Cows are in good condition and farm manager Shaun Diver has been very happy with the number of heats taking place in the last seven days ahead of breeding starting in the cow groups on Friday 24 April. Bulls being used on the cows this year include OCD, JD.LM2014,CH4159,FSZ,LM2242,LM2116 and SI2152.

There are 220 ewes and lambs at grass and they are being grazed in three different groups. Later-lambing ewes continue to be fed ration at grass to protect against tetany.

Heat detection and keeping grass right is the name of the game for the next six weeks on Tullamore Farm. The farm grew 57kg /DM/ha over the last seven days and with demand at 39kg/DM/ha/day, Shaun needs to act quickly to avoid pre-grazing covers getting too strong. A little rain would be welcome at this stage.

2019-born bulls on the farm continue to be fed ad-lib meal. Five bulls were slaughtered this week, averaging 382kg carcase weight. The average grade was U- 3+ and they came into €1,390 each, down €275/head on 2018 prices. A further seven bulls have been selected for slaughter next week.

There are 51 replacement heifers to be bred on Tullamore Farm this year. Heifers are being inseminated to natural heats. A vasectomised bull fitted with a Moocall Heat collar is running with the heifers. Heifers are being inseminated to ULSAN, LM2014 and EBY.

Once tailpaint has been removed, a heifer is brought in for AI. The important times for heat detection are 6am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm.

Cows and heifers are inseminated once daily on the farm by an AI technician. Straws are purchased before the breeding season begins.

This 2013-born LM/FR has a replacement index of €134 and she weighed 645kg in July 2019. This year’s heifer calf is by SI4383 and will be kept as a replacement heifer. The cow herself calved at 30 months and has a calving interval of 332 days. This is her sixth calf. Last year’s bull calf was gaining 1.55kg/day at 200 days old. She will be inseminated to QCD this year.

This March 2016-born LM x Friesian cow has a replacement index of €112 and she weighed 690kg in July 2019. This year’s calf is a February-born bull by Fiston. Her 2019-born bull was by QCD and weighed 670kg on 24 April, gaining 1.47kg//day since birth. She will be inseminated to QCD again this year in the hope of a heifer.

This 2017-born LM x dairy cross was purchased as a calf in 2017 and kept as a replacement. She has a replacement index of €116. She was 560kg in July 2019, calved at 24 months and has a calving interval of 360 days. Her bull calf was born on 17 February and is by Tomschoice Ironstone (LM2116). She will be inseminated to Fiston (FSZ) this year.

Roadways come into their own during the breeding season on Tullamore Farm. Cows move out of the paddocks, on to roadways and into a central crush and yard area on the farm.

A spring 2016-born LMx cow with her third calf at foot, a bull calf by LM2116. The cow's replacement index is €108 (five stars) and she weighed 670kg in July 2019.

There are 51 heifers on Tullamore Farm for breeding in 2020, including eight LM x FR heifers purchased six weeks ago at 400kg for €800.