Dairy
Time to act if you have underweight dairy replacement heifers
Time to act if you have underweight dairy replacement heifers On many dairy farms, replacement heifers fail to reach target weights. The time between birth to first calving makes it very difficult for farmers to recognise the impact that their replacement strategies have on farm production and performance. Ronan Mulligan, Dairy Advisor […]
11 September 2023
Extend your grazing season by building autumn grass reserves
0 Extend your grazing season by building autumn grass reserves Although it is only early September, thoughts are turning to autumn and potentially housing cows. Michael Donoghue, B&T Dairy Advisor, Teagasc Galway/Clare, highlights three things that will determine when cows will be housed on your farm. These are: (1) weather; (2) soil type; […]
6 September 2023
Let’s Talk Dairy – managing costs and cashflow
0 Let’s Talk Dairy – managing costs and cashflow On this episode of Let’s Talk Dairy, James Dunne is joined by Patrick Gowing to give an overview of costs, costs of production and managing cashflow for the remainder of 2023 and into early 2024. Elsewhere in the webinar, John Maher, Teagasc Grass10 Programme […]
4 September 2023
Keep thermoduric bacteria counts under control this autumn
0 Keep thermoduric bacteria counts under control this autumn Joe Patton, Teagasc Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, offers advice on controlling thermoduric bacteria counts. Thermoduric bacteria are those that survive the pasteurisation process. They are present in dung, soil and animal bedding, and can enter the milking equipment through dirty teats at milking […]
4 September 2023
Assessing clover content on a Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm
0 Assessing clover content on a Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Sandra Hayes, co-ordinator of the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, outlines the progress Shay Ryan has made on establishing clover on his farm near New Ross, Co. Wexford, in the most recent Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Update. Last week on the farm of Shay Ryan, we […]
3 September 2023
Irish grass-fed cows produce more nutritious milk
0 Irish grass-fed cows produce more nutritious milk Irish grass-fed milk contains more beneficial nutrients than milk from conventional indoor-feeding practices. Researchers from Teagasc and Food for Health Ireland (FHI) discovered that dairy cows who operate on an Irish grass-fed system, produced milk with higher percentages of omega-3 and conjugated linoleic (CLA) fatty […]
1 September 2023
Farmyard development – plan carefully
Farmyard development – plan carefully This time of year is often where plans are put into place for farmyard development. The upcoming winter and following spring are coming back into mind. Whether it is a new cubicle shed, parlour, calf housing, extra slurry storage or silage pits, they all require time to […]
28 August 2023
Calculating the breakeven milk price
Calculating the breakeven milk price In any downturn on milk price, some farms may experience cash flow difficulties. In this article, Patrick Gowing explains why it is important for each farm to establish the impact of low milk prices on their farm. A simple tool that can be used is calculating the […]
21 August 2023
Top 5 tips for August
Top 5 tips for August Joe Patton, Teagasc Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, gives his top five tips for dairy farmers this August. Last change to correct grass quality before building farm cover Building grass covers off a clean base has to be the key target in the second half of August. […]
14 August 2023
Raising soil water storage capacity to meet new requirements
0 Raising soil water storage capacity to meet new requirements From December 1st 2023, dairy farmers will be obliged to have capacity to store 21 days’ worth of soiled water. Many farms will need to raise their storage capacity to meet the new requirements. TAMS can help. Tom Fallon, Teagasc Infrastructure Specialist, has […]
8 August 2023