Teagasc DairyBeef 500 farmer Charlie Smyth is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to give an insight into his dairy beef system and upcoming farm walk on 10th July at 7pm.

Charlie explains how he purchases and rears 100 dairy beef calves every spring and operates a steer and heifer finishing system. Whether sourced directly from farms, or through local marts, calf selection is based on strong beef genetics and high Commercial Beef Values (CBV), with Charlie placing a firm emphasis on quality.

Despite sourcing calves from a wide range of suppliers, a strict health plan keeps calf mortality low. All calves are put on a vaccination programme for pneumonia and IBR shortly after arrival.  Calves are outdoors about three weeks now, and they will receive their first worm dose shortly.

Charlie highlights the extensive paddock system on the farm with 24 extra drinking troughs installed this year to improve grass utilisation. As the farm is fragmented in 5 blocks, managing stock groups to match demand is important and to date over 200 bales have been removed as surplus.  

Along with the Smyths, Teagasc advisors and specialists will also be available on the night of the farm walk for interactive discussions and to answer all questions that arise. There will be a lot of valuable information and experiences to be shared and anyone with an interest in dairy calf-to-beef systems should attend and admission is free.

For further information on the event go to: 

https://teagasc.ie/event/dairybeef-500-smyth-php/

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

 
Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com