Dairy
Getting Ready for weaning
Getting Ready for weaning Weaning can be a stressful time for calves as they make the change from a liquid to a solid feed diet and move from a pre-ruminant to the ruminant phase. Much of the skill in calf rearing is making this diet transition as smooth as possible, without set-backs […]
22 March 2023
Breeding Considerations for the 2024 Calf Crop in Dairy Herds
Breeding Considerations for the 2024 Calf Crop in Dairy Herds Imagine milking a herd of cows and selling 550kg of milksolids from each with an annual profitability of €500 per cow more than the Irish Base cow. All that prevents you from achieving this, is your management and breeding decisions. These cows […]
21 March 2023
How pedigree herds are preparing for future challenges through their breeding
How pedigree herds are preparing for future challenges through their breeding Laurence Feeney, CEO of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA), is on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss how pedigree herds are preparing for future challenges through their breeding. Laurence started by telling us a little bit about his background […]
20 March 2023
Teagasc Dairy Breeding Week 2023
Teagasc Dairy Breeding Week 2023 The breeding season on Irish dairy farms has become increasingly concentrated in the late April to June period. Teagasc and ICBF have organised a series of 14 information events during ‘Dairy Breeding Week’ which is running from today, Monday, 20 March to Friday, 24 March. These online […]
20 March 2023
Planning for good grazing infrastructure
Planning for good grazing infrastructure Improved grassland management relies upon robust grazing infrastructure; suitably sized and shaped paddocks with multiple access points, serviced by roadways of sufficient quality and adequate drinking water. It is vital to consider the quality of your grazing infrastructure and acknowledge where deficits have arisen in recent years. […]
18 March 2023
Ensuring the health and success of your replacement heifers
Ensuring the health and success of your replacement heifers Managing pre-breeding replacement heifers in spring after turnout to grass can be a critical component of a successful dairy cattle operation. George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, highlights some key considerations and practices to keep in mind. Nutrition Replacement heifers need to receive adequate […]
13 March 2023
The Importance of the 1st spring grazing
The Importance of the 1st spring grazing This week, Sandra Hayes, co-ordinator of the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, visited John and Shane Fitzgerald of Portlaw, Co. Waterford, Teagasc Tirlán Future Farmers, to assess how well the first grazing rotation of 2023 was going. The farm achieved 33% grazed by the end of […]
12 March 2023
How many cows do you need to breed to dairy AI?
0 How many cows do you need to breed to dairy AI? The genetic potential of an animal initially comes from the average of both sire and dam figures; therefore mating your best females to dairy AI is as important as selecting the correct bull team, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, explains more. […]
6 March 2023
Nitrates banding and the options available to you
0 Nitrates banding and the options available to you Patrick Gowing, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to talk about the options available to dairy farmers impacted by the introduction of the new nitrates banding. Patrick explains that people need to optimise their nitrogen (N) allowance on […]
6 March 2023
Headway with grazing on Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farms
0 Headway with grazing on Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farms Sandra Hayes, co-ordinator of the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, outlines the progress farmers are making with grazing in the most recent Teagasc/Tirlan Future Farm Update. The monitor farms are making great headway with getting, on average, 33% of the milking platform grazed over the month […]
1 March 2023