It is not mandatory to have any formal qualifications to farm, although having a philosophical attitude would make the job much easier.
The same week that my last article was published, where I stated how delighted I was at having just completed a clear TB test, we were informed that a store bullock sold within the last month had tested positive for TB. As a result, we are now closed again.
This turn of events demonstrates how unpredictable this infection can be, that it can catch you when you expect it least, and how necessary it is that TB is successfully eradicated from our industry.
Weather
The same philosophical attitude is necessary when it comes to the weather. A rapid deterioration in conditions has made grazing management more challenging.
To avoid poaching, fields cannot be grazed as intensively. However, I would rather cows leave behind heavier post-grazing covers (which will hopefully be mopped up in the heat of an Indian summer) than trample the field to the point that it will lie waterlogged or require grass seed stitching.
Challenging conditions also help to highlight areas where improvements can be made to grazing infrastructure
Back-fencing has been essential, as have round bales, for when wet north Antrim August nights have forced us to keep cows indoors.
Challenging conditions also help to highlight areas where improvements can be made to grazing infrastructure. In my case, this will involve extending a grazing laneway and the installation of several water troughs. The field in question is primarily a silage field, but these changes would give me more options and greater flexibility when conditions are less than ideal.
Calving
Our calving season has just begun. I take great pleasure in seeing the arrival of new life, it’s potential and how the genetic progress made will hopefully help to drive my farm forward.
But, judging by the number of dairy farmers posting photos of their new additions on social media, I am not the only person who thinks that way.
Last breeding season was my first not using any conventional Holstein semen, having moved to sexed semen to minimise the number of Holstein bulls.
Robert McConaghy with a newborn Holstein heifer calf on his farm in Co Antrim.
Once we know that an appropriate number of cows/heifers are in calf to sexed Holstein, we switch to the widespread use of Aberdeen Angus and some top-indexing Fleckvieh semen on select cows. I will expand on our cross-breeding experiment – and the reasoning behind it – in a future article.
For generations of young people in rural NI, this time of year also means the beginning of the new Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) year.
I have also gained a vast array of skills that have been useful in my professional life and on a wider basis
The YFCU has given me opportunities that I would not otherwise have had, from travelling in Europe to being invited to a Royal garden party.
I have also gained a vast array of skills that have been useful in my professional life and on a wider basis, from stock judging to soil assessment, from silage making to public speaking. YFCU sports nights have taught me that I will never be a Premier League footballer, while other YFCU competitions made me realise that the West End is unlikely to come calling (and the less said about my performances in the flower arranging competitions the better).
However, through all of these experiences, I have had an amazing time with this organisation.
Most importantly, the YFCU has allowed me to meet some truly fantastic people.
I sincerely hope that that permission is granted soon so that clubs can safely meet
At the time of writing, the YFCU has not yet been given a date by the Education Authority on which it can recommence club meetings due to COVID-19 restrictions.
I sincerely hope that that permission is granted soon so that clubs can safely meet, as it cannot be underestimated how beneficial it can be to provide a supportive peer group to someone working in an isolated and pressurised industry such as agriculture.
I would encourage anyone considering joining to keep an eye on social media for when meetings will begin.
Read more
Relief after years of failed TB tests
Farmer Writes: the good and bad of using social media
It is not mandatory to have any formal qualifications to farm, although having a philosophical attitude would make the job much easier.
The same week that my last article was published, where I stated how delighted I was at having just completed a clear TB test, we were informed that a store bullock sold within the last month had tested positive for TB. As a result, we are now closed again.
This turn of events demonstrates how unpredictable this infection can be, that it can catch you when you expect it least, and how necessary it is that TB is successfully eradicated from our industry.
Weather
The same philosophical attitude is necessary when it comes to the weather. A rapid deterioration in conditions has made grazing management more challenging.
To avoid poaching, fields cannot be grazed as intensively. However, I would rather cows leave behind heavier post-grazing covers (which will hopefully be mopped up in the heat of an Indian summer) than trample the field to the point that it will lie waterlogged or require grass seed stitching.
Challenging conditions also help to highlight areas where improvements can be made to grazing infrastructure
Back-fencing has been essential, as have round bales, for when wet north Antrim August nights have forced us to keep cows indoors.
Challenging conditions also help to highlight areas where improvements can be made to grazing infrastructure. In my case, this will involve extending a grazing laneway and the installation of several water troughs. The field in question is primarily a silage field, but these changes would give me more options and greater flexibility when conditions are less than ideal.
Calving
Our calving season has just begun. I take great pleasure in seeing the arrival of new life, it’s potential and how the genetic progress made will hopefully help to drive my farm forward.
But, judging by the number of dairy farmers posting photos of their new additions on social media, I am not the only person who thinks that way.
Last breeding season was my first not using any conventional Holstein semen, having moved to sexed semen to minimise the number of Holstein bulls.
Robert McConaghy with a newborn Holstein heifer calf on his farm in Co Antrim.
Once we know that an appropriate number of cows/heifers are in calf to sexed Holstein, we switch to the widespread use of Aberdeen Angus and some top-indexing Fleckvieh semen on select cows. I will expand on our cross-breeding experiment – and the reasoning behind it – in a future article.
For generations of young people in rural NI, this time of year also means the beginning of the new Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) year.
I have also gained a vast array of skills that have been useful in my professional life and on a wider basis
The YFCU has given me opportunities that I would not otherwise have had, from travelling in Europe to being invited to a Royal garden party.
I have also gained a vast array of skills that have been useful in my professional life and on a wider basis, from stock judging to soil assessment, from silage making to public speaking. YFCU sports nights have taught me that I will never be a Premier League footballer, while other YFCU competitions made me realise that the West End is unlikely to come calling (and the less said about my performances in the flower arranging competitions the better).
However, through all of these experiences, I have had an amazing time with this organisation.
Most importantly, the YFCU has allowed me to meet some truly fantastic people.
I sincerely hope that that permission is granted soon so that clubs can safely meet
At the time of writing, the YFCU has not yet been given a date by the Education Authority on which it can recommence club meetings due to COVID-19 restrictions.
I sincerely hope that that permission is granted soon so that clubs can safely meet, as it cannot be underestimated how beneficial it can be to provide a supportive peer group to someone working in an isolated and pressurised industry such as agriculture.
I would encourage anyone considering joining to keep an eye on social media for when meetings will begin.
Read more
Relief after years of failed TB tests
Farmer Writes: the good and bad of using social media
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