Dairy calf to beef
Declan Marren on 07 Apr 2021
Thrive: focus on 4cm post-grazing sward height in first grazing
With grazing conditions improving and the number of cattle at grass increasing over the coming days, the focus must now turn to achieving a good graze-out on pasture ground.
Declan Marren on 04 Apr 2021
Thrive: beware of pneumonia on the rise
With changeable weather conditions over the past week, there has been increased incidences of pneumonia in young calves being reported.
Declan Marren on 03 Apr 2021
Thrive weekly roundup: dealing with common issues in the calf-rearing shed
This week, we discussed some of the most common issues that farmers are dealing with in the rearing shed.
Adam Woods on 31 Mar 2021
Teagasc to team with Meat Industry Ireland for suckler programme
Teagasc will receive funding from MII to roll out a new suckler programme later this year.
Declan Marren on 31 Mar 2021
Watch: common issues in the calf-rearing shed
Thrive Programme Manager Declan Marren looks at some of the most common issues that can occur in the calf rearing shed.
Declan Marren on 27 Mar 2021
Thrive roundup: calf-rearing shed expansion and a new automatic feeder in Mayo
The Keating family in Westport, Co Mayo, have just finished alterations to the calf-rearing shed in time for calf arrival this spring.
Adam Woods on 24 Mar 2021
Forward price contracts: a solution to our beef finishing income problems?
Beef editor Adam Woods takes a look at forward price contracts and a new initiative in the UK aiming to add more certainty to beef incomes.
Kieran Mailey on 24 Mar 2021
Making dairy calf to beef systems pay
Calf prices are extremely strong and without a significant increase in beef price, farmers will struggle to cover input costs.
Declan Marren on 24 Mar 2021
Thrive: final piece in dairy beef puzzle
Increasing and improving the calf-rearing facilities on the Keatings' farm could be the last big step in their dairy-beef system. Declan Marren writes.
Declan Marren on 24 Mar 2021
Watch: calf-rearing shed alterations in Mayo
This week, Declan Marren visited the farm of Martin and Marie Keating who have just finished alterations to their calf-rearing shed.
Declan Marren on 21 Mar 2021
Thrive: dealing with navel sucking in calves
Navel sucking in the calf-rearing shed can be a real problem. Here we look at some key tips to minimise it.
Declan Marren on 20 Mar 2021
Thrive: how clean is your calf feeder?
Having feeding equipment perfectly clean for calf rearing is of utmost importance for calf health.
Declan Marren on 17 Mar 2021
Watch: Thrive calf-buying activity steps up a gear
The programme had been holding off purchasing calves up to this point due to high calf prices. However, over the past few days numbers have begun to move once again.
Declan Marren on 13 Mar 2021
Thrive: poor weather sees heifers rehoused for a period
The yearling heifers that had gone out to grass just a week ago have been rehoused due to poor weather conditions.
Declan Marren on 10 Mar 2021
Thrive: dealing with bloat in calves
There have been a few cases of bloat in new arrivals over the last week on the Thrive demonstration farm.
Declan Marren on 06 Mar 2021
Thrive roundup: demo farm struggles to leave a margin and managing calf arrival
This week's Thrive dairy beef roundup looks at the economics on the demonstration farm and managing calves over the first 48 hours after arrival.
Declan Marren on 05 Mar 2021
Thrive: calf purchasing halted due to high calf price
With a beef price of up to €4.55/kg required to leave a €100 net margin at current calf prices, purchasing calves for this year's programme has been halted.
Declan Marren on 03 Mar 2021
Thrive: strong performance cannot mask a poor beef price
Despite the strong production performance of the Thrive cattle, poor financial performance saw the system struggle to return a margin. Declan Marren writes.
Declan Marren on 03 Mar 2021
Thrive: managing newly purchased calves – first 48 hours
Easing the transition from one farm to the next can help calves settle on farm and reduce incidences of sickness.
Katriona Kinsella on 26 Feb 2021
Watch back: Irish Farmers Journal Livestock Spring Series 2021
You can watch back our dairy calf-to-beef webinar here, where experts focused on the use of beef genetics in the dairy herd and much more.