For this joint Beef Edge and Ovicast podcast with Catherine Egan and Ciaran Lynch,
Future Beef Farmer, Olivia Hynes from Roscommon, discusses how she is managing grass this year and how mixed grazing is working on her farm.
Olivia describes the farm system and how this spring has been on the farm. She is using 100% AI with breeding in full swing and she discusses various sires she has selected.
Weanlings are targeted for the export sales and Olivia keeps 10-12 heifers as replacements annually. Olivia complements the suckler enterprise with an early to mid-season ewe flock. Scanning & weaning percentages are excellent with all lambs finished off grass to factory specification.
Over 90% of the farm is free draining brown acid soil, with moderate to good fertility. Olivia has been working on improving fertility for a number of years and liming is a priority to correct pH levels.
Olivia also outlines the paddock system that she has put in and how it is working for her and she discusses her plan for managing grass in the summer, balancing the demand of the different groups of stock as priorities arise.
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