Dairy
Deciding a date for ending the breeding season
Deciding a date for ending the breeding season George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist has advice here for dairy farmers about deciding a date for ending the breeding season. He also includes steps for correcting a late calving pattern Herds with a very spread out calving pattern generally can’t afford not to milk […]
28 June 2021
How grass can be made into milk and cheese
0 How grass can be made into milk and cheese On World Milk Day Teagasc Staff; Marion Beecher, Emer Kennedy, Eimear Ferguson and Margie Egan, are together addressing the questions you have about cows. How much does a cow eat and drink in a day? How much milk does a cow produce and […]
1 June 2021
Contract rearing male calves
Contract rearing male calves Establishing a relationship based on trust and a good contract will benefit both owner and calf rearer. This is the advice of Gordon Peppard, Teagasc Collaborative Farming Specialist speaking about Contract rearing male calves. Contract rearing in Sligo Farming near Enniscrone, Co Sligo, Peter Gilmartin traditionally sold steers […]
24 May 2021
Hitting Breeding Targets in the Dairy Herd
Hitting Breeding Targets in the Dairy Herd We are currently in the middle of the breeding season on most Irish dairy farms. Here Kevin O’Hara, Teagasc Ballinrobe, will look at some of the key targets that dairy farmers need to try and achieve over the coming weeks and look at how these […]
21 May 2021
Delaying silage cutting date will have negative effects on silage quality & quantity for dairying
Delaying silage cutting date will have negative effects on silage quality & quantity for dairying Grass silage makes up about a quarter of the annual feed budget on the average dairy farm. With below average growth rates in late April/early May, James Dunne, Dairy Specialist Ballyhaise, answers the common question: “should silage […]
17 May 2021
Heat Detection by Tail Painting
Heat Detection by Tail Painting Heat detection is key to achieve your herd targets this breeding season. Most cows display signs of heat between the hours of 9pm and 7am so relying on observation alone to identify cows in heat could easily result in cows being missed. Tara Heaney, KT Walsh Scholar […]
16 May 2021
How many Dairy replacements do we need?
How many Dairy replacements do we need? Increased focus on improving beef traits from the dairy herd has led to a key breeding recommendation to only generate enough heifers to meet your replacement requirements. But how many replacement heifers are required on your farm? Joe Kelleher, Teagasc Dairy Advisor Newcastle West, answers […]
10 May 2021
Low milk fat at grass – explained
Low milk fat at grass – explained Cows in most cases are often milking very well, have good appetites and look otherwise healthy. So, why the low milk fat?John McNamara, Co-ordinator of the Teagasc/Carbery Joint programme, explains why low milk fat at grass can arise. John also has some key management guidelines […]
23 April 2021
Thoughts Turn to Breeding
Thoughts Turn to Breeding As end of calving season arrives on many farms, focus now turns to preparation for breeding. Management of the herd in the weeks prior to breeding ultimately has a detrimental effect on the success. John Greaney, Teagasc/Aurivo Joint Programme Dairy Advisor outlines the objectives Breeding objectives The objective […]
19 April 2021
Heat activity in pasture based dairy cows
Heat activity in pasture based dairy cows During the recent Teagasc/ICBF breeding week three key reproductive targets were identified as being critically important in seasonal calving dairy herds. George Ramsbottom, Dairy Specialist has details, plus breeding guidelines for spring 2021 and advice on managing late calving dairy cows here Key reproductive targets […]
15 April 2021