Growing suckler numbers by 30% in south Kilkenny

Jimmy Madigan is among those suckler farmers who increased numbers over the last 12 months.

In 2025 the south Kilkenny-man calved down 85 cows; but this year that figure will have grown to around 110 by the time all the autumn-calving cows have calved.

There were push and pull factors at play in Jimmy Madigan’s decision to grow cow numbers; and these primarily revolved around cattle prices and cattle availability.

Since he finishes the bulk of his calves to beef – apart from those kept as replacements – the lift in beef prices through late 2024 and into 2025 was an obvious factor.

Ironically, however, the sharp increase in cattle prices also forced Jimmy to reassess his purchase each year of 50-60 weanling bulls for finishing to beef and to look at other options.

I decided to just increase the cow numbers and maybe buy less

“I bought 50 or 60 weanling bulls every year to finish with my own lads. But the bull I wanted was getting harder and harder to get – and more expensive as well,” he said.

“So, I decided to just increase the cow numbers and maybe buy less.”

Jimmy still bought over 30 weanlings this year, but getting the type of weanling he wants to finish was not any easier.

“I don’t buy in the mart; I usually buy off the same three or four farmers every year. But it’s harder to get the type of weanling I’m breeding myself. It’s hard to buy them, they’re just not there,” he said.

Increasing cow numbers was an option for Jimmy Madigan as he has the land base and the facilities.

He farms 252ac at Ballyhale in south Kilkenny, along with his wife Anne-Marie and their four children, Hannah (14), Jim (13), Kate (10) and Eddie (4).

Fifteen acres of the land base is rented, with the remaining 237ac is owned ground.

Close to 75 cows went to the bull for the autumn-calving section of the herd, and he is hoping that over 65 will hold in-calf. Fifty cows are being bulled for the spring herd and Madigan is hopeful that around 45 will hold.

The autumn-calving cows are first-cross dairy and black Limousin, he explained, with “a bit of Belgian Blue scattered through them”.

He described the spring herd as “more beefy cows”. These are primarily Limousin and Charolais which are second-crossed to dairy.

In terms of terminal sires, Madigan uses two Charolais bulls and a Limousin, as well as Belgian Blue sires from AI. He also breeds some pedigree Charolais and Angus bulls.

Looking to the future, he is not ruling out further expansion, but he is at the limit of his housing capacity at current cow numbers.

“Going forward, I will have to expand the wintering facilities,” he said.

But he has no issue with investing.

“I’d be very confident in the suckler job. We always got on well with them even when beef was at €5/kg and €4/kg – and I accept that our expenses in those days were way less. But I’d be really confident about sucklers into the future,” he insisted.

Some of his confidence is based around numbers remaining tight and prices staying high.

“I can’t see a huge increase in numbers. Fewer and fewer farmers are willing to calve cows or lamb ewes,” he maintained.