A one woman show
With 200 pedigree Charolais animals, including cows, bulls, calves and weanlings, Sebana Moynagh has her hands full running her family farm.
The enterprise lies on the picturesque shores of Lough Sheelin, near Mountnugent on the Meath Cavan border.
Modern infrastructure on the farm has lessened some of the demands of Sebana’s job.
“I work here on my own, so I decided I needed it all streamlined. I put in a good 96-cubicle shed because I decided that slats weren’t good enough.
“With cubicles, the cows can have extra space to get out and exercise - they can walk around more and you can see quicker if they are in heat. I also have a Lely robot that scrapes down the passageways into two tanks.”
Sebana also had a slurry aeration system fitted which she says makes her life much easier. “The slurry aeration mixes the slurry four times a day. There are no gases and it requires no agitation, which is very handy.
“It makes it a very consistent slurry which means I get more value from it. It took a lot of investment, but it worked out for the better at the end of the day.”
Sebana’s father established the Breffni Charolais herd over 40 years ago, and it is something she is happy to carry on.
“My father started the pedigree herd in 1982, there have been more than 10 generations of Charolais here, but we still have some of the original genetics here. Everything is fully registered - we decided that we would do it properly. They’re a very good breed, they sell better in the mart compared to other breeds such as Angus. Some people say we should have gone down the dairy route, but I’m happy enough the way I am.”
Sebana calves her livestock in two blocks twice a year, which suits her system well. “We calve over two periods, with the majority coming in autumn between August and November.
“August is a great month to calve, because cows can be let straight out to grass when they are born. They get over any scours or illnesses they may have before they go into the shed, then they thrive like hell. When they calve in spring, my aim is for them to go back out as soon as possible. The weather is not playing ball this year, but hopefully, they can get out as soon as it turns good.”
Sebana sells bulls every year, usually without having to leave the yard. “I sell around 20 bulls from home. I don’t have time to go to shows or sales so I use the ICBF stock bull finder which helps farmers locate the bulls they want. I have 10 bulls sold this spring. They are 17-18 months old. Most go locally to Cavan or Monaghan, although one went to Donegal.”
Despite being a pedigree herd Sebana says the cows aren’t fed the same way other pedigree cows are.
“It’s run commercially, we don’t overfeed meal. Bulls get 3kg meal when they are inside and don’t get any when they’re at grass. The cows don’t get meal, just silage to keep in milk. We want a cow to feed her own calf. We grow our own arable silage, with peas and barley.”