Teagasc Open Day on Award Winning Byrne Farm

A major cattle open day is taking place on the farm of the Bord Bia Weanling Producer of the Year 2006, in Tuam, County Galway, today, Thursday, 26 July 2007. Award winning cattle producers, Seamus and Ritchie Byrne opened their farm at Knocknagur to hundreds of visiting drystock farmers to see first hand the outstanding breeding that has made this family farm so successful.

The Byrnes farm 65 hectares and their suckler cow herd consists of 80 cows, mainly Limousin cross and Belgian Blue crosses. Fifty of the cows are autumn-calving and 30 spring-calving. The cows are mated to a Belgian Blue stock bull with some selective use of A.I. One of the key management practices is to cull cows that will not produce U grade calves at weaning.

The weanlings are sold to the premium Italian market and last year the autumn born bull weanlings averaged over €1,000 per head, with the heifers averaging €850 per head. The overall aim on the farm is to produce top quality stock that will attract a top price when sold as weanlings.

Visitors were given an opportunity to get the latest information on breeding, animal health and welfare and weanling marketing. The open day was organised by Teagasc and the Beef Producer of the Year awards are sponsored by Teagasc, Bord Bia, and the Irish Farmers Journal.