In this ABP Monitor Farms update, ABP Food Groups' newest Advantage Beef Programme farm liaison officer Sean Cassidy visits Willie Kelly's suckler-beef farm in Skreen, Co. Sligo.

Grass growth rates are currently exceptional on the farm and and cattle are continuing to perform well also.

Managing heavy covers of grass has been one of the biggest challenges in recent weeks, as soil temperatures and soil moisture levels are both at optimum levels for growth on the Sligo farm.

Heifers that are not being retained for breeding have been drafted and will be sent to the factory in the next few weeks along with the cull cows.

The male progeny from the suckler herd are finished as young bulls. These are currently performing well on grass and will start to be supplemented with 1kg of concentrates from this week onwards at grass, to build them up for housing in mid-August.

The plan is to have the first of these factory-fit in late October/early November.

The suckler herd breeding is carried out by way of a Limousin and Charolais bull and these cows have been recently scanned back in-calf.

A new Limousin bull was purchased this year and the hope is this bull will be easy calving and will sire good calves.

All replacement heifers for the suckler herd are produced on-farm with very few cattle bought in.

10 replacement heifers have been scanned in calf also, which were selected off some of the best performing cows in the herd.

The second-cut silage is ready to cut when weather conditions allow, and this will be secured in the form of pit silage.

The ground that was reseeded last year has grown well and is expected to make great-quality silage. This will be tested and a feed budget made for the winter months, depending on results of the silage test.