13-05-2025
ABP Demo Farm: Silage, calf weaning and cattle weights
ABP Demo farm manager Sean Maher has outlined the latest progress on the Co. Carlow-based calf-to-beef demonstration farm, along with what has been happening recently on site.
In the latest update from the farm on Friday (May 9, 2025), the farm manager said: 'Spring 2025 has been very kind.
'Grass growth has been steady whilst not setting the world alight. We've started our first-cut silage with 25ac of ground cut on Wednesday, May 7.'
He said that it is an early cutting date for first-cut silage on the farm but noted that surplus grazing paddocks would have often been taken out for bale silage in previous years by now – but this is not the case this year.
Commenting on grass-growth rates, Maher said: 'Growth has been good at 70kg DM/ha/day which is well exceeding the current demand on the farm and may give us the opportunity to harvest some surpluses in the future.'
'Night-time temperatures are still low, regardless of how warm it is during the day.'
Maher noted that these temperatures are having an impact on grass-growth rates.
Calf weaning on the ABP Demo Farm
There have been 290 of the 400 head of 2025-born calves on the farm weaned off milk.
Maher said: 'Weights have been steady like all other batches. These calves have an average weaning weight of 90kg and spent a total of 40 days on milk on the ABP Demo Farm.
'We are very happy with the calf weights and performance is well on target for turnout to grass at approximately 120kg in mid-May to June.
'We have no calf turned out to grass as of yet. Night-time temperatures are still too low. We feel this could lead to calves going backwards and potentially cause some sickness.
'Weaned calves are eating 2.5kg concentrates/head/day with access to ad-lib straw as a source of roughage. The weaning strategy has not changed this year.'
In 2024, a new protocol was trialled in the calf-rearing strategy on the ABP Demo Farm to tackle incidents of summer-scour syndrome.
Calves remained housed for an average of 46 days post-weaning with the aim that the stronger calves going to grass would be more capable of adapting to their new grass diets.
The move has added cost to the system, but has been effective in significantly reducing incidents of summer-scour syndrome.
This year, Maher explained that the plan is 'to keep all weaned calves indoors for at least 30 days post weaning before turning them out'.
All calves will be infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) vaccinated and weighed at turnout and the plan is to graze calves in bundles of 80 for the year.
Yearling cattle at grass
The spring 2024-born cattle are currently out at grass and are performing well.
The farm manager said: 'These cattle were all weighed on April 22 and came in at an average weight of 360kg.
'The steers had an average weight of 370kg and heifers had an average weight of 345kg.
'These cattle are paddock grazing in batches ranging in size from 40-50, with an emphasis on offering cattle fresh grass every three days.'
