Based in Bandon, Co. Cork, John Twohig is a dairy and beef farmer and is also one of ABP Food Group’s eight Monitor Farms.
These Monitor Farms are ABP beef suppliers finishing cattle in a variety of systems across the country on a range of different land types and are all involved in the processor’s sustainability initiative, the ‘Advantage Beef Programme’ which offers farmers a 20c/kg Sustainability Bonus.
Breeding is now underway on the Twohig’s dairy farm, with a team of high-carcass weight Artificial Insemination (AI) bulls being used to produce the beef calves.
The three beef sires being used on the farm are as follows:
- AA6682 (HW Lord Horatio);
- AA8172 (Drumcrow Tribesman);
- AA5280 (Coolrain Patriarch).
Breeding commenced on the farm on May 1 and tail paint is being used as a heat detection method on the cows.
Calves
The first batch of calves have now been weaned off milk and are eating 2kg/head/day of an 18% concentrate ration.
Calves weaned off milk have access to the shed from their paddocks. Straw is provided ad-lib from the shed to keep a good level of fibre in the diet of the calves. Calves have received both shots of their clostridial vaccine.
Yearling cattle and silage
The yearling beef cattle are doing well despite being an average of 15kg lighter coming out of the shed in comparison to previous years.
These cattle are being paddock grazed and John aims to get three days grazing out of each paddock. Ground was damaged slightly during the spring grazing but has recovered well.
The first cut of silage has also been secured on the farm and was saved on Thursday, May 9. This was cut and allowed to wilt and yield was impressive at 12 bales/ac.
The silage ground got 2,500g/ac of cattle slurry early in this spring as well as 80 units of protected urea.
A 10ac bloc of the farm was reseeded on the farm recently also. This was sown with a perennial ryegrass and white clover mix. Before sowing the new grass seed, the ground was sprayed off, disked and power harrowed twice. It then received 3t/ac of lime before sowing.
Fore more updates and information from the Advantage Beef Programme, click here.