I’m farming: “About 40ac overlooking Long island and Cape Clear. I’ve a suckler herd and do some contract rearing.”
Land type: “It’s a dry farm with a lot of gravel in it. I put in roadways a few years ago and it was the best money I spent. I get 70% of my slurry out in January and cut half the farm for silage in May.”
Cows: “There are 10 red Limousins. The autumn calvers are finished now and those calves will be sold in March. The rest calve in February. I sell those weanlings at about 350kg in Macroom mart in October. ”
As well as looking after the farm, Jer takes care of his father Jerry Senior, who came to the farm in Colla, Schull in 1943 and took it over from his uncle. Jerry senior turns 95 this weekend.
The bull: “He’s an eight-year-old Limousin and has super calves. The beauty of him is I’ve never had to pull a calf of his. I found he got agitated in July when breeding finished so I now have different cows or heifers with him all year. This helps keep him relaxed.”
Contract rearing: “I started three years ago for a local dairy farmer. The heifers come into my herd in April. I have them until early December. Once they’re gone, I buy in some continental heifers and run them with the bull in July and sell them as in calf heifers.”
Bucket-reared calves: “I buy 18 Angus calves from two dairy farmer neighbours. They’re kept for four months and sold to a regular customer. They’re grazed near the house and my 95-year-old father enjoys walking out to see them.”
The spring-born calves will be sold in October in Macroom Mart. Jer has recently introduced the creep feeder for the calves. His herd is made up of Limousin cows.
Accident: ”I had my left hand amputated just above my elbow after a motorbike accident. Being in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire was a big eye-opener. I saw people there in worse circumstances than me.”
Quotable quote: “Except for silage I do all my own machinery work. When I’m fencing at the roadside, I could have a few spectators looking on when I’d be driving poles with one hand. I find farming very relaxing, I’ve a system that works very well for me.”
I’m farming: “About 40ac overlooking Long island and Cape Clear. I’ve a suckler herd and do some contract rearing.”
Land type: “It’s a dry farm with a lot of gravel in it. I put in roadways a few years ago and it was the best money I spent. I get 70% of my slurry out in January and cut half the farm for silage in May.”
Cows: “There are 10 red Limousins. The autumn calvers are finished now and those calves will be sold in March. The rest calve in February. I sell those weanlings at about 350kg in Macroom mart in October. ”
As well as looking after the farm, Jer takes care of his father Jerry Senior, who came to the farm in Colla, Schull in 1943 and took it over from his uncle. Jerry senior turns 95 this weekend.
The bull: “He’s an eight-year-old Limousin and has super calves. The beauty of him is I’ve never had to pull a calf of his. I found he got agitated in July when breeding finished so I now have different cows or heifers with him all year. This helps keep him relaxed.”
Contract rearing: “I started three years ago for a local dairy farmer. The heifers come into my herd in April. I have them until early December. Once they’re gone, I buy in some continental heifers and run them with the bull in July and sell them as in calf heifers.”
Bucket-reared calves: “I buy 18 Angus calves from two dairy farmer neighbours. They’re kept for four months and sold to a regular customer. They’re grazed near the house and my 95-year-old father enjoys walking out to see them.”
The spring-born calves will be sold in October in Macroom Mart. Jer has recently introduced the creep feeder for the calves. His herd is made up of Limousin cows.
Accident: ”I had my left hand amputated just above my elbow after a motorbike accident. Being in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire was a big eye-opener. I saw people there in worse circumstances than me.”
Quotable quote: “Except for silage I do all my own machinery work. When I’m fencing at the roadside, I could have a few spectators looking on when I’d be driving poles with one hand. I find farming very relaxing, I’ve a system that works very well for me.”
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