Next Gen Herefords and Irish Hereford Prime have teamed up to facilitate the Irish ‘Hereford Charity Calf Rearing Program’ which is encouraging young people to rear calves on their home farms with the added aim of raising money for charity.
In spring 2022, over €5,500 was allocated to five of the Hereford Society branches.
This money was donated by Irish Hereford Prime and has gone towards the buying and maintaining of Hereford-cross dairy-cross bull calves by young Hereford breeders who were appointed by their local branches.
Each calf has to be male, genotyped and must be disbudded and castrated.
Calf-rearing programme
The journey began in March and April when the calves were purchased from local dairy farmers or dairy farmers within each young person’s region.
Once in their new home, the calves were then taken under the wings of a young breeder who has been busy since then rearing and tending to their calf.
Every young handler, on top of feeding and rearing the calf, will be halter training and preparing their animal for showing at the Next Gen Herefords Youth Competition and National Hereford Calf Show in GVM Tullamore in November 2022.
This will be the first day out for the animals and they will be a great asset to young handlers who wish to show smaller, well-trained cattle in the show.
Each of the animals involved in the programme will be reared onto their second year.
In 2023, the cattle will be sold at a live auction with full proceeds being donated to a charity of the young breeders’ or the branches’ choice.
Hereford breeders
In total, there are 15 young breeders – rearing 11 crossbred calves – across five branches.
The breeders are as follows:
- North Leinster: Ciaran Kinahan, Tullyview Herefords, Co. Westmeath;
- North Leinster: Tara and Elisa Drumm, Crowenstown Herefords, Co. Westmeath;
- South Leinster: Aidan Jones, Clonroe Herefords, Co. Wexford;
- South Leinster: Anna Jacob, Dunsinane Herefords, Co. Wexford;
- Ulster: Charlie and Adam McKenna, Lisgoagh Herefords, Co. Monaghan;
- Connacht: Sinead Conry, Rathnollag Herefords, Co. Roscommon;
- Connacht: Eoin, Liam and Dara O’Reilly, Bridgehouse Herefords, Co. Leitrim;
- Connacht: Paul and Cian Bohan, Gortfadda Herefords, Co. Leitrim;
- Munster: John Cregan, Tullaha Herefords, Co. Limerick;
- Munster: Conor O’Rourke, Ardlahan Herefords, Co. Limerick.
Ciaran Kinahan commented: “I am honoured to have been chosen to raise a calf for the North Leinster Hereford branch as it for such a great cause.
“It’s wonderful to see Irish Hereford Prime and Next Gen Herefords collaborating on this super programme as it’s for a charitable purpose.”
Tullamore
The society, among others, is gearing up for a big Hereford weekend in GVM Tullamore on Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19. The National Hereford Calf Show and the Genetic Gems Hereford Heifer sale will be held on Saturday, November 19.
The National Hereford Calf show promises to be a great spectator event with a large number of classes to suit all Hereford calves including a commercial class.
The Genetic Gems sale will crown the day and the weekend when some of the top-quality Hereford heifers nationwide are brought together for auction.
The inaugural Youth competition was launched during November 2021 when the Young Handler event was moved from the morning of the National Hereford Calf Show to a standalone event the evening before.
The Next Gen Herefords Youth Competition will be held on Friday evening, November 18.
Raffle for Hereford heifer
Also on the Friday evening, there will be a raffle held to win a pedigree-registered Hereford heifer to raise funds for the club to organise and host events and activities for young people to get involved.
First prize in the raffle is a yearling heifer – Droumdaniel Biddy 1082. This August 2021-born heifer is sired by Brocca Kieran and bred from Droumdaniel Biddy 3rd.
The heifer has been bred and donated by the Lynch family in Bantry Bay.
The second prize is an embryo from the famous Balleen line and third prize is €150 voucher for FIRE and Steakhouse Restaurant.