Dairy

Correct fertiliser application rates and cutting dates for first-cut silage

0 Correct fertiliser application rates and cutting dates for first-cut silage What happens on farm over the next few weeks will have a significant impact to silage stocks on dairy farms for next winter. James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, offers key advice on fertiliser application rates in this article. ‘Silage in the yard […]
3 April 2023

Breeding quality calves for repeat custom in Co. Meath

0 Breeding quality calves for repeat custom in Co. Meath Conor Smith milks 250 cows with his parents in Carlanstown, Co. Meath, producing 530kg of milk solids per cow last year from a herd of predominately high EBI Holstein Friesian cows. The herd’s average EBI value is €184. Split 75% spring and 25% […]
3 April 2023

The EBI: An Economic Breeding Index for the future

0 The EBI: An Economic Breeding Index for the future Breeding boasts the advantage of being a proven technology that has clearly been demonstrated over decades to be able to deliver changes in performance. The benefits from breeding cumulate over time and can be permanent. While an advantage, this can also be a […]
2 April 2023

Improving beef potential from the dairy herd

0 Improving beef potential from the dairy herd Regardless of cow type, there is the potential within dairy herds for a better beef breeding policy, Dr. Nicky Byrne, dairy beef researcher in Teagasc Grange, told the recent DairyBeef 500 Spring Conference in Navan, Co. Meath. “There is massive variation in the quality of […]
1 April 2023

Deadline for dairy ‘banding’ submissions

Deadline for dairy ‘banding’ submissions Today, March 31st, 2023, is the final day for farmers to submit information to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to validate a farmer’s nitrogen excretion band. Since the start of this year, the nitrogen (N) excretion rate from dairy cows is based on the […]
31 March 2023

Selecting beef sires on more than calving ease and short gestation

Selecting beef sires on more than calving ease and short gestation On many dairy farms, the decision of what beef bull to use on their cows is often based on having a very low calving difficulty along with having as short a gestation as possible. While it makes sense to use these […]
29 March 2023

Weaning calves successfully and target weights

Weaning calves successfully and target weights During the first weeks of life, the calf is entirely dependent on milk as a source of nutrition, with the digestion of milk occurring in the abomasum. Young calves have little to no rumen capacity in early life. Careful nutritional management before weaning ensures that the […]
29 March 2023

Watch: Identifying your herd’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of breeding

Watch: Identifying your herd’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of breeding With the calving season entering its final phase on many dairy farms, the next task on the horizon is breeding. Kevin Downing, ICBF HerdPlus Manager, joined Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, as part of a Breeding Week webinar to explain how to […]
28 March 2023

Keeping grass in the cow’s diet with on-off grazing

Keeping grass in the cow’s diet with on-off grazing The last two weeks have been tricky when it came to grazing, Sandra Hayes, Co-ordinator of the Teagasc/Tírlán Future Farm Programme, explained in a recent update. What has worked well for the monitor farmers is on-off grazing. Once cows have been milked, they […]
28 March 2023

Let’s Talk Dairy – nutrition of the spring-calving cow ahead of breeding

Let’s Talk Dairy – nutrition of the spring-calving cow ahead of breeding On this episode of Let’s Talk Dairy, George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by Joe Patton, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc, to discuss the nutrition of the spring-calving cow ahead of breeding. Elsewhere in the webinar, Joseph Dunphy, […]
27 March 2023