Dawn Meats Dairy Farmer Finisher Award winner Liam Phelan discusses how high-performing Fleckvieh-cross cows, carefully selected beef sires and a focus on calf quality are delivering profitable dairy-beef cattle in Co. Kilkenny.

At the 2026 ICBF Tully Open Day, Liam Phelan from Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, was announced as the winner of the Dairy Farmer Finisher Award for Dawn Meats. Liam operates a highly successful dairy calf-to-beef enterprise alongside a substantial dairy herd, demonstrating how a strong focus on breeding, calf quality and efficient finishing can deliver outstanding results within a modern dairy-beef system.

Building on a Strong Family Farming Tradition

Farming has always been at the heart of the Phelan family. Liam took over the farm from his parents in 2009 and has continued to develop the business over the last 17 years, while building on the strong foundations they established.

Today, the farm operates a mixed system of approximately 130 spring-calving cows and 60 winter-calving cows, producing both dairy replacements and high-quality dairy-beef cattle.

The dairy and beef enterprises operate alongside a tillage enterprise, meaning labour efficiency is a key priority on the farm. For this reason, Liam places significant emphasis on selecting high-index stock bulls capable of delivering strong performance while reducing the labour demands associated with breeding management. Over the years, the herd has evolved from traditional British Friesian breeding to include Montbéliarde and more recently Fleckvieh genetics, creating robust, fertile cows capable of producing strong dairy-beef calves.

“We find the Fleckvieh-cross cow suits our system very well,” Liam explains. “They’re a big, powerful cow and they produce a strong calf.”

Focus on Dairy-Beef Performance

The dairy herd is bred using a combination of stock bulls. Liam runs three Limousin bulls with the spring-calving herd while dairy replacements are bred from selected females. When selecting beef sires, calving difficulty percentages remain a key consideration.

“For the Limousin bulls, gestation length is something I pay particular attention to,” says Liam. “I aim for shorter gestation bulls so cows aren’t pushed too far beyond their expected calving dates.”

While Liam acknowledges growing awareness of Commercial Beef Values (CBV), his bull-buying decisions continue to focus heavily on practical on-farm performance.

“If I like the bull and I like the people behind him, that’s important. Good stockmanship and reliable breeding always count for a lot.”

Liam currently runs three Limousin bulls from the Beechmount Pedigree herd in Callan. Averaging a Terminal Index of €154 and a carcass weight value of 29kg while remaining moderate for calving difficulty, the bulls reflect Liam’s breeding philosophy of balancing ease of calving with strong beef performance.

A Profitable Finishing Enterprise

Alongside his dairy herd, Liam finishes all homebred beef cattle. He also purchases approximately 30 to 40 weanlings annually to supplement throughput. The type of cattle purchased varies depending on market conditions and value available at the time.

“It depends on where the value is. Some years it might be Angus and Hereford cattle, while other years Limousin or Charolais cattle can offer good opportunities.”

Finished cattle are generally slaughtered between 24 and 30 months of age, with Liam aiming to have animals finished as close to 24 months as possible.

The finishing ration combines home-grown straw, quality silage and concentrate feed, with cattle typically receiving a finishing nut alongside forage. This straightforward feeding system has consistently delivered the performance required by the marketplace.

In recent years, the majority of finished cattle from the farm have been supplied to Dawn Meats, helping to create a strong and dependable marketing outlet.

Commercial Beef Value Driving Profitability

The performance achieved within Liam’s finishing enterprise is reflected in his herd’s Commercial Beef Value (CBV) results. In 2025, Liam finished a total of 138 cattle, including 98 Dairy-beef animals, demonstrating the scale and consistency of his dairy-beef operation.

For Dairy-beef steers, the influence of superior genetics was clearly evident. Animals in the top third for CBV achieved a value of €263, compared to just €74 for those in the bottom third. These higher-CBV animals finished almost a month earlier, produced carcasses that were 26kg heavier and generated an additional €117 per head in factory value. They also delivered a higher lifetime profitability of €2.70 per day compared to €2.45 per day for lower CBV cattle

A similar trend was observed among Dairy-beef heifers. Top-third CBV heifers recorded a CBV of €305 and returned an additional €143 per head at slaughter compared to bottom-third animals. They finished more than three months earlier while producing heavier carcasses and generating an additional €0.45 per day in lifetime value.

Even within Dairy-Dairy steers, higher CBV cattle demonstrated clear performance advantages. Top-third animals generated €153 more factory value per head, finished approximately 2.4 months earlier and delivered a superior lifetime return compared to lower-CBV cattle.

These results underline the impact genetics can have within Liam’s system, translating into improved carcass performance, earlier finishing and increased profitability. They also reinforce the key message behind Commercial Beef Value, with higher-CBV cattle consistently delivering stronger financial returns for beef finishers.

Producing the Right Calf

Liam firmly believes that the future success of dairy-beef systems starts with the cow.

“I think a better cow produces a better calf. A beef calf from the right dairy cow will always perform better later in life.”

The Phelan dairy herd has one of the highest beef sub-indexes in the country at €28 placing the herd in the top 2% nationally, demonstrating the strong cow base that helps Liam achieve excellent results in finished stock.

Managing Herd Health

Maintaining calf health is one of the most important challenges within any calf-to-beef system, and Liam is no different. Like many calf rearers across the country, calf pneumonia remains one of Liam’s biggest health challenges.

“Pneumonia is probably the main issue for us. We’re vaccinating calves, but we’re still seeing some cases. We’re working closely with our vet and carrying out additional testing to identify if there are any other bacteria or viruses involved.”

Once calves are successfully reared through the early months of life, health issues tend to reduce significantly.

“Our biggest challenge is getting calves safely through those first six to eight months. After that, they generally thrive.”

To further improve calf management, Liam is currently investing in additional calf housing facilities, which will help reduce stocking pressure and provide improved conditions for young animals.

Recognition for Excellence

Winning the CBV Dairy Farmer Finishing Award is welcome recognition of Liam’s commitment to producing efficient, profitable beef animals from a dairy system. His operation showcases how a clear breeding strategy, attention to animal health and a focus on producing quality cattle can deliver excellent results from calf right through to slaughter.

Winning the Dairy Farmer Finisher Award recognises Liam’s commitment to producing efficient, profitable cattle from a dairy system. Through strong cow genetics, practical management and a clear focus on finishing performance, he continues to demonstrate the potential that exists within well-managed dairy-beef enterprises.