Advantage Beef Programme
In recent years, the farm has availed of a service where a dairy farmer producing dairy-beef calves of a high genetic beef merit is identified and 'matched' with a calf to beef farmer seeking dairy-beef calves with a higher genetic beef merit.
The Craigs first joined the initiative in 2023 and sourced their first calves through the 'calf match making service' that year.
The calf match-making service is provided by ABP Food Group's farm liaison team and the initiative is called the ABP Calf Sustainability Programme.
The first of the calves sourced through the service were recently slaughtered and their performance statistics (versus 2022-born calves sourced conventionally) are detailed in the table below:
| 2022-born dairy-beef heifers | 2023-born dairy-beef heifers | |
|---|---|---|
| Average carcase weight: | 247kg | 260kg |
| Average age at slaughter: | 20.3 months | 20 months |
| Percentage grading R- or better: | 3% | 13% |
| Percentage grading O- or worse: | 13.7% | 4% |
The Craig’s are very pleased with the calves that were sourced through the programme saying it has been "a big win" for the overall performance of the dairy-beef operation on the farm.
David said: "When we compare the carcase data, (in the table above) from the 2022-born and 2023-born dairy-beef heifers, it’s evident that the high genetic-merit beef calves from 2023 outperformed the the 2022-born batch and generated higher returns through higher carcase output and better average grades."
"Both cohorts of cattle were treated very much in the same way with the main difference being the late turn out of the 2023-born heifers in spring 2024 due to poor weather conditions."
David believes that if these heifers got to grass sooner, their daily live weight gain would have probably improved.
The young Meath farmer said: "The ABP farm liaison team provide us with a great service in sourcing the calves and advice on best practice when rearing the calves.
"They are also on hand to assist us when selecting beef cattle fit for slaughter. We hope to increase the number of calves we are sourcing and rearing through the scheme this year."
Commenting on the initiative, ABP Food Group's farm liaison officer Aideen Bates said: "ABP is delighted to work with young farmers like David and Aiden and farmers who would like to learn more can contact a member of the ABP farm liaison team."
Both bunches of calves were purchased for more or less the same monetary value, but the 2023-born cohort achieved a better margin for the Craig’s.
The calf breeds on the farm are predominantly Angus-cross and Hereford-cross, and predominantly heifers are sourced.
The Craigs are part of ABP's Advantage Beef Programme which offers participants a 20c/kg sustainability bonus paid on top of all breed bonuses and quality assurance bonuses for eligible cattle.
The ABP Calf Sustainability Programme links calf to beef farmers with dairy farmers who have a good cow type with no cross breeding.
These dairy farmers also use high genetic-merit beef bulls that have a high carcase weight value in order to produce dairy-beef stock with the genetic potential to deliver higher carcase weights and grades.
The Craigs have built good relationships with the dairy farmers they were linked with through the ABP Calf Sustainability Programme and plan to return to them again to purchase calves for the 2025 season.
In Autumn 2024, a batch of 40 autumn-born calves were sourced for the farm through the ABP initiative.
This will be the second year for the Meath farm to rear autumn-born calves. The most recent batch of autumn-born calves have been just-about weaned off milk now and will be turned out to grass when weather conditions allow.
In the meantime, the Meath-based farmers will be purchasing their spring-born calves over the coming weeks to start the cycle all over again. The Craig’s plan to increase their numbers to roughly 150 spring calves this year.