This autumn, Teagasc held a series of free events at livestock marts across the country. Bringing together farmers, advisors and industry specialists, the events combined live cattle demonstrations with practical discussions on genetics, herd health, nutrition and market trends.
These events offer an example of how familiar agricultural venues can bring different sources of expertise closer to farmers. Livestock marts, where farmers buy and sell animals by auction, are important meeting points within Irish farming communities. Hosting advisory events in these settings creates an opportunity to connect technical information with the animals and decisions farmers encounter in their everyday work. The focus for the majority of the events was on weanlings1.
Connecting genetics with live demonstrations
Live cattle demonstrations were a central feature of every event. Animals were on display in the mart ring with representatives from artificial insemination (AI) breeding companies highlighting the animals genetic makeup. The demonstrations provided a visual element to explore how breeding choices influence cattle quality and performance.
Discussions also covered Commercial Beef Value (CBV), an Irish genetic evaluation tool for cattle destined for beef production. Expressed in euros, CBV provides information on genetic merit for economically important traits, including carcass weight, carcass conformation and feed intake. Considering this information alongside the live animal helps explain how genetic data can support breeding and purchasing decisions.
Bringing different expertise together
The events involved local vets, animal health companies, breeding companies and Teagasc advisors and specialists. Contributions from the Irish Farmers Journal added a market update, connecting production decisions with the wider trading environment.
Herd health discussions addressed dosing and vaccinating, while nutrition advice focused on feeding cattle effectively and efficiently through the winter. Bringing these topics together encouraged farmers to consider how genetics, health and feeding interact, rather than viewing each management decision separately.
The format also gave farmers access to several sources of advice in one place, with live animals providing a shared focus for questions and discussion.
An approach relevant to the wider LiveNet network
From a LiveNet perspective, the events illustrate an advisory approach with potential relevance across different European livestock system. Meet farmers in familiar settings, use practical demonstrations and bring complementary expertise together.
While livestock markets, breeding tools and production systems vary between countries, the underlying approach can be adapted to local needs. A demonstration linked to a live animal can provide a useful starting point for explaining technical information and discussing its application on farm level.
Ireland’s autumn mart events offer a practical example of collaboration between advisory services and industry, creating opportunities for farmers to connect knowledge with everyday management decisions.
