Junior Farmer Writes: Stabilisers - the future of Irish suckler farming

My name is Jack Rohan and I am 11 years old. I farm with my dad and grandad on 85ac of land, close to the historic Clonmacnoise Monastery in Co Offaly.

We have 20 spring and 10 autumn calving cows, with a mix of Simmental, Limousin and Charolais.

The cows calved to our Charolais stock bull and two to a Stabiliser AI bull.

Stabiliser breed

The next chapter on our farm is to build up a Stabiliser herd. They are a mixed breed of Hereford, Red Angus, Simmental and Gelbvieh. This breed was made in a lab and is an unknown breed to most Irish farmers.

I honestly think it is going to be the new suckler cow in Ireland. This breed is an easier-fed animal with a quicker growth rate, easy finish, easy calving and overall an efficient animal. They are also lighter on the ground and more sustainable.

I recently completed a project for school on Stabiliser cattle. We bought a new Stabiliser bull for this season.

I try to get down to the farm as much as possible after school and every day during the school holidays. I spend all day on Saturday and Sunday mornings and evenings farming. I play Gaelic football with my school and local club in Shannonbridge.

I have loved farming for as long as I can remember and cannot imagine myself doing anything else.

My grandad and I buy the Irish Farmers Journal every Thursday, and I have discussions with my dad on Saturdays and Sundays about the different articles I have read.

I also have my own YouTube channel, called “Ballynashawn Farm with Jack”, and I record a video every week about daily life on the farm to put up on my channel.