Dairy
Calf rearing: Achieving optimal ruminal development
0 Calf rearing: Achieving optimal ruminal development Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland (AHI) ran a series of CalfCare on-farm events throughout January, supported by Feed for Growth. Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, spoke to us at one of the events to provide an overview of achieving optimal ruminal development – a key objective […]
4 February 2025
Listen: How to best meet herd feed requirements this spring
Listen: How to best meet herd feed requirements this spring Teagasc Ruminant Nutritionist, Dr. Aisling Claffey joins James Dunne on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss how to best meet the nutritional needs of the calved dairy cow throughout early lactation. Aisling outlines the energy requirements required to minimise body condition […]
27 January 2025
Correct cubicle liming/cleaning procedure
Correct cubicle liming/cleaning procedure Keeping dry cow cubicle beds clean and dry is essential for mastitis prevention. Recent surveys found a massive variation in terms of lime use per cow/cubicle and also in the amount of times cubicles are limed per day. The recommendation is to use 1t of lime for every […]
23 January 2025
What to consider when spreading organic fertilisers at this time of year
What to consider when spreading organic fertilisers at this time of year Cathal Somers, Water Quality Specialist with Teagasc, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss spreading organic fertilisers. Cathal gives a summary of the factors that need to be considered before spreading slurry or manure, even though the […]
22 January 2025
Calf housing – last minute adjustments
Calf housing – last minute adjustments Dairy farmers nationally are on the cusp of the busy spring-calving period. There is, however, an opportunity to make last-minute adjustments or tweaks to your calf housing to improve the health and welfare of your calves. A good quality calf shed has five key requirements, these […]
21 January 2025
Preparing for grazing – when’s best to buffer feed silage
Preparing for grazing – when’s best to buffer feed silage With calving commencing and grazing just around the corner, it is essential to understand the effects of offering silage in the diet during early lactation. The diet of dairy cows during early lactation can have a significant impact on animal performance. Increasing […]
21 January 2025
A refresher on colostrum management
A refresher on colostrum management As the busy spring calving season fast approaches, dairy farmers are reminded to prioritise colostrum management – an essential practice to ensure calf health is protected in early life. Through the ‘managing young calves for better health outcomes’ workshop at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference, Dr. Emer […]
20 January 2025
Contract rearing – a tool in the armoury for nitrates compliance?
Contract rearing – a tool in the armoury for nitrates compliance? Changed nitrates regulations, labour availability and the cost of acquiring additional leased land are just some of the reasons why dairy farmer interest in entering a contract rearing agreement has increased in recent times. As part of a ‘Contract Rearing’ webinar, […]
17 January 2025
Reducing spring workload pressures on dairy farms
Reducing spring workload pressures on dairy farms Spring is always a challenging time for dairy farmers and spring 2024 was particularly difficult. So what lessons can be learned and what actions can be taken to reduce the pressure and stress during spring 2025? As part of a Today’s Farm article, Martina Gormley, […]
15 January 2025
Minimising the risk of milk fever and associated risks this spring
Minimising the risk of milk fever and associated risks this spring Careful management of the transition cow will set the animal up for a successful start to lactation, Ruminant Nutrition Specialist, Aisling Claffey takes a closer look at nutrition during the transition period. There are a number of key components which play […]
13 January 2025