JAMES O’Sullivan, his wife Rachel and their four children, Kayla, Daire, Jenna and Eoin, will open their farm in West Cork for a DairyBeef 500 National Farm walk On Thursday, September 3rd at 5.30pm.

BY DAVID HALLISSEY

The evening will provide farmers with a valuable opportunity to see first-hand how James has developed a sustainable and profitable dairy calf-to-beef system, with a strong focus on grass utilisation, animal performance and simplicity. As both James and Rachel work off farm while raising their young family, efficiency is central to the farming system.

In February, James purchased approximately 90 three-week-old Angus calves directly from four local dairy farms with which he has built strong relationships over several years.

The dairy farmers know the type of calf James is looking for, while he knows the quality and breeding of the calves he is purchasing – creating a genuine win-win
relationship.

The focus on performance is evident in the farm’s slaughter figures. In 2025, heifers were finished at an average of 20.1 months with a 266kg carcass, while bullocks were slaughtered at 22.2 months with an impressive average carcass weight of 317kg.

Four Practical Stops

The farm walk will feature four main stands, covering key areas of the O’Sullivan farming system.

At the opening stand, the physical and financial performance of the farm will be examined.

With calf prices increasing in 2026, detailed calf budgets will be presented at a range of beef prices, highlighting what can be paid for calves while still leaving a viable margin for the rearer.

The second stand will focus on red clover, which has recently been incorporated into the farm. J

ames will explain how it has been established and managed, the benefits he has seen to date and whether he believes red clover will have a greater role on the farm in the future.

Grasstec will also demonstrate its SKAI spot sprayer, which uses AI technology for weed detection and targeted pesticide application. Autumn grassland management will be the focus of the third stand.

James will outline how he maximises animal performance from grass grown on the farm, including his grazing management and rotation targets from now until housing. Fertiliser decisions and grassland management following the summer drought will also be discussed.

A key objective for the farm this autumn is to keep animals at grass for as many days as possible, while ensuring sufficient grass supplies are available for early spring grazing in 2027.

The final stop will bring visitors to the farmyard, where ABP personnel will run an interactive demonstration on selecting cattle for finishing and identifying the characteristics of a well-finished animal.

James currently has animals housed for finishing, and their finishing diet and management will be outlined on the evening.

Also on display will be the farm’s newly constructed slatted shed, which was built this year availing of TAMS Funding for the tank under the enhanced Nutrient storage scheme.

In the farmyard, Teagasc advisors, specialists and DairyBeef 500 stakeholders will be available to answer questions and discuss the practical and financial considerations involved in running a successful dairy calf-to-beef enterprise.

The event is FREE to attend and all are welcome, ABP providing a FREE burger for attendees on the night.

Whether you are already operating a dairy calf-to-beef system or are considering entering the enterprise, this farm walk promises to provide plenty of practical information, ideas and insights into developing a profitable, efficient and sustainable dairy calf-to-beef system.

The farm walk takes place in Myross, near Union Hall, Co. Cork P81 CK00 at 5:30pm

David Hallissey is a Teagasc drystock enterprise advisor covering West Cork area.