The recent suckler beef mart event held at Inishowen Livestock Mart proved to be a highly successful and informative evening for local suckler and beef farmers.

The event, run in conjunction with Inishowen Co-op and Teagasc, was chaired by myself and Tommy Doherty from Teagasc.

The night brought together a strong line-up of expert speakers, each covering key aspects of animal health, nutrition and farm management relevant to the winter season.

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The first speaker, Alinta Kraft, vet with Carn Vet Clinic, focused on the crucial topic of worm and fluke control.

Alinta was very engaging as she discussed best-practice dosing protocols for stomach and lung worms, as well as liver and rumen fluke, emphasising the importance of varying the use of active ingredients to prevent the development of resistance.

Demonstrations

The presentation included live demonstrations, where she dissected livers showing the presence of liver fluke and examined stomachs and lungs, offering farmers a clear hands-on look at the impact of parasites on livestock health.

Her practical approach provided valuable insight into how effective dosing and regular monitoring can protect animal performance and profitability.

Following on, Aonghus Giggins, nutritionist with Livestock Nutrition Solutions and Inishowen Co-op, addressed the importance of good winter nutrition.

He highlighted how ensuring cattle receive balanced feed is essential to maintain condition and achieve adequate performance during the housing period.

Aonghus advised farmers to get their silage tested and to be aware of the ingredients in their meal rations, noting that understanding feed quality allows for more targeted and cost-effective supplementation.

Next, Andrew McInerney from Natural Stock Care expanded on the nutrition theme by focusing on the role of vitamins and minerals in cattle health.

Deficiencies

He encouraged farmers to understand their own farms’ nutritional profiles, explaining that blood sampling can help identify specific mineral deficiencies.

Andrew also showcased several of Natural Stock Care’s products designed to address these issues, offering practical advice on how to tailor supplementation to herd needs. These products are available at all Inishowen Co-op branches.

Caterine Egan, beef specialist in Teagasc Grange, then presented on winter finishing budgets for both steers and heifers.

She outlined the current cost structures and the prices required to leave a margin for farmers purchasing store cattle this autumn. Her insights helped farmers assess the economic realities of finishing systems in the current market.

Updates

Finally, Pauric Mulconroy from Progressive Genetics concluded the evening by sharing updates on some of the bulls available for the upcoming breeding season, offering farmers information to help make informed breeding decisions.

The event was very well attended, with a packed mart on the night, reflecting the strong interest among local farmers in improving herd performance and profitability.

Overall, it was a worthwhile and educational evening, providing practical take-home messages across animal health, nutrition, breeding and farm management.

The third and final suckler beef mart event in the series will take place at Milford Mart on Tuesday 4 November and is expected to draw another large crowd.