A suckler cow breeding open day is set to take place at Newford Farm in Skrine, Co Roscommon, on Wednesday 22 April.

Newford Farm is a joint partnership between Teagasc, Dawn Meats and McDonalds and this will be the first major open day at this new location in Roscommon since the herd was moved from Athenry a number of years ago.

The main focus of the event will be breeding, as farmers will be provided with information on improving herd performance and reducing labour by using smarter management practices and tools.

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Other topics that will be covered include the genetics of the Newford suckler cow herd and terminal sires used, calving at 24 months of age, body condition scoring, nutrition and fertility management, plus heat detection.

Demos

There will also be demonstrations carried out by experts in heat detection aids, compact calving and improved handling facilities to show farmers how daily tasks can be streamlined to save time.

The overall aim of the event is to provide farmers with practical advice on how they can boost conception rates, improve efficiency and make suckler farming more sustainable and labour-friendly ahead of the breeding season.

Newford Farm manager Shane McGuinness spoke about the significant benefits artificial insemination (AI) offers for suckler herds: “Using AI allows farmers to access superior genetics and tailor breeding to the farm’s goals, while also reducing the need for handling bulls on farm and increasing overall efficiency and labour productivity.”