Aisling Molloy is a UCD student from Puttaghaun, Tullamore, Co Offaly. She is about to start the final year of her agricultural science degree, specialising in animal science. Aisling is from a mixed farm, and works her grandmother Patricia’s farm alongside her dad, Eddie.

Aisling works part-time as a waitress in the Tullamore Court Hotel, while also working on the home farm.

“I help with the tillage operations in the spring, mainly rolling and disc harrowing. I also wrap silage, draw grain, turn hay and straw, and work with the cattle,” she says.

The farm is 115 acres in total – 36 acres of tillage, 40 acres for hay and silage with the remaining used for grazing the family’s 17 suckler cows. They grow spring feed barley which is supplied to Grennan’s in Offaly and are very happy with their Taberna barley this year, having harvested at 16.5% moisture, with a yield of 2.7 to 2.8 tonnes/acre.

The suckler herd has six pedigree Charolais cows, with the rest crosses of Limousin or Simmental breeds.

“We used to show the pedigree calves, but we had so much trouble over the years with them, between calving and the calves being so slow to get started.

“I was very involved with training them for the shows; it was very enjoyable but not time feasible.

“We sold our two bulls this year and have switched to 100% AI. We have four more heifers coming along for next year.”

They also have two Holstein Friesians on the farm.

“We used the Holsteins for rearing the pedigree cows’ calves as they never have enough milk for them. This year we are restricting the calves’ suckling, taking them from the cows during the day, to get the cows back in calf quicker.”

This year they will finish calving three weeks earlier than last, having started new breeding techniques.

“We will have 65% of the herd calving in six weeks, with a 341-day calving interval. Our calving interval was poor last year; we had trouble trying to get the cows back in calf after the bad year. This year things are running a lot smoother.”

Since March, Aisling has been on professional work experience as part of her college programme. She completed placements with Andrew Maloney (sheep) and Mattie Moore (pigs), as well as a beef placement with Teagasc in Grange and working for Elite Bovine Genetics.

“In Grange I learned a lot of breeding techniques that I have been able to bring home to improve our system. I am very interested in applied reproduction and I have my AI licence. Next year I hope to get an AI tank and do the AI myself on the home farm.

“At the moment, I have six of my own crossbred cows. When I graduate, I would consider doing a postgraduate degree, but at the moment it would be ideal to get a job with ICBF or another genetics company, so I can farm on the side and increase my own herd.”

– Ruth Fennell