Beef - Dempsey Farm, Ireland
Inputs and Operations
- → Reed bed water treatment
- → Rubber floor coverings
- → Straw bedding
- → Calving considerations
- → Fertiliser application
- → Cattle handling
“Ray has a fairly typical family-run farming business. What makes Ray different is his foresight and confidence in the future of the industry. A large amount of investment has been undertaken to upgrade animal housing and the handling facilities on the farm and this in turn will improve animal welfare and performance, resulting in an increase in profits. Ray has the also looked at all areas of the business and is trying to reduce inputs while still maintaining/improving current production levels. Along with this, the farm is working in a more sustainable manner which will ensure the farm’s future success into the next generation."
Karl Williams (FAI)
Reed bed water treatment
A reed bed has been established, which cleans water drained from the concrete yards prior to discharge into a river. The reed bed treatment systems are based upon natural wetland ecosystems, but are artificially engineered and self-contained to optimise the chemical, physical and microbiological processes that occur naturally.
In farming situations reed beds are a useful way to treat dirty yard water. When installed they can control the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of the waste water and offer a sustainable alternative to chemical-based wastewater treatments.
Installation of a reed bed filter system for the treatment of water demonstrates good environmental practice. The system harnesses natural processes; ensuring that water quality is maximised at low cost and without associated negative environmental impact.
Rubber floor coverings
The farm has invested in rubber slat covers which fit over the concrete slats in winter housing in all finishing pens. This improves the cattle welfare during the winter housing period, as cattle prefer to lie on a soft floor with low thermal conductivity when the ambient temperature is low. The rubber slats provide a softer floor surface than concrete and the thermal conductivity of rubber is far lower than concrete.
Although there is a large initial investment to lay rubber slat covers, this could be counteracted by increased cattle growth rates and higher finishing weights which would then deliver an increased financial return.
Installation of rubber slats in winter housing improves cattle welfare. Despite initial outlay of costs the improved conditions for the cattle results in increased growth rates and finishing weights, delivering increased financial returns to the farm.
Straw bedding
The farm grows around 13 hectares of spring barley every year, providing sufficient straw to be used in the calving boxes for cows and within the calf creep areas. This provides an excellent bedding material for the cows at such an important time as calving. In addition, the guidelines set out for cattle housing in the Irish Beef Quality Assurance Scheme, states that “newborn suckler calves should have access to a designated, comfortable, solid floor, draught free calf creep”.
Calving considerations
Heifers are not put to the bull until they are 20-22 months of age to calve down at 30 months plus, helping reduce the number of assisted calvings.
A significant selection factor for the farm’s stock bull (used on the heifers) is the ease of calving. A Charolais bull is run with the cows, but again calving ease is still a consideration in its selection.
Fertiliser application
To ensure the farm’s fertiliser applications are based on good practice and sound data, routine soil testing for phosphate, potash, magnesium and acidity have been undertaken in 2007 and will be conducted every four years.
The farm plants clover in grassland, enabling nitrogen uptake from the atmosphere and conversion into soil nitrogen. Estimates suggest that a grass/clover sward containing about 35% clover (in dry matter) can yield as much as a grass sward receiving about 150 kg/hectare of nitrogen fertiliser. Clover also has the benefit of maintaining grassland digestibility, especially in mid season when grass tends to get stemmy. With these improvements it is hoped to be able to reduce the amount of purchased nitrogen fertiliser whilst still maintaining cattle performance from grazed forage.
Routine soil testing results in optimal fertiliser application to grasslands. Combined with the planting of nitrogen-fixing clover, the farm’s grasslands provide optimal grazing conditions at low cost and low environmental impact.
Cattle handling
The farm has invested in good modern cattle handling facilities, which Ray feels is an important aspect due to less availability of labour on the farm. When working with cattle, the importance of safe working practices cannot be under estimated, with worker welfare being of utmost importance.
Animal housing and handling facilities benefits the well-being and productivity of cattle
| Dempsey farm’s production figures for 2008: | |
| Calvings per cow/heifer put to the bull | 94% |
| Calf mortality birth to weaning | 4.8% |
| Calves reared | 95% |
| Adult cows with assisted calvings | 1% |
| Heifers with assisted calvings | 9% (1 out of 11 calved) |