After running for three years following its commencement in February 2017, phase three of the Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm beef programme will come to an end on 31 January 2020. The conclusion of phase three also marks the end of the BETTER farm programme in its entirety. Since 2008, the BETTER farm beef programme has blazed a trail for suckler and beef farming in Ireland under the command of Teagasc and the Irish Farmers Journal, along with the support of its stakeholders – ABP, Dawn Meats, FBD and Kepak. The programme has been at the forefront of technical advancement and knowledge transfer for the last 11 years, thanks to the openness of the programme’s participants, both past and present. They have acted as barometers for the potential of beef farming in Ireland and for that, farmers across the country owe a debt of gratitude to all 65 participants.

With the current phase of the programme drawing to a close, it is fitting that we look back at the impact the programme has had on the 23 phase three participants.

The challenges were a new feature of this final phase. All programme participants undertook three mandatory challenges – grass growth, farm finance and health and safety – and picked a further three challenges from an optional six, including breeding, herd health, soil health, meet the markets, green farming, mixed grazing and labour.

Over the next 10 weeks, we will look at performance of the farms under each of the 10 challenges, finishing with the final e-Profit Monitor results at the end of January. This week, we start with the breeding challenge.

The Breeding Challenge

The breeding challenge was an opportunity to help farms develop as specialist producers of high-health status, high-genetic merit breeding females. The challenge encompasses a number of objectives, from physical calving performance right through to the genetic make-up of the herd.

One of the notable targets was to significantly increase the average replacement index value of the herd over the three years.

Physical performance centered on calving, with those taking part aiming to achieve close to a 365-day calving interval, a 12-week calving spread (10 weeks for split calving), two-year-old calving of heifers and a minimum calves/cow rate of 0.92 by year three.

Results

Eleven farmers took on the breeding challenge. Looking first at the replacement index, progress was good (Figure 1). Before the programme commenced, these 11 farms had an average replacement index of €87. This has since climbed to €100, marking a €13 increase in three years. Interestingly, that puts these farms €19 above the national average and it means that the herds move from four-star to five-star. Added to this, five of the 11 herds now fall into the top 10% of herds in the country.

Looking to the physical performance, calving interval has reduced to 377 days, with five farms achieving a calving interval of 365 days or less. Quite significantly, the calves per cow per year figure has recorded a boost of 0.05. Putting this in real terms, the added focus on breeding means the group now has five more calves for every 100 cows in the herd.

Finally, one of the more modern measures of suckler herd efficiency is calving at 24 months. Research from Grange suggests every month delay in calving after 24 months costs approximately €50 per heifer. In 2016, 32% of heifers in the group calved between 22 and 26 months – this has almost doubled to 62%.

At present, the standout herd is without doubt that of Gareth McCormack in Co Cavan. His herd of Salers-based cows has a replacement index of €120. In hot pursuit is Maurice Hearne in Waterford, with an index of €112. Wesley Browne in Monaghan completes the top three with an average value of €106.

Tom Bolger – Co Carlow

Tom is running a herd of approximately 40 suckler cows in Borris, Co Carlow. The herd of predominantly continental cows calves in the spring. Progeny are destined for steer and heifer beef at 20 to 22 months of age, but significantly, more and more heifers are now being kept as replacements, stemming from the increased use of AI. This has resulted in the herd moving from an index of €69 right up to €92.

“We are using AI on about 50% of the herd now and it is without doubt giving us a better type of heifer for breeding. A few years ago there was too much Charolais coming into the herd. Milk was starting to slip and the cows were getting too big. I still have a Charolais base, but cross breeding with AI Limousin, Simmental and Salers sires seems to be delivering a more compact, milky cow.

“We have also done a lot of culling, with milk yield and cow size being the determining factors.”

Martin Downes – Co Westmeath

This spring, Martin calved 99 cows on his farm in Multyfarnham in Co Westmeath. Male progeny are slaughtered under 16 months and females are either beefed at 22 months or retained as replacements. Since 2016 when no heifers calved at 24 months, 89% of Martin’s maidens now follow two-year old calving.

“I absolutely wouldn’t go back to calving older heifers. Calving at 24 months is working very well because it’s more efficient and I have less groups around the farm. Without doubt, the main reason I can do it now, as opposed to a few years ago, is because I am breeding my own heifers. I started running Simmental stock bulls a few years ago and those heifers are fit for the job. I use an easy calving Salers sire on them and have little to no calving difficulty.”

Martin’s high calving interval and low calves per cow per year figure in 2016 came as a result of a change from split calving to all spring calving, but he still says there has been big improvements.

“Keeping a good tight breeding season, letting extra cows to the bull, rigorous culling and using easy calving sires is definitely leaving me with more calves on the ground.”