Lambing is almost finished on Ciara Kinsella’s farm in Crossabeg, Co Wexford. Despite a disappointing scan rate, Ciara is happy that there were low losses during lambing.
On the Tykillen Sporthorses side of the business, preparations are underway for the young horse event classes.
On the Tykillen Sport Horses side of the business, preparations are under way for the young horse event classes.
On the Tykillen Sporthorses side of the business, preparations are underway for the young horse event classes.
Ciara is also gearing up for this year’s honey season, and has 20 hives this year.
She has also been accepted into the ACRES scheme. Ciara’s measures for the scheme include wild bird cover, permanent pasture, owl boxes and putting in some new hedging.
Farm facts
Ciara Kinsella.
Farm size: 25 ha (62 acres).
Location: Ballyharran, Crossabeg, Co Wexford.
Enterprise: Sheep, sport horses, beekeeping and forestry.
Almost 80% of the farm was grazed by St Patrick’s Day on Martin Crowe’s farm in Carrigmore, Co Limerick. Ninety per cent of the milking platform has got 3,000 gallons of slurry per acre, with the aim to get the final 10% done when the ground is grazed off around the 24 March.
Calving has slowed down, with just 15% of the herd left to calve. According to Martin, there is good demand for his beef calves, which are all moving off the farm at three weeks old. Friesian heifer calves are currently on 1kg of ration a day, and Martin hopes to start weaning them this week. The maiden heifers have been at grass since 1 February, and Martin is considering using sexed semen to fixed-time AI on them this year.
ACRES
Having been accepted into ACRES, Martin will be planting 700m of a hedgerow, putting in two hectares of riparian buffer zone as well as planting a tree belt.
Farm facts
Farm size: 143 ha (353 acres).
Location: Carrigmore, Co Limerick.
Enterprise: Spring-calving dairy herd.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks on Tullamore Farm. Sixty-one out of 85 cows have calved and it has gone well, according to farm manager Shaun Diver.
There have been two cases of mortality, though no issues with scour or pneumonia, according to Shaun, and calves were born lively, generally getting up to suck on their own.
Lambing:
Lambing started on the farm on Monday 13 March. Currently 60 ewes out of 270 have lambed, with 30 gone out to grass.
Over 20 cows and calves are out at grass, grazing paddocks around the yard before being moved to the out-farm as the weather improves.
There are also 15 weanling heifers that have gone to grass, and Shaun hopes to turn out the rest when the weather improves. The heaviest of the bulls are on ad-lib meal, with silage remaining in the diet. This will slowly be substituted for straw over the next couple of weeks. On average, the bulls are 550kg with the heaviest weighing 620kg.
Slurry samples have been taken across the Footprint Farms.
Farm facts:
Farm size: 80 ha (197 acres).
Location: Brackagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly.
Enterprise: Beef and sheep.
Lambing is almost finished on Ciara Kinsella’s farm in Crossabeg, Co Wexford. Despite a disappointing scan rate, Ciara is happy that there were low losses during lambing.
On the Tykillen Sporthorses side of the business, preparations are underway for the young horse event classes.
On the Tykillen Sport Horses side of the business, preparations are under way for the young horse event classes.
On the Tykillen Sporthorses side of the business, preparations are underway for the young horse event classes.
Ciara is also gearing up for this year’s honey season, and has 20 hives this year.
She has also been accepted into the ACRES scheme. Ciara’s measures for the scheme include wild bird cover, permanent pasture, owl boxes and putting in some new hedging.
Farm facts
Ciara Kinsella.
Farm size: 25 ha (62 acres).
Location: Ballyharran, Crossabeg, Co Wexford.
Enterprise: Sheep, sport horses, beekeeping and forestry.
Almost 80% of the farm was grazed by St Patrick’s Day on Martin Crowe’s farm in Carrigmore, Co Limerick. Ninety per cent of the milking platform has got 3,000 gallons of slurry per acre, with the aim to get the final 10% done when the ground is grazed off around the 24 March.
Calving has slowed down, with just 15% of the herd left to calve. According to Martin, there is good demand for his beef calves, which are all moving off the farm at three weeks old. Friesian heifer calves are currently on 1kg of ration a day, and Martin hopes to start weaning them this week. The maiden heifers have been at grass since 1 February, and Martin is considering using sexed semen to fixed-time AI on them this year.
ACRES
Having been accepted into ACRES, Martin will be planting 700m of a hedgerow, putting in two hectares of riparian buffer zone as well as planting a tree belt.
Farm facts
Farm size: 143 ha (353 acres).
Location: Carrigmore, Co Limerick.
Enterprise: Spring-calving dairy herd.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks on Tullamore Farm. Sixty-one out of 85 cows have calved and it has gone well, according to farm manager Shaun Diver.
There have been two cases of mortality, though no issues with scour or pneumonia, according to Shaun, and calves were born lively, generally getting up to suck on their own.
Lambing:
Lambing started on the farm on Monday 13 March. Currently 60 ewes out of 270 have lambed, with 30 gone out to grass.
Over 20 cows and calves are out at grass, grazing paddocks around the yard before being moved to the out-farm as the weather improves.
There are also 15 weanling heifers that have gone to grass, and Shaun hopes to turn out the rest when the weather improves. The heaviest of the bulls are on ad-lib meal, with silage remaining in the diet. This will slowly be substituted for straw over the next couple of weeks. On average, the bulls are 550kg with the heaviest weighing 620kg.
Slurry samples have been taken across the Footprint Farms.
Farm facts:
Farm size: 80 ha (197 acres).
Location: Brackagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly.
Enterprise: Beef and sheep.
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