Farm Smart: This Kerry Farmer uses Herdwatch to maintain her full time job!

Farmer Case Study

Kerry farmer Karen Moynihan took over the family suckler farm after her father’s accident left him wheelchair-bound. Today she manages the farm alongside a full-time job — and relies on Herdwatch to make it work.

County Kerry Suckler Farming Spring Calving 150K Social Media Followers

Karen Moynihan farms in County Kerry with her father Gerry. Together they run a spring-calving suckler farm with around 20 cattle. However, farming was never Karen’s original plan. Instead, it became a necessity — and ultimately, a passion.

About ten years ago, Gerry was involved in a serious workplace accident. He fell through a ceiling, broke his spine, and suffered spinal cord damage. As a result, he has been in a wheelchair ever since. Overnight, Karen found herself managing the family farm.

“I didn’t realise what I was getting myself into at the time. It was a big change for us — with a steep learning curve.”

Karen Moynihan Kerry suckler farmer with cattle on spring farm

Karen Moynihan on her suckler farm in County Kerry.

A steep learning curve — taken on with determination

Karen moved back home and began learning everything from scratch. Working alongside Gerry, she took on every aspect of the operation — from managing farm machinery to handling calving season. Furthermore, she held on to her full-time job throughout. That combination required a practical approach to how the farm was managed.

Gerry still plays an active role. In particular, when Karen is weighing cattle, he inputs the data directly into Herdwatch from his wheelchair while she works the scales. It is a two-person system built on trust, communication, and the right tools.

“My dad often says, when he’s showing me how to use some sort of power tool: ‘Why didn’t you show me this when I was younger?’ He never expected I’d have to use this — he always thought he’d be the one doing it for us.”

TB lockdown and the challenge of wildlife

In November 2023, the farm went into TB lockdown for the first time. One heifer came back with lesions. Since then, Karen has had one clear test and is awaiting a second. She remains hopeful but is clear about what she believes is the source.

The farm has not purchased any outside cattle in years. All animals have spent their entire lives on the farm. As a result, Karen is convinced the infection is coming from wildlife — specifically deer, which she regularly sees walking through the herd from a nearby glen.

Karen Moynihan suckler cattle Kerry farm TB testing compliance

“The cattle are mixing with the deer — we see the deer walk straight through the herd. I’m convinced it’s coming from the wildlife.”

Weighing cattle and tracking daily gains with Herdwatch

Karen Moynihan weighing cattle Kerry farm average daily gains Herdwatch

Karen got her first weighing scales last year. Since then, weight recording has become a central part of how she manages the finishing cattle. She weighs them regularly and monitors average daily gains to ensure they are on track for factory or mart.

While she puts the animals on the scales, Gerry inputs the weights directly into Herdwatch. Consequently, they can both see performance data in real time and make informed decisions about feeding and finishing.

“It’s all well and good to look at an animal and think it looks good — but it’s great to actually see the daily gains and know what you need to do to get them where they need to be.”

Karen uses Herdwatch for all key farm tasks, including:

Calf registration
Weight recording and average daily gain tracking
Remedy and treatment records
Bord Bia compliance reports
Shared farm access with her father Gerry

How Herdwatch makes a full-time job manageable

Balancing full-time employment with a suckler farm is demanding. However, Herdwatch has made that balance possible for Karen. Everything is logged in real time. Both Karen and Gerry have access to the same account. As a result, nothing gets missed — regardless of who is on the farm.

When the Bord Bia inspector arrives, there is no scramble. All records are already in the app. Karen can generate the reports she needs in seconds and hand them over with confidence.

“Herdwatch gives us all the information we need when and where we want it — improving compliance and performance on the farm.”

Sharing Irish farming life with 150,000 followers

Karen is also one of Ireland’s most followed young farmers on social media. She shares content across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram to a combined audience of 150,000 followers. Her content is honest — she shows the good days and the difficult ones.

She started during lockdown after her sisters convinced her to download TikTok. One video of cattle in the shed led to another. Before long, she had built a community around Irish farming life.

“I don’t try to hide anything or show only the good side. I like to show it all — because people feel like they’re not in it alone. In farming, there are ups and downs, and some days you think you’re the only one with the problems you have.”

Watch Karen’s story

In the video below, Karen takes Herdwatch’s Casey Shanahan around the farm — talking cattle, TB, weighing, and how Herdwatch fits into the daily running of the farm.

New Feature

The Herdwatch App is now compatible with the Tru-Test Ezi-Weigh 6/7i weigh head — connecting via Bluetooth for seamless weight recording directly in the app. Set up Multi-Task Weighing →

You can read more real farmer stories on our farm case studies page.

Farm smart — even with a full-time job

For Karen, Herdwatch makes it possible to hold down a full-time job and run a spring-calving suckler farm — with her father involved every step of the way, from the same app.

“Herdwatch gives us all the information we need when and where we want it.”

Join Karen and over 22,000 farmers using Herdwatch to stay compliant, track performance, and make farm management work around real life.

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