Farm Walk to be held 12th April 2016

Farm Walk

MSD Animal Health are proud to be one of the main sponsors of the Teagasc Green Acres programme. A farm walk will be held on 12th April 2016 at 11am. Everyone interested in attending the event should meet at the church car park in Ballyfin.

Topics focused on include:

  • Production Systems
  • Financial Performance
  • Reseeding
  • Farm Plan

Farm walk

Teagasc Green Acres – Demonstrating Best Practice

Food Harvest 2020 outlines a target of increasing the value of beef output by 20%. The expansion of the national dairy herd due to the abolition of milk quotas in 2015 and the application of sexed semen technology on a proportion of dairy farms will drive an increase in production of dairy bred calves. The result is an increasing supply of dairy bred calves that will be finished as beef. Significant component research information has been generated on dairy beef finishing at Teagasc Grange and Johnstown Castle. However, there is limited data on whole farm dairy calf to beef systems, demonstrating best practice at farm level. This programme is demonstrating profitable dairy calf to beef systems on a whole farm basis through a network of ten demonstration farms. The primary aim of the project is to demonstrate that, where a high level of technical efficiency is achieved on beef farms, it is possible to attain a net margin per hectare (excluding premia) in excess of €500 per hectare.

Gordon Peppard, is the dedicated programme adviser delivering the new Dairy Calf to Beef Programme supported by Liffey Mills, Drummonds Ltd., Volac Ireland, MSD Animal Health, Grassland Agro on a full time basis for three years.

The Objectives of the Programme are:

  • To advise and demonstrate best practice at farm level on the rearing, growing and finishing of purchased dairy bred calves through to beef (steers/heifers/bulls) on a whole farm basis on 10 demonstration farms and to demonstrate the associated economic benefits.
  • To provide technical support and targeted training to the technical staff of the contributing stakeholders to the programme.
  • To disseminate physical and financial progress / results from the programme through a wide range of communication strategies including monthly coverage in the Farming Independent, farm walks and other channels of communication.

MSD attending NMR Conference 2015

“Driving dairy efficiency from birth to bulk tank”

This is the key message being driven at this years NMR conference in Tobermore, Co. Derry BT46 5LD on Wednesday 5th August. At the event you will see how their family run farm has expanded their herd from 140 to 240 over the past 4 years with addition of SAC Futureline Max robots.

Topics which will be discussed include:

  • Getting calves on target for a lifetime of productivity – Mairead O’Grady (MSD) / Liam Young (Drumrainey Vets)
  • Efficiency through genomic testing – Lucy Andrews (NMR)
  • Zero Grazing; the merits and the costs – Dr. Ronald Annett (McLarnon Feeds)
  • Lisnamuck herd performance, management & feeding – Sean Fullerton / David Mawhinney (McLarnon Feeds)

Farm tours will begin at 10am with the final one commencing at 12:30pm. Lunch will be served after the final tour.

 

For more information on the event, register by contacting Ivro Hyndman on ivorh@nmr.co.uk or calling +44 7825 177348 or alternatively contact your local McLarnon representative.