Dairy
Producing quality silage
Producing quality silage As silage season commences it is important to consider the key requirements for producing quality silage. Mark Treacy tells us more. Grass growth stage will have a large effect on silage DMD so target cutting date at the correct growth stage for the quality of silage you are trying […]
13 May 2024
‘Once you have breeding targets to follow, you can select suitable bulls’
‘Once you have breeding targets to follow, you can select suitable bulls’ Richard Starrett and his wife Wendy farm in Killendarragh, Lifford, Co. Donegal. With calving coming to a close, Richard highlights his farm’s transition to breeding in this update, emphasising the importance of EBI in steering bull selection. With calving coming […]
12 May 2024
Adding continental sires to the dairy breeding mix
Adding continental sires to the dairy breeding mix After mastering their replacement heifer breeding strategy, Kevin and Enda Farrell have doubled down on their beef breeding strategy to produce quality calves. Participants in the Teagasc / Lakeland Dairies Joint Development Programme, working closely with Owen McPartland, programme advisor, and local advisor John […]
11 May 2024
Once-a-day milking: the impacts on Cheddar cheese
Once-a-day milking: the impacts on Cheddar cheese Research into milking frequency and Cheddar cheese production has produced some fascinating insights into such a move, Richard Page, a PhD student and Walsh Scholar at Teagasc, tells us more. Life on dairy farms is typically punctuated every morning and evening by the rhythm of […]
10 May 2024
Producing high Commercial Beef Value calves – a guide
0 Producing high Commercial Beef Value calves – a guide This year’s spring calving period has ended on most dairy farms and the breeding season is underway or about to start. Tom Murphy, B&T Dairy Advisor, Teagasc, Galway/Clare, looks at the tools available to dairy farmers to breed quality beef calves from the […]
9 May 2024
Challenging March hits milk supplies
0 Challenging March hits milk supplies Recently released data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have pointed to a decline in both the volume of milk and its contained protein delivered to processors and co-ops over the month of March. Estimates from the national statistics office suggest a domestic milk intake of 753.8 […]
9 May 2024
Budgeting feed for next winter
0 Budgeting feed for next winter The prolonged and challenging winter has depleted a lot of the silage stocks across the country. An effective tool at quantifying the fodder requirements for your farm this winter is completing a fodder budget, writes Stephen O’Callaghan, Walsh Scholar, Teagasc Meath. We may not want to start […]
8 May 2024
Scoring clover and progressing through breeding with John Ryan, Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farmer
0 Scoring clover and progressing through breeding with John Ryan, Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farmer Sandra Hayes, Co-Ordinator of the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, recently visited monitor farmer John Ryan, where they undertook clover scoring on his farm in Tipperary. Sandra explained: “Along with the usual grass walk, we did a clover score of all […]
7 May 2024
How to achieve a high level of milk performance over the coming months
0 How to achieve a high level of milk performance over the coming months With the difficult grazing conditions throughout the spring, it’s no harm to reflect on the last number of months as to what worked well and what can be improved for the future. It’s maybe more important though to identify […]
7 May 2024
Summer stocking rate effects on cow performance & silage stocks
0 Summer stocking rate effects on cow performance & silage stocks With Spring milk supply down on many farms due to poor weather conditions this Spring, focus must be on maintaining good cow performance over the next few months. Martina Gormley tells us that summer stocking rate can have a big effect on […]
6 May 2024