Noel and Joan Farrell run an 85-cow suckler-to-beef herd in Golden, Co Tipperary. They came out on top of an exciting final three shortlist in the suckler-to-beef production category which included Joseph O’Reilly from Togher, Co Louth, and Sligo farmer Willie Kelly who farms in Skreen.

‘If you don’t have a good cow it’s an uphill battle from the start’

The Farrells are farming in Golden for about 14 years, having previously farmed in Waterford. The transformation to the farm over this period has been impressive, with significant changes made to the farm’s infrastructure while also developing a successful dairy goat enterprise. Noel and Joan have put a lot of time and passion into the farm, which is testament to a strong family farm ethos, with sons Killian, Declan and Christopher central to helping the farm develop to where it stands today.

There are a number of foundation pillars which provide a strong platform for the operation. The farm is laid out in a long narrow strip and Noel says one of the first tasks implemented was laying a farm roadway down the middle of it. This immediately opened the farm up to practice a rotational grazing system while also helping to extend grazing into the shoulders of the season and facilitate earlier spreading of organic fertilisers when they will deliver greater production and environmental benefits.

Noel explains: “The goats are a great measure of grass quality. If quality dips, intake will also dip and that translates directly into lower milk yield. While we can’t readily see it on the suckler side, it is no different than the goats and stresses the need for good grassland management.”

Achieving a long grazing season and positive performance from grass is one component helping the farm to drive output in an efficient manner. The farm’s carbon output figure is 11.76kg CO2 per kilo of beef produced which compares favourably to the average for suckler-to-beef systems of 12.67kg CO2 per kilo of beef.

The farm’s calving pattern is changing from a mixed autumn and spring herd to an autumn-calving herd, with calving taking place from mid-September to October. The emphasis on grassland management underpins a focus on saving good-quality silage. The farm uses all baled silage, with a significant percentage saved from surplus paddocks. Noel says silage is generally analysed at 70DMD to 75DMD, which is crucial in an autumn-calving herd to sustain milk yield and cow condition while also reducing the need for significant concentrate supplementation.

Milk yield is another strong pillar of performance in the suckler herd. The farm’s breeding programme has always majored on milk yield over terminal traits, with Noel outlining: “At the end of the day, milk is key for suckling. If you don’t have a good cow it’s an uphill battle from the start.” Cow type is mainly Simmental or Simmental cross with some Aubrac breeding also present.

Sire selection also takes into account a good balance of terminal traits and calving ease. The herd’s average replacement index in 2018 is €113. Heifers are served to Salers sires, with Noel reasoning that he can achieve better beef characteristics than using easy-calving Angus sires.

This focus on calving ease and good herd fertility is delivering, with the calving rate recorded at 0.96 calves per cow in 2015, 0.95 calves per cow in 2016 and 1.0 calves per cow in 2017. The calving interval figure trended in the low- to mid-370s in recent years but is rising as the farm transitions from spring to autumn calving with this focus also lowering the farm’s carbon footprint.

Noel is determined to ensure each cow calves as close as possible within 365 days. For autumn calvers, AI starts on 1 December. Anything that is not seen in heat by Christmas is scanned to ensure no issues are present while pregnancy scanning takes place in mid-January. Noel explains that this process gives him time to take any remedial action to keep the calving interval tight. The 2017 breeding season stats include 48 out of the 51 cows served in calf, with 36 of these in the first month of breeding. Cows that do not perform are culled with a good source of suitable replacements available.

In the past, heifers were served to calve at 30 months to fit into spring and autumn calving. This is now changing to two-year-old calving.

Noel Farrell, Golden, Cashel, Tipperary, with a cow and calf typical of what the herd is producing. \ Jeff Harvey

Market requirements

Heifers not retained as replacements are finished at approximately 20 to 22 months of age while bulls are finished in an under-16-month production system. There is strong attention placed on meeting market requirements, with bulls weighed regularly to bring the carcase weight as close to 400kg as possible to maximise returns while meeting desired market specifications. Animal comfort is given a lot of thought, with all animals benefiting from eating on outdoor slatted areas and returning indoors to straw bedding or cubicles.

Future plans for the farm are to streamline management through moving to one calving period while maximising the percentage of grass in the diet of all stock and achieving strong weaning weights to limit the volume of meal required in the finishing phase for under-16-month bulls.