ABP Food Group’s Advantage Beef Programme team is set to host an information event for both dairy and beef farmers at Corrin Mart, Fermoy, Co. Cork.
The event will take place on Wednesday, December 6 at 7:00p.m, and the theme of the event is ‘Producing a marketable calf that adds value to both dairy and beef systems’.
The event will feature live cattle demonstrations with both cows and dairy-beef cattle on display. The purpose of the live cattle demonstration is to highlight the importance of genetics in both dairy and beef farms.
A representative from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) will be in attendance to discuss the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) and offer farmers advice on how the CBV can be used on their farm.
The next discussion will be centred around choosing the right bull to suit the cow type, and will also feature a livestock demonstration.
This will be followed by a live panel discussion with both dairy and beef farmers involved in the panel.
A discussion will take place focussing on calf rearing, genetics and the importance of creating a workable link between dairy and beef farmers for trading calves.
The event is open to all farmers however, if interested in attending, farmers should respond with their name and address to the Advantage Beef Programme team on 086-4405891.
The event is expected to draw to a close at approximately 9:00p.m.
Tully farm visit
In other ABP news, a group of beef farmers supplying cattle to ABP Food Group processing sites visited the ICBF Tully Progeny Test Centre on Wednesday, November 16.
Farmers in attendance heard from ICBF’s Niall Kilrane and Ciaran McDonnell on topics such as the CBV, findings on methane emissions from cattle and methods of reducing these emissions.
Animal nutritionist from Brett Brothers Ltd, Heather Peppard delivered a presentation on factors to consider “within the farm gate” to improve the performance of livestock on the farm.
Liam Carroll from Blackwater Vets, Ballivor, Co. Meath, delivered a presentation on controlling parasites in cattle and showed farmers the damage that liver fluke can do to cattle liver. He had an infected cattle liver and a healthy cattle liver and compared them both.
He also showed farmers the impact of pneumonia on cattle lungs and discussed methods of helping to avoid pneumonia outbreaks in cattle.