Dairy
Alternative slurry amendments for cattle slurry storage
Alternative slurry amendments for cattle slurry storage Agriculture is responsible for 37.5% of national greenhouse gas emissions and 99% of national ammonia emissions. Manure management contributes a substantial proportion of these emissions, 11.7% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and 78% of agricultural ammonia emissions. The release of these gases pollute the atmosphere […]
24 July 2023
Relief milking – more than just holiday cover
Relief milking – more than just holiday cover While many dairy farmers employ someone to complete a number of milkings each week, many others have no ‘set time off’ in the normal week, and possibly only take a week’s holidays in summer and some time in winter. We have surveyed quite a […]
23 July 2023
Using white clover to reduce nitrogen fertilisation
Using white clover to reduce nitrogen fertilisation Reduced nitrogen fertiliser use at farm level will require greater utilisation of white clover in grazing swards in order to maintain herbage production, Brian McCarthy, Deirdre Hennessy and Áine Murray tell us more. Recent European Union and Irish Government policy changes have placed a greater […]
17 July 2023
The drainage of grassland peat soils in Ireland
The drainage of grassland peat soils in Ireland Pat Tuohy, Senior Research officer at Teagasc Moorepark, is on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the drainage status of grassland peat soils in Ireland. Pat and his colleagues, Lillian O’Sullivan, Conor Bracken and Owen Fenton have recently released a review paper that […]
15 July 2023
Dairy breeding and calf welfare
Dairy breeding and calf welfare The mistreatment of the animals shown on the RTE Investigates programme is totally unacceptable, and is in breach of animal welfare legislation. Such practices cannot be tolerated. We welcome the investigation by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) into the alleged breaches of animal […]
12 July 2023
Prioritising work-life balance with Shay Ryan Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farmer
Prioritising work-life balance with Shay Ryan Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farmer Shay Ryan farms 97ha outside New Ross, Co. Wexford. The milking platform is 56ha. There is also a small beef enterprise on the farm. Shay is currently milking an average of 180 cows and has 45 replacement heifers. The EBI of the herd […]
11 July 2023
More beef-sired calves from the dairy herd with sexed semen
More beef-sired calves from the dairy herd with sexed semen The use of sexed semen to produce the next generation of dairy replacement heifers is a technology being embraced by many Irish dairy farmers. Along with increasing the levels of genetic gain, as females with the highest Economic Breeding Index (EBI) are […]
10 July 2023
Finding the optimum stocking rate for your farm
0 Finding the optimum stocking rate for your farm Farmers attending the Moorepark Dairy Open Day on July 4th were reminded of the importance of matching milking platform stocking rate to grass growth levels in order to optimise profitability. Having the correct stocking rate has always been a cornerstone of efficient and profitable […]
9 July 2023
Where to next for the Nitrates Derogation?
0 Where to next for the Nitrates Derogation? Thousands descended on Teagasc Moorepark for the National Dairy Open Day on Wednesday, July 4th where pathways to secure a sustainable future for the Irish dairy industry were discussed. Along with the challenges posed by policy amendments, economic returns and climate change, the future security […]
8 July 2023
Massive numbers of dairy farmers attend Teagasc Moorepark’23 Open Day
0 Massive numbers of dairy farmers attend Teagasc Moorepark’23 Open Day Thousands of dairy farmers attended Moorepark’23, the Teagasc National Dairy Event for 2023, which took place earlier this week at the Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork. Securing a Sustainable Future was the theme of this […]
7 July 2023