1. NORTHERN IRELAND SUCKLER BEEF PROGRAMME
International Beef Cattle workers Group
Wednesday 30 October
Kieran Mailey
Irish Farmers Journal
& Francis Breen
Programme adviser, CAFRE

2. BACKGROUND Programme launched in March 2011 to run for 3 years
8 suckler farms selected from across Northern Ireland plus CAFRE farms
3 year plans drawn up for the farms
Programme will focus on
Breeding / fertility
Grassland management
Increasing output
Following on from Teagasc/IFJ BETTER Farm Programme

3. BETTER Farm Programme Programme established in 2009
16 farms through-out the country and 2 agricultural colleges
3 year farm plans developed
Output, grassland management and breeding and fertility -3 key areas for improvement
Breeding/fertility has huge effect on management of other areas in plan

4. BETTER Farm Programme

5. BETTER Farm Programme Phase 1 GM/ha moved from €367/ha to €879/ha.
66% of the increase in gross margin achieved in Phase 1 derived from improvements in technical efficiency
aim to carry this through to Phase 2
Phase 2 launched in July 2012.
35 farms in total.

6. PROGRAMME FARMS

7. Programme Targets NISBP GM / ha £750 Calving Index (days) 365
Calving Spread (weeks) 12
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2
Calves/cow/yr weaned
0.95

8. Progress to date 2012 2011 2010 Av farm size 98 99 95 Av Cow herd 110
(Ha adj Grassland / cow herd) 98 99 95
Av Cow herd
110 91
Av Stocking rate (LU/ha)
1.97
1.82
1.65
Av GM/ha
£674
£534
£402
Av Kg LWT/ha
629
632
567

9. Variable costs

10. Importance of Fertility
Improved grassland = more cattle needed
More calves born = increased output
Reduce cost of carrying empty cows
Easier to batch manage groups of stock
Reduce labour demand
More Kg beef from grass
Which is better:
A cow calving every year or calving every 365days?

11. Breeding Calendar for Beef Cow
2-3 cycles to get cow back in calf
Cow sucking calf – non cycling
Approx. gestation

12. Grassland Biggest resource Cheapest feed available
Most abundant feed on farm
Has to be properly managed – lime, P & K
Reseed annually
Cost of grazing - £0.25 to £0.40/day
days = £0.37
€50/tonne DM grass (Teagasc)

16. Simple paddock system

17. Grassland Paddocks system will grow more grass
“In at your shin, go at your toe”
Walk swards weekly
Well managed grass
Energy = Mj ME
Protein = 18% - 24%

18. 2011 – 24.7ha set stocked
Av grass growth - 49kg DM/ha/day
Seasonal yield t DM/ha
2012 – 24.7ha rotationally grazed
Av grass growth - 59kg DM/ha/day
Seasonal yield t DM/ha