For beef suckler farmer Adrian Dowling, good record-keeping has always been part of running a tight ship.

Farming in a four-way partnership with his parents and brother near Ballyfin, Co. Laois, Adrian says accuracy on the farm was never the issue - time was.

He said: “I was always confident my records were right.

“But paper records take time, and if you don’t do it straight away, you can forget.”

That reality led Adrian to move from a traditional copybook system to Herdwatch, a decision he says has transformed how paperwork fits into everyday farm life.

A family suckler farm built over time

The Dowling farm sits at the foothills of the Slieve Blooms, with roughly half of its land extending onto the mountain itself.

The suckler enterprise was established by Adrian’s father in the late 1990s and early 2000s, starting with just seven in-calf Charolais-cross heifers bought from a dairy herd.

Over the years, steady investment followed. Slatted housing, dry sheds and calving facilities were added as the herd developed, with the most recent shed built in 2020 incorporating calving pens and a handling crush.

From an original 16.5ac, the farm has expanded through land purchases, reclamation and long-term rental.

Today, the family farms 63ac, with recent opportunities allowing them to purchase previously rented mountain ground.

Breeding, docility and doing the job right

The farm runs a suckler system, breeding its own replacements and selling cattle mainly as stores, along with a small number of cull cows each year.

The herd currently calves 17 cows annually, with plans to increase to 20.

Breeding decisions are carefully thought out, with a strong focus on docility.

“That’s the number one trait for me,” Adrian explained.

“Any animal that’s flighty or hard to handle gets culled.”

The herd is made up of mixed genetics, including Limousin, Charolais and Simmental crosses.

Artificial insemination (AI) is used extensively, with Adrian selecting balanced bulls with strong replacement and terminal traits.

“With small numbers, breeding is so important,” he said.

“You need cows that work for you.”

Why he moved away from paper records

Before Herdwatch, all farm events were recorded in a notebook at home before being transferred into the official department herd book.

While Adrian was diligent about keeping records up to date, he found some tasks unnecessarily time-consuming.

“Registering calves was one of the worst jobs,” he said.

After hearing about Herdwatch from a neighbour and researching it when joining Bord Bia, Adrian decided to make the switch.

“I knew straight away it made sense.”

Recording in real time

Today, Herdwatch is used daily on the Dowling farm. Adrian records information on his phone while he’s doing the job, whether that is treating cattle, weighing stock, or checking due dates.

“Recording treatments there and then is extremely useful,” he said.

“If you leave it, that’s when mistakes happen.”

Key features he relies on include:

Calf registrations;
Medicine treatments and remedy purchases;
Weighing and performance reports;
Field mapping and silage records;
Movement certs and herd compliance reports.

Having everything in one place has made inspections far less stressful.

“I can have all my Bord Bia reports ready in about an hour now,” Adrian said.

“It takes all the stress out of it.”

Saving time where it matters

For a part-time farmer, time efficiency is crucial. Adrian says the biggest benefit Herdwatch has brought to his farm is simple but powerful: “Time-saving - and time is money.”

He now records information as he goes, instead of catching up later, and says the app has made paperwork something he no longer dreads.

And for any neighbour still relying on pen and paper?

“I couldn’t recommend Herdwatch enough," he said.

Trusted by over 20,000 farmers in Ireland

More than 20,000 farmers already rely on Herdwatch to manage their records and compliance.

From dairy herds to beef and sheep farms, Herdwatch users say they:

Save hours every week on paperwork;
Feel more organised and in control;
Are far less stressed when the Bord Bia letter arrives.

If you are still doing everything on paper, you will notice the difference within days.

Get an instant quote on the Herdwatch website today by clicking the button below or call 0505 34400 (Mon–Fri, 9:00a.m-5:00p.m) for more information.