November 21st 2014
A large crowd attended the ICSA-organised suckler demonstration at Skibbereen Mart on Thursday, November 20th, where talks on the practical management of a suckler herd and other related issues were delivered by a number of speakers.
ICSA national executive member Margaret Lehane spoke about her own farming enterprise near Kanturk and specifically on the care and attention needed to have heifers calving down at two years old. One of her core concepts is the “honeymoon effect” – top quality accommodation, the best of food and lots of attention leads to positive results!
Karen Dukelow of Teagasc spoke on efficiency in suckler rearing, while ICSA general secretary Eddie Punch focussed on live exports and Chris Daly from ICBF outlined the ideal breeding cow.
Other speakers included mart manager, Tom McCarthy, Teagasc’s Billy Kelleher, ICBF linear scorer Noel McSweeney and ICSA West Cork chairman Dermot Kelleher, while cows for the demonstration were provided by Thomas Connolly, Michael Creed and Christy Kelleher.
“This was a very informative evening with some excellent speakers,” said ICSA West Cork chairman Dermot Kelleher. “With all the challenges facing suckler farmers in the current climate, we need all the help and advice we can get, and I’m sure everybody who attended found the event very beneficial.”
