The Beef Edge

Future Beef farmer, James Skehan, from county Clare is on this week’s Beef Edge to discuss his spring-calving suckler-to-beef enterprise while also working off-farm.

Over the past number of years he has made significant changes to improve the profitability, efficiency and sustainability of his business, like many suckler farmers, James has adapted his system to make better use of the resources available on his farm. 

He has moved from selling weanlings to finishing cattle, invested in grazing infrastructure to maximise grass utilisation, focused on improving soil fertility, and placed a strong emphasis on breeding a compact, efficient spring-calving herd. These changes have helped him reduce labour demands while maintaining high levels of animal performance.

As a participant in the Teagasc Future Beef Programme, James has been benchmarking his performance and implementing practical changes that are delivering real improvements on the ground. 

In this episode, he shares the lessons he's learned, discusses how he balances farming with an off-farm career, explains his approach to grassland management, breeding and herd health, and outlines how he prepares calves for weaning.

James is also preparing to host the Teagasc National Future Beef Farm Walk on Friday, 4th September at 6 pm, where visitors will have the opportunity to see his farming system first-hand and hear about the management practices that are helping drive performance and profitability.

Further details at:
https://teagasc.ie/event/futurebeef-farm-walk-james-skehan

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

Cork dairy-beef farmer, Philip O'Neill, who operates a calf-to-store beef enterprise alongside a tillage enterprise, while also working off-farm, and his Teagasc advisor, Alan Carey, join this week’s Beef Edge podcast.

Philip O’Neill farms in a Registered Farm Partnership with his mother Denise, and he manages multiple enterprises during the busy spring period which means labour efficiency is essential and in recent years Philip has transformed his calf-rearing system by investing in an automatic calf feeder.

Philip explains what prompted the investment, the practical lessons he learned during the first season using the feeder, and how it has changed the day-to-day management of calves. 

He discusses the labour savings achieved, how technology helps identify health issues at an early stage, and the management practices that have maintained excellent calf health and performance. Philip also shares the importance of planning, from sourcing calves over a short period to ensuring they are weaned before peak tillage work begins.

His Teagasc advisor Alan Carey, discusses the wider lessons for dairy-beef farmers. As many farmers begin reviewing this year's calf-rearing season, Alan outlines the key areas that should be assessed before next spring, including labour requirements, calf health protocols, housing, nutrition and overall system efficiency. 

He also discusses how farmers can control input costs and identify future investment opportunities, including supports available through TAMS, to improve labour efficiency and long-term profitability.

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

Cork beef farmer, Noel McSweeney, and his Teagasc advisor, David Hallissey, explain how they prepare for this year's Tullamore Show on this week’s Beef Edge podcast.

Noel runs a progressive beef enterprise where he combines commercial cattle production with an embryo transfer breeding programme to produce top-quality show and fatstock cattle. 

He discusses his journey as a young farmer, the evolution of the farm and how he has developed a successful breeding programme while balancing an off-farm career.

With the Tullamore Show just days away, Noel takes us behind the scenes to explain the planning, preparation and attention to detail that goes into getting cattle ready for one of Ireland's premier agricultural events. 

He also shares the key lessons he has learned from showing cattle and offers practical advice for anyone thinking about getting involved.

David Hallissey discusses the increasing interest in commercial show cattle, the importance of breeding for both performance and profitability, and the key areas Noel is focusing on to further develop the farm.

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

Teagasc Grass10 advisor, Nikki Kennedy, and Future Beef Programme Manager, Martina Harrington, discuss management tips during current drought conditions and advise on key actions to be taken.

With severe soil moisture deficits on farms at the moment, Nikki gives an overview of the current situation across the country, while Martina outlines how farmers are dealing with the issues on the ground. Martina also discusses management for first-calvers and thin cows as they all have different nutritional demands.

With grass quality and quantity both falling, Nikki outlines the best supplementation strategies. Martina recommends protecting younger stock first. First-season dairy-beef calves are more vulnerable during drought and she discusses supplementing weanlings. 

Martina and Nikki also outline strategies for fertiliser and slurry if rain comes in the coming days

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 advance of the Irish Grassland Association Open Day on the 30th July in Co. Cavan, Sebana Moynagh joins the Beef Edge to give an insight into her Breffni Pedigree Charolais Herd and to discuss practical beef production and grassland management strategies relevant to both pedigree and commercial suckler farmers.

The Breffni Charolais herd runs approximately 90 pedigree Charolais cows in a performance-recorded, grass-based system, operating a 100% AI breeding programme with predominantly autumn-calving cows. The herd is focused on breeding functional, milky and fertile females, whilst also producing bulls with high carcass weight, fleshing ability and calving ease for suckler farmers.
 
Topics on the evening will include breeding strategy and genetic selection, herd health planning, paddock design and grazing management, reseeding strategies and the development of labour-efficient systems to improve overall farm performance.
 
Visitors will have the opportunity to view cows and calves, weanling bulls and heifers, along with cattle handling and housing facilities on the farm.

Food will be served to all attendees who arrive at 6.00 pm sharp, with the farm walk beginning promptly at 6.30 pm.

For more information:
https://www.irishgrassland.ie/event-detail/beef-event-2026/ 
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