Dairy
Watch: Dairy-beef breeding tools in brief
0 Watch: Dairy-beef breeding tools in brief As part of the series of on-farm Calf Care events, farmers were reminded of the purposes of the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) and the Dairy Beef Index (DBI). Discussing these tools at the series of events organised by Teagasc and AHI (Animal Health Ireland), and supported […]
6 February 2025
Pneumonia – minimising the risk
0 Pneumonia – minimising the risk Pneumonia is a leading cause of illness in animals between weaning and 10 months of age. Various factors contribute to the development of pneumonia in this age group. As part of the recent series of Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland (AHI) Calf Care events, supported by Feed […]
5 February 2025
Calf rearing: Achieving optimal ruminal development
0 Calf rearing: Achieving optimal ruminal development Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland (AHI) ran a series of CalfCare on-farm events throughout January, supported by Feed for Growth. Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, spoke to us at one of the events to provide an overview of achieving optimal ruminal development – a key objective […]
4 February 2025
Listen: How to best meet herd feed requirements this spring
Listen: How to best meet herd feed requirements this spring Teagasc Ruminant Nutritionist, Dr. Aisling Claffey joins James Dunne on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss how to best meet the nutritional needs of the calved dairy cow throughout early lactation. Aisling outlines the energy requirements required to minimise body condition […]
27 January 2025
Correct cubicle liming/cleaning procedure
Correct cubicle liming/cleaning procedure Keeping dry cow cubicle beds clean and dry is essential for mastitis prevention. Recent surveys found a massive variation in terms of lime use per cow/cubicle and also in the amount of times cubicles are limed per day. The recommendation is to use 1t of lime for every […]
23 January 2025
What to consider when spreading organic fertilisers at this time of year
What to consider when spreading organic fertilisers at this time of year Cathal Somers, Water Quality Specialist with Teagasc, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss spreading organic fertilisers. Cathal gives a summary of the factors that need to be considered before spreading slurry or manure, even though the […]
22 January 2025
Calf housing – last minute adjustments
Calf housing – last minute adjustments Dairy farmers nationally are on the cusp of the busy spring-calving period. There is, however, an opportunity to make last-minute adjustments or tweaks to your calf housing to improve the health and welfare of your calves. A good quality calf shed has five key requirements, these […]
21 January 2025
Preparing for grazing – when’s best to buffer feed silage
Preparing for grazing – when’s best to buffer feed silage With calving commencing and grazing just around the corner, it is essential to understand the effects of offering silage in the diet during early lactation. The diet of dairy cows during early lactation can have a significant impact on animal performance. Increasing […]
21 January 2025
A refresher on colostrum management
A refresher on colostrum management As the busy spring calving season fast approaches, dairy farmers are reminded to prioritise colostrum management – an essential practice to ensure calf health is protected in early life. Through the ‘managing young calves for better health outcomes’ workshop at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference, Dr. Emer […]
20 January 2025
Contract rearing – a tool in the armoury for nitrates compliance?
Contract rearing – a tool in the armoury for nitrates compliance? Changed nitrates regulations, labour availability and the cost of acquiring additional leased land are just some of the reasons why dairy farmer interest in entering a contract rearing agreement has increased in recent times. As part of a ‘Contract Rearing’ webinar, […]
17 January 2025