Lavally to host interactive Farm Walk
By John Kilboyle
Drystock Enterprise Advisor Teagasc (Galway Clare Region)
TEAGASC are delighted to invite you to attend an interactive farm walk on Dairy Beef 500 participant farmers Olivia and Keith Lowry, on Thursday 9th July at 6.30pm in Cappadavock in Lavally, a few miles from Tuam.
Operating a predominantly early maturing steer system rearing 70-80 calves annually on 30.6hectares of free-draining land, the farm has undergone significant development in recent years with a strong focus on grassland management, calf performance, animal health and infrastructure improvement.
The farm currently rears both autumn and spring-born dairy-beef calves, sourcing stock from a small number of trusted dairy farms to maximise consistency and health status.
In 2026, all autumn calves were sourced from a single farm, while spring calves were purchased from just three farms, helping to simplify management and strengthen biosecurity.
A comprehensive calf health programme is central to the system, incorporating vaccination against respiratory disease, IBR and clostridial infections, along with targeted parasite control. The farm follows a structured calf-rearing programme with excellent attention to nutrition, weaning and transition to grass.
Grassland Management
Grassland management has been a major area of focus on Olivia and Keith Lowry’s farm. Extensive investment in paddock infrastructure and water systems has transformed grazing management across the farm.
One out-farm block has been redesigned from five large fields with a single water point into a highly efficient grazing platform consisting of a central roadway, 16 paddocks and 14 drinkers.
The farm's commitment to soil fertility improvement has also delivered results. More than 200 tonnes of lime were applied between 2023 and 2025 to address soil pH deficiencies.
Recent soil analysis shows no further lime requirement, while phosphorus fertility has improved significantly, with 68 per cent of the farm now at Index 3 or 4. Potassium remains a focus area, with a planned programme of MOP (Muriate of Potash) applications to continue building soil reserves.
Reseeding leading to impoved productivity
Reseeding continues to play a key role in improving productivity, with 35acres reseeded since starting in Dairy Beef 500 programme.
All silage produced in 2026 will come from reseeded swards, with the objective of improving forage quality, reducing concentrate requirements and driving better animal performance. The target is for the weanlings to gain 0.6kg/head/day over the winter period with minimal concentrates.
The system is designed around labour efficiency, with Olivia and Keith both working full-time off-farm while successfully managing a growing calf-to-beef enterprise.
The target for this year is to finish approximately 40 cattle at 22 months at 300kg carcass demonstrating the potential of a well-managed, grass-based, dairy-beef system.
Topics to be discussed on the evening include:
Farm Overview & Profitability
Calf health and Parasite control programmes
Grassland management and grazing infrastructure
Reseeding & Post Emergence Management
Dairy Beef 500 Programme
This is a great opportunity to meet with the Dairy Beef 500 team, Teagasc advisors and industry stakeholders and sponsors of the Dairy Beef 500 programme Corteva, Drummonds, Liffey Mills, Munster Bovine, MSD animal health and Volac.
“Olivia and Keith have undergone huge development in recent years since joining the programme. The event will provide an excellent opportunity for farmers to see practical innovations in action, discuss performance targets and exchange ideas on improving profitability within calf-to-beef systems,” said Dairy Beef 500 advisor Tommy Cox.
“The Dairy Beef 500 programme continues to demonstrate the significant progress that can be achieved when farmers adopt best practice and focus on key performance indicators,” Galway Clare Regional Manager Pat Clarke added.
“This farm walk will showcase the excellent work being carried out by Olivia and Keith and provide valuable insights for anyone looking to improve the efficiency, sustainability and profitability of their calf-to-beef enterprise.”
All are welcome to attend the farm walk on Olivia and Keith Lowry’s holding on Thursday 9th July at 6.30 pm. The address for their farm is Cappadavock, Tuam, County Galway (Eircode H54 HW77).