After parking across from the main yard and receiving a brief welcome message, visitors to today’s open day will assemble and be shuttled via bus to our nearby outfarm.

Breeding heifers

At the first of our main stands, Irish Farmers Journal editor Justin McCarthy and deputy editor Jack Kennedy will give an outline of the Tullamore Farm project, including the farm’s production systems and financial information.

On display behind Justin and Jack will be our breeding heifers (pictured above), who were bred to AI from 24 April. A prostaglandin-based synchronisation regime was used after six days and the Angus bull went in on 8 May. Out of 15 selected initially, 13 were suitable for breeding and all are in calf. Beside these heifers is also our kale crop, which will carry late-calvers during the winter.

Bull calves

Farm manager Ger O’Dwyer, Aidan Brennan and Kieran Mailey will speak on the farm’s soil and our grassland management strategy. In terms of soil health, the farm’s average pH is healthy at 6.9 and 54% of the farm’s soils are optimum (index 3 and 4) for phosphorus (P). Potassium (K) is a different story, with 88% of the farm at sub-optimal concentrations.

Regarding grassland, the grazing platform is currently stocked at 3.46LU/ha with a daily grass demand of 46kg/ha and an average farm cover of 791kg DM/ha.

Behind this stand, our suckler cows and bull calves will be on show.

Our cows currently weigh 587kg on average and the calves (bulls and heifers) themselves are tipping the scales at 209kg at 133 days of age. We are on course to record a weaning efficiency (200-day calf weight/cow weight) of 50%.

Stock bulls and heifer calves

Adam Woods and Ciarán Lenehan will talk breeding and genetics at the next stand. The herd has an average replacement index value of €115 – with 23 cows above €143, putting them in the top percentile countrywide. Three five-star young stock bulls were purchased to work the herd.

However, given their immaturity, AI was used for three weeks at the beginning of breeding to take the pressure off. Seventy-seven percent of the herd was bulled during these three weeks and 65% of these held to service.

The stock bulls and cows with heifer calves will be paddocked adjacent to the stand. Our two Limousin bulls, Tomriland Kestrel and Newtown Luke 2, are extremely strong on both the maternal and terminal indices. However, Ger noticed a lot of repeats in Newtown Luke 2’s group and on further investigation he showed up infertile. He was stood down and AI breeding was resumed.

Sheep

At the final stop, Darren Carty (pictured, right) and Declan Marren will outline plans for the establishment of a 150-ewe mid-March lambing flock. The aim will be to lamb 1.9 to 2 lambs per ewe joined and wean 1.7 to 1.75. The team will look at the potential for mixed grazing of sheep and cattle, which has been shown to boost farm output in research trials.

The lads will have a pen of mule hoggets behind them – the type of breeding ewe we are going for on the farm.

Read more

Tullamore Farm open day: practical information

What to see at Tullamore Farm today: the demo area and farm yard

Full coverage: Tullamore Farm