LATEST
HOLSTEIN BEEF BULLS HIT 2KG DLWG
Holstein bulls achieve daily live weight gains as high as 2kg on a Co Armagh beef unit that hosted an AgriSearch Research Challenge Fund farm walk.
Organised with AFBI and CAFRE staff, including local beef advisor Albert Johnston, this event demonstrated how better beef production both boosts bank balances and curtails carbon footprints!
Coming into beef farming from the poultry business host farmer Eric Reid applied many lessons learned in whitemeat production, not least keeping a firm focus on measuring and monitoring animal performance.
Research Challenge Fund Dairy-Origin Beef Farm Walks
Dairy-origin beef production will be the focus of two farm walks on 24th and 26th April at the farms of Eric Reid, 15 Crewcatt Road, Richhill, BT61 8QN and Robert, David 7 martin Sloan, 32 Lisnastrean Road, Lisburn, BT27 5PB.
Research findings from a DARD and AgriSearch jointly funded Research Challenge Fund on-farm project will be up for discussion. The focus of the farm walks will be to outline the management required to achieve optimal growth performance from dairy-origin cattle to meet target live weights at specific ages.
Read more: Research Challenge Fund Dairy-Origin Beef Farm Walks
Win BVD Tests and Silage Analysis at the AgriSearch Stand
Take part in a ‘growth targets for suckler heifers’ competition at Beef NI 2012 next Tues, March 6 in Dungannon Farmers Market and you could win a valuable prize. A test for BVD infection in your cattle herd or a free silage analysis by AFBI, Hillsborough can be won.
AgriSearch will have a joint stand with AFBI and CAFRE at this NBA Beef NI 2012 event. Key messages featured from AgriSearch co-funded research will include the Research Challenge Fund BVD prevalence study, suckler and dairy beef systems, BovIS, on-line growth monitoring, low input forages and the benefits of cattle grazing in LFA.
Read more: Win BVD Tests and Silage Analysis at the AgriSearch Stand
CAFRE workshop highlights results of AgriSearch funded research on calf management
Andrew Brown of AFBI Hillsborough and Iain Smith (Lisburn Veterinary Clinic) highlighting the variability in colostrum quality that exists and the potential impact on calf immune status at the recent calf workshop organised by CAFRE – Dairy Development Advisers. During the two hour workshop, the group discussed the management of the cow and calf around calving and some of the DARD and AgriSearch funded research into calf nutrition. The group heard from Mike Davies (Dairy herd manager) and Andrew Brown (heifer unit manager) on what management practises are used within the Hillsborough herd, including a practical demonstration on the use of the colostrometer to monitor colostrum quality
