments on:
Calf and heifer rearing.Optimum concentrate feed rates.Alternative feeds where silage is short.Zero grazing.In addition, there will be a special focus on the 2017 GrassCheck project, with a demonstration examining the effect of soil compaction and sward quality on grass growth.
Researchers will also be available to discuss a number of new projects that include minimising antibiotic usage, reducing ammonia emissions, measuring grass growth and strategies to optimise performance within feed-to-yield systems.
This final project will be conducted on 30 commercial dairy farms, and if anyone is interested in getting involved, they should make themselves known to AFBI staff.
Caledon – the latest grass variety
The latest AFBI grass variety coming to the market is named Caledon, and it will be launched at this year’s Winter Fair.
It is an intermediate tetraploid perennial ryegrass with a heading date of 29 May. On UK trial sites, it has produced high yields of good-quality forage, especially under silage management.
Caledon will be marketed through Barenbrug UK Ltd, and limited quantities of seed will be available in spring 2018.
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