The dairy and beef farm based in Co. Cork is one of ABP Food Group's Monitor Farms.

These are ABP beef suppliers finishing cattle in a variety of systems across the country on a range of different land types.

All are involved in the processor’s sustainability initiative, the ‘Advantage Beef Programme’, which offers farmers a 20c/kg Sustainability Bonus.

The dairy herd on the farm has been milking well so far this year, as has the breeding season, with high conception rates being achieved to date.

Artificial insemination (AI) is drawing to a close on the dairy cows.

Maiden heifers were inseminated with Friesian sexed semen on Fixed-Time AI.

All the rest of the cows got high-quality Angus bulls that are well balanced for both calving ease and carcass weight.

Calves and yearling cattle

The 2026-born dairy-beef calves are out at grass and have been performing well overall so far this year.

They are grazing in strong, older-type paddocks and have straw offered to them for feed also.

The calf dung is being monitored and if signs of loose dung appear, a faecal egg count (FEC) will be taken, with action on treatment based on the FEC results and veterinary advice.

The calves remained housed for a month post-weaning on ad-lib rations and straw in order to help rumen development ahead of going out to grass.

Twohig has noticed that by retaining calves in the shed for a month after weaning, it helps them maintain a thrive at grass and also reduces incidences of summer scour syndrome.

His yearling cattle have been performing well this year.

The bullocks have an average weight of 450kg and the heifers have an average weight of 370kg.

The average steer weight is a record for the time of year on the farm.

These cattle were dosed with Moxodex and are now grazing after-grass.

Second-cut bales were taken last week (Thursday, June 24), yielding 10 bales/ac. This ground was previously cut on May 13.

Twohig was delighted with the growth between cuts and the yield of the first and second cuts.

Paddocks were reseeded on the farm on April 29. These were grazed by the cows this week, having been sprayed two weeks ago with ProClova.

A reseed last year on the farm had an issue with thistles remaining after post-emergence spraying last year so Twohig is hopeful the spray will solve all weed issues in the reseed this year.