The Beef Edge

Grass10 Advisor, Nikki Kennedy, and Grass10 Manager, John Maher, are on this week’s Beef Edge with an update on the current situation around the country and planning for the spring ahead. 
 
John gives a review of 2025 which was a great year for most farmers in relation to grass.
 
January was significantly wetter than average, especially in eastern and southern counties, contributing to saturated ground and flooding risk. 
 
Nikki outlines the importance of walking the farm and picking the right slurry for the right ground and highlights the importance of correcting P and K.
 
They both outline managing grass and getting started grazing in the first rotation and how to rectify any damage
 
There are also a number of beef spring grass workshops taking place around the country in the coming weeks focusing on the practical aspect of grazing this spring with live demos focused on fertiliser, slurry and infrastructure. 
 
Further details at:
https://teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grassland-events/#Springgrass
 
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

For this final part of the ‘Dairy Calf to Beef’ series on the Beef Edge, Liam Gannon from Volac discusses feeding the calf up to weaning and the key dos and don’ts around feeding milk replacer. 
 
Liam explains the ingredients one should focus on when selecting a milk replacer and the key benefits of feeding a high-quality milk replacer in terms of nutrition and calf performance cannot be underestimated. If you are happy with the replacer your feeding that is key.
 
Liam highlights a recommended feeding program for spring-born calves in terms of volume, frequency and dilution rates up to weaning.
 
He also outlines the common digestive issues when feeding milk replacer, and how farmers can prevent them.
 
It’s worth noting that consistency has come up throughout this podcast series in relation to feeding milk replacer for calf health, hygiene, timing and mixing.
 
To conclude Liam discusses the importance of the current dilution rate and advises farmers to take into account the cold weather temperatures and impact that can have and to account for this when feeding replacer.
 
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

For the third part of our ‘Dairy Calf to Beef’ series, vet Tommy Heffernan discusses the key areas to ensure a healthy calf and developing a sustainable profitable dairy beef system. 
 
Tommy says that pneumonia, scour and coccidiosis are some of the main issues with calves. The damp, cold spring weather impacts calf health and increases risks. 
 
Tommy outlines ways to rescue pneumonia and scour outbreaks in calves, plus he highlights the best procedure for calf arrival on farm that he has seen working well in terms of electrolytes, housing etc.
 
Tommy also explains that prevention planning with a vet plays a huge role in advance of purchasing calves this spring.
 
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

For the second part of the 'Dairy Calf to Beef’ series’ on the Beef Edge, Teagasc Beef Specialist, David Argue, discusses what to be aware of when sourcing calves and the essential things to get right during the rearing process.
 
David explains that when sourcing dairy-beef calves this spring, the health of the calf, breed and genetic make-up are very important.
 
Avoid any signs of ill health, and minimise stress around purchase and transport.  Good ventilation, bedding, and stocking density are important to reduce disease.
 
David says that a good milk replacer is essential an keeping a routine at feeding time is important.
 
Daily liveweight gain should ideally double from purchase at 3 weeks of age to 12 weeks of age gaining 0.8kg/head/day.  
 
It is essential that the calf has a well-developed rumen and maximises early life performance to ensure good thrive going forward. David also highlights that developing a farm-specific health plan with a vet is key to ensure issues from previous years are resolved and overcome.
 
Further details at:
https://teagasc.ie/animals/beef/dairy-calf-to-beef/dairybeef-500/dairybeef-500-factsheets/nutritional-management-of-the-dairy-beef-calf/
 
Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Conference 2026 
The Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Conference 2026 will take place on Thursday, January 29th at 7pm at Ballykisteen Hotel, Limerick Junction, County Tipperary, E34 VK12.
 
For more information on the conference: 
https://teagasc.ie/event/dairybeef-500-conference/
 

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

In the first part of a ‘Dairy Calf to Beef’ series on the Teagasc Beef Edge podcast, DairyBeef 500 Manager, Alan Dillon, discusses the key performance indicators of a sustainable, profitable dairy beef system.
 
Alan outlines the importance of increased grass utilisation, improved silage quality, a good herd health plan and daily liveweight gains and the impact breed and commercial beef value can have in a dairy beef system. 
 
Age at slaughter is fam and system specific and Alan discusses the impact both have on margin. Completion and analysis of the DairyBeef 500 profit monitors is currently underway. Alan discusses variable and fixed costs on the farm and the impact calf price can have.
 
Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Conference
The Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Conference 2026 will take place on Thursday, January 29th at 7pm at Ballykisteen Hotel, Limerick Junction, County Tipperary, E34 VK12.
 
Featuring an array of expert speakers, the conference will cover some of the important areas of dairy calf to beef production. A panel discussion with farmers and advisors will discuss the areas of focus for 2026 while also reflecting on the positives from 2025.
 
For more information on the conference, visit here: 
https://teagasc.ie/event/dairybeef-500-conference/
 
 
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