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AHI CalfCare 2025 On-Farm Events
Agribusiness All Beef Co-op Corporate Dairy
“Getting off to a good start”
Tirlán is delighted to support Animal Health Ireland and Teagasc for the 2025 CalfCare on-farm events. See list of dates and locations within the Tirlán catchment below.
The events in Green were due to take place on the 6th & 9th of January have been postponed due to weather conditions, see new dates below:
| DATE | TIME | FARMER | ADDRESS | EIRCODE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.01.2025 | 11am | Jimmy & Kieran Cummins | Two Mile Borris, Thurles, Co. Tipperary | E41 PW26 |
| 14.01.2025 | 11am | Sean & Eamonn Roche | Castlerickard House, Longwood, Co. Meath | A83 F896 |
| 17.01.2025 | 11am | John Comerford | Bushfield, Borris-in-Ossory, Co. Laois | R32 X229 |
| 22.01.2025 | 11am | Frank Kennedy | Boley Upper, Cranford, Gorey, Co. Wexford | Y25 R840 |
| 28.01.2025 | 11am | Richie Long | Knockaun, Ballymacarbry, Co. Waterford | E91 VH67 |
More information here
AHI CalfCare: Optimal calf care in the picture in County Laois
In preparation of the 2025 calving season we caught up with Tirlán suppliers John, Patricia and Rory McEvoy on their farm in Clonaheen, Co. Laois. With 240 calves expected to be born in this compact spring calving herd, everyone involved understands the importance of caring for both cow and calf. The father – son team share the day-to-day duties on this dairy enterprise. John’s main focus is on the adult herd and Rory takes responsibility for looking after the calf rearing. The herd is participating in the National Genotyping Programme and breeding decisions are based on productivity and EBI, with a strong emphasis on the Health sub-index. All dairy replacements are AI bred from the most productive cows in the herd, having dipped the toe in using sexed semen for the first time in 2024. Increasing the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) drives the breeding decisions for those cows not producing replacement heifers. This allows John and Rory to supply a strong Hereford-cross dairy beef calf into Tirlán’s Twenty20 Beef Club. According to John and Rory, the value of dry cow nutrition and mineral balance cannot be overstated in preparation for a successful calving season and start of lactation. Being located in an area known for iodine deficiency in the soil and forages, pregnant cows and heifers are supplemented with ad-lib iodine salt licks in addition to GAIN Pre-Calver Gold throughout the dry period. The value of appropriate mineral supplementation during the final stages of pregnancy is visible on the farm as soon as the cows calve, cows get going straight away and the calves are lively with great vigour from birth.
Cows are milked as soon as they calve and the colostrum is bottle-fed to each calf following the 1-2-3 best practice colostrum guidelines. Unless calves need special attention, they are placed in small groups of 5 and fed transition milk for a few days. A purpose built calf house is used to house all heifer and bull calves. Plenty of fresh straw is used as bedding on top of a layer of woodchip. Rory is delighted with the automatic feeders used for the heifers, with 20 calves per station fed GAIN Easi- Mix. The bulls in the other half of the calf house are reared using milk bars, making the labour saving from the automatic feeders very tangible.
In the past, calf scour has been a concern on the farm and Rory has found that controlling Coccidiosis during the calving season and using GAIN RumenCare Calf Nut as soon as the calves start venturing outside onto the paddock makes all the difference.
If you want further insights in the latest in optimal calf care in preparation of the 2025 spring calving season, attend one of the AHI CalfCare events taking place in the Tirlán area throughout January.
First Published 2nd January 2025