New farm manager appointed to Newford Suckler Farm
Dawn Meats has confirmed to Agriland that Co. Roscommon man Shane McGuinness has now stepped into the role.
The Newford suckler demonstration farm - which was established by Teagasc and Dawn Meats with support from McDonalds in 2015 - took up its new residence on a 118ac farm in Scrine, near Athleague in Co. Roscommon at the end of 2023, having relocated from a site in Co. Galway.
The new farm manager replaces Stephen Frend, who is staying within the realms of Dawn Meats but moving to a procurement role with the meat processor.
A statement to Agriland from Dawn Meats confirmed: "Newford farm manager Stephen Frend has taken up a new role within Dawn Meats as a procurement officer.
"The new manager of the Newford Farm is Co. Roscommon man Shane McGuinness, a past student of Ballyhaise Agricultural College."
The Dawn Meats statement wished both "the very best of luck in their careers".
The Newford Herd consists of Angus and Hereford cross Friesian cows, originating from the dairy herd with heifers calved at 24-months-of-age.
The systems on the farm are finishing male progeny at 21-23-months-of-age as steers, with a target carcass weight ranging from 310-350kg.
Some of the herds main targets are:
365-day calving interval;
8-10 week calving spread;
80% of cows calved within eight weeks;
Weaning a calf at 50% of the cows' own body weight.
Heifers are finished at 18-20-months-of-age with a target carcass weight of 290-320kg. The farm contract rears all of its replacement heifers, which are sourced from high-index Hereford and Angus bulls.
The herd is run on "a fully commercial basis", according to the farm's website.
The Newford Farm aims to also "demonstrate the potential of a moderately-large suckler beef farm to generate a viable family farm income when operated to the highest-level of technical efficiency and best practice".
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