The Beef Edge

Grass10 Advisor, John Conroy, joins Catherine Egan with grassland management tips for the month ahead.
 
John discusses closing up paddocks in rotation, starting with the paddocks near the farmyard – the sheltered and the driest paddocks that will be grazed in early spring.
 
He outlines the targets for the month ahead to extend grazing, reduce demand to maximise days at grass and aim to have 60% of the farm closed by the first week of November.
 
John also reminds farmers that the deadline to declare fertiliser closing stocks is fast approaching. 

The declaration must be submitted through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s MyAgFood.ie portal, with October 15, 2026, the final date for submissions. 

Where a farmer has fertiliser remaining, the closing stock declaration must include the type of fertiliser and the quantity of each product being held. Farms with no fertiliser in stock must also submit a nil declaration. Closing Stocks are classified as any fertiliser held on hand at 23.59 on September 14 each year.
 
And don’t forget, October 31st is the last day for spreading farmyard manure, where weather and ground conditions allow. The closed period begins on 1 November. Farmyard manure must not be stored in fields during the closed period.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

As part of the Getting Winter Ready series, Catherine Egan is joined on this week’s Beef Edge podcast by MSD Animal Health Veterinary Manager, Cara Sheridan, to discuss an important part of preparing cattle for winter housing: vaccination.

With cattle being housed and weanlings coming into sheds in the weeks ahead, Cara discusses what farmers should be considering when it comes to vaccination programmes, timing and administration.

Cara outlines the key respiratory diseases affecting housed cattle, including RSV, PI3, Mannheimia and IBR, as well as the importance of vaccination against clostridial diseases. 

She explains how far in advance of housing that vaccines should be administered, how two-shot programmes should be timed, and the importance of following the specific instructions on the product label.

Cara also  highlights whether different vaccines can be administered together, considerations for bought-in cattle, and some of the most common vaccination mistakes — from poor storage and handling to incorrect administration and failing to complete a vaccination course.

Finally, Cara shares a practical checklist for farmers preparing cattle for housing in the coming weeks.

For further details go to:
https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/dairy-calf-to-beef/dairybeef-500/dairybeef-500-factsheets/vaccination-programmes-for-calf-to-beef-farms/
 
https://animalhealthireland.ie/assets/uploads/2021/06/BS-Cattle-Vacccination-2021.pdf?dl=1

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Teagasc specialist, James McDonnell, explains the key steps around planning the farm transfer, who should be involved and how transferring farm family clinics are a good place to start.
 
Transferring the family farm is so much more than just a simple business transaction, there are a number of complex issues to be addressed including:
The family home is normally inseparable from the business
A number of family members/ siblings/ children to be catered for fairly
If the transfer is during the owner’s lifetime, the owner will require an income, as well as possibly the recipient depending on the circumstances
Creating an arrangement that can provide a solution for the different opinions of the family members involved the discussion
 
Further information is available at:
Succession Inheritance - Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority
 
Teagasc run Transferring the Family Farm clinics every year and these clinics are designed to help farm families through the process and all aspects that need to be considered when transferring the family farm.

For further details:
Transferring the Family Farm - Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

National Cattle Breeding Centre Beef Programme Manager, Rose Goulding, joins the Beef Edge to explain how important the right genetics are when selling weanlings.  Plus she previews the upcoming Teagasc Mart events taking place across the country.

Genetics can have a major influence on the performance and profitability of a beef herd and Rose outlines the key traits farmers should be focusing on when selecting bulls or replacement females.

She highlights the individual traits that farmers need to focus on such as milk and carcass confirmation in details within the terminal and replacement indexes.

While the genomic evaluations are now widely used, the additional information of the myostatin gene can be utilised on farm and Rose discusses selecting sires to breed weanlings on plainer type cows that are non carriers of the gene or vice versa.

Using a synchronisation programme is a great way to use AI on sucker farmers and the 0-7-10 programme for heifers greatly helps when working off farm and reduces heat detection aids.  For more, see page 62 of the Suckler-Catalogue-2025.pdf.
 
Teagasc will host a series of Beef Mart Events at marts across the country this autumn, providing practical advice to help farmers breed high-quality weanlings and maximise animal performance over the winter.
 
The events will feature live demonstrations of AI-sired weanlings, alongside advice from Teagasc advisors and specialists, AI breeding companies, nutritionists and veterinary practitioners.

Further information is available at:
Events - Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com

Following on from the Tully ICBF Open Day, the ICBF’s Niall Kilrane joins Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge with an insight into their latest research findings in relation to beef farmers.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com