Thursday 08 November 2012
Northern Ireland
Fermanagh forage crisis looming?
Over 160 farmers packed the ‘Greenmount Centenary Beef Bonus Conference’ at Enniskillen College on Tuesday past as fears loomed of a winter forage crisis in Fermanagh.
Organised by AgriSearch in association with CAFRE and AFBI the event updated producers on topics selected for research by the farming community.
The need to have replacement heifers calving at two years was emphasised by the two key note speakers, award winning farmers Simon Frost and Sam Chesney.
Other topics covered varied between the latest and those ideas first promoted two centuries ago! AFBI staff explained the role of the just launched BovIS tool and EBVs in herd management as well as the need for liming when fields fall below a pH figure of 5.9. A topic first aired when Queen Victoria was on the throne yet still the basis of good sward management.
As regards selecting bulls using EBVs was described as essential, especially as regards figures for milkiness, calving ease and scrotal circumference.
Early turnout to grass, even in the wetter west, was promoted as a means of cutting costs Taking a flexible approach to early turnout and then rehousing when the weather broke was a logical way of making feed stocks last.
For further details browse website www.agrisearch.org
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Source: newsroom - farmingnewsdaily.co.uk
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