Jim Woulfe on making the leap from hobby to high-performance beef farming in Mallow
Photography Woulfe Jim Gerard Picture: Mccarthy
Aubrac “fulfils the criteria” Jim Woulfe set out to achieve when he began establishing his pedigree Ballyclough Herd alongside his wife, Ann.
Establishing a small beef herd in “a hobby farming” style was always on Jim’s bucket list, but the opportunity could only be realised when he retired from his career in industry.
Jim retired in December 2021 following a life-long career in the dairy and agri-food industry.
A University College Cork (UCC) dairy science graduate, he worked in the dairy industry for 42 years, having held various senior roles, including chief executive, with Dairygold.
Today, Jim has many external business interests, but with a passion for farming and the farming way of life, he, along with his wife, Ann, established their Ballyclough Aubrac herd, which they founded four years ago, in Ballyclough, Mallow, Co Cork.
Jim explained: “In 2019, I spent a bit of my spare time researching which breed would best meet some essential criteria I had set out for a beef enterprise.
“Key traits that I sought in an ideal beef animal were - docility, fertility, shapeliness, milky, calving ease and longevity with an ability to convert grass to beef in an efficient manner.
“Naturally, the end market for such beef animals was a most important consideration. Having had various conversations with beef specialists at Teagasc, Munster Bovine and ICBF, I narrowed down the choice to a few breeds.
“The decision to go the Aubrac route was arrived at after visiting a few different herds and chatting to experienced breeders,” Jim added.
In establishing the herd, the Woulfes selected females from proven cow families that fitted its breeding criteria and sourced foundation stock from the Calverstown, Mountcain, Turloughmore and Ballinclea herds.
In a short period of time, Jim and Ann have built up a herd of quality Aubrac stock and have bred the first-ever polled Aubrac bull to enter Irish AI.
Their spring-calving herd comprises 22 cows, 22 calves, ten in-calf heifers and two maiden heifers.
Currently, the farm uses 100% AI and synchronisation/fixed-time AI breeding protocol, which is a “significant advantage in being able to use AI for genetic gain to the fullest extent”.
Stock on the ground have been bred from sires such as Dauphin, Dolby, Heritier, Turloughmore Magnificent and Johnstown Lloyd. Sires used in 2024 include Johnstown Prince, Tyrol, Deerpark Rowe and the polled bulls: Otto, Spirou PP and Remia PP.
The herd has a strict culling policy: females must be docile, fertile, milky and breed a good quality calf every 365 days to remain in the herd.
“Our breeding programme is focused on traits that are important to our customers – pedigree breeders, dairy and suckler farmers.
“Our suckler and pedigree customers are looking for what the Aubrac is all about – a balance of maternal and terminal traits,” Jim added.
Bull calves born on the farm are destined for breeding, with customers from suckler and dairy enterprises.
Cross-breeding only applies where a dam does not meet the farm’s breeding criteria. Put simply – “the destination of the offspring will be slaughter,” Jim remarked.
The Woulfe’s, who are progressive and science-focused, introduced polled genetics into the herd in 2021 and are “very pleased” with the performance of polled animals to date.
They continue to use polled bulls on certain cow families, and almost all current in-calf heifers have been bred to polled bulls.
One of the Cork-based herd’s leading cows had a polled bull calf in 2023, and the calf’s performance from birth exceeded all the required facets.
Currently, heterozygous polled Ballyclough Theo Pp (AU1515) stands in the National Cattle Breeding Centre, and AI straws are available through Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics.
Theo Pp is the first polled Aubrac sire to enter Irish AI and he is the highest replacement index bull on the ICBF’s Suckler Beef Gene Ireland Replacement Panel for Autumn 2024.
The Ballyclough Herd has a high health status with a planned vaccination programme in place implementing protocols for IBR, salmonella, Leptospirosis, pneumonia, clostridial diseases and calf scour prevention.
In addition, they use the latest in technology and science to maximise performance and the Farm Ops App is an essential tool in the management and measurement of animals.
Calves are weighed at birth and every four months thereafter. In addition, soil, silage and grass are analysed on a regular basis, followed by appropriate fertiliser and feed used for optimum performance.
The farm adopts a performance-recorded herd approach as a high level of data helps achieve its goals.
They record all birth weights, have accurate gestation lengths from the ICBF through Munster Bovine’s technician service, and record all weaning weights.
“This level of information allows us to make the most appropriate breeding decisions, depending on which traits need improving,” Jim explained.
“We operate a rotational grazing system with animals getting fresh grass every week, and a key feature is to frequently take out paddocks for baled silage.
Sustainability is very much in focus now as the enterprise has stabilised in terms of scale.
“Heifers calve down at 24 months, and any beef animals finished on the farm are slaughtered at less than 16 months in almost all cases. The best advice and support from all support agencies for the farm enterprise is at your fingertips – always just a phone call away,” Jim added.
“An Aubrac is a profitable animal without hardship and unnecessary risk. Docility, calving ease, high fertility, milky, excellent feed conversion and consistent kill-out results; Aubracs fulfil our beef farming requirements,” he added.
The farm recently opened its gate to members of the Irish Aubrac Cattle Society, on Saturday, September 28, 2024.
Speakers at the farm walk included:
- Dr Doreen Corridan, CEO of NCBC;
- Farm vet, Dr Niamh Larkin; Buttevant Veterinary Clinic
- Colman Purcell - Nutritionist at Dairygold;
- Dr Martin Cavanagh – CEO Munster Bovine;
- Paschal Coughlan – ICBF;
- James Donnellan and Francis Donohoe of the Irish Aubrac Cattle Society.
