Dairy
Farmers urged to prioritise safety at calving
Farmers urged to prioritise safety at calving With data from the HSA showing that attacks by a cow with a calf account for a third of all livestock fatalities and cows with calves were involved in more fatal incidents than bulls over the 10-year period of 2014-2023, farmers have been urged to […]
30 January 2024
Does the spring rotation planner actually work for all dairy farm soil types?
Does the spring rotation planner actually work for all dairy farm soil types? Many dairy farmers with a large percentage of heavy soil types question the relevance of the spring rotation planner. Martina Gormley, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, writes on how different targets are required on farms with a heavier soil type. The […]
30 January 2024
Balancing optimum dairy cow intakes and good graze outs in early lactation
Balancing optimum dairy cow intakes and good graze outs in early lactation Mike Egan joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the balance between achieving optimum dairy cow intakes and good graze outs in early lactation. Mike first considers the dynamics that dictate dairy cow intake in early […]
29 January 2024
Genotypes of 620,000 cows and heifers published
Genotypes of 620,000 cows and heifers published Last Friday, January 26th, ICBF announced the publication of more than 620,000 genomic results of cows and heifers genotyped during the autumn/winter of 2023 as part of the National Genotyping Programme (NGP). The addition of these genomic results to the national database now means that […]
29 January 2024
Avoid feeding waste milk to calves
Avoid feeding waste milk to calves Waste milk is milk from cows treated with antibiotics and those with high somatic cell counts. The practice of feeding this waste milk, containing antibiotic residues to pre-weaned calves is not recommended. It has been associated with increased risk of diseases such as diarrhoea and leads […]
27 January 2024
Views on dairy calf to beef action plan sought
Views on dairy calf to beef action plan sought Stakeholders of the beef and dairy sectors gathered in Portlaoise on Thursday, January 18th, for the launch of a 10-point action plan on supporting dairy calf to beef systems in Ireland. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., addressed delegates […]
22 January 2024
Lowering the carbon footprint of pasture-based milk production at Solohead
Lowering the carbon footprint of pasture-based milk production at Solohead At Solohead Research Farm, we have been investigating the potential for lowering the carbon footprint of pasture-based milk production by implementing best practices. A key focus has been using clover to replace artificial fertiliser nitrogen (N). Typical rates of fertiliser N cause […]
19 January 2024
Livestock safety ahead of calving season key focus of HSA campaign
Livestock safety ahead of calving season key focus of HSA campaign The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) will begin a two week farm safety inspection campaign on Monday, January 22, with a focus on the safe management of livestock during calving season when the risk of injury to farmers increases significantly. In […]
19 January 2024
Calf rearing: Don’t forget water
Calf rearing: Don’t forget water Along with milk, concentrates and forage, water plays an important role in the early life nutrition of calves when it comes to the development of the rumen. When first born, all ruminants are monogastric and so depend on milk diets – be that in the form of […]
17 January 2024
Keeping the milking parlour running during this cold snap
Keeping the milking parlour running during this cold snap After a well-earned break, the milking parlour is returning to action on many spring-calving dairy farms nationally. Regardless of your milk production system, be it spring or winter milk, keeping the milking parlour operational during this cold spell is key. Below are a […]
16 January 2024