Dairy

Making contract rearing a ‘win-win’ for all involved
Making contract rearing a ‘win-win’ for all involved Contracting out heifer rearing offers many benefits once both parties take time to draw up a tailor-made agreement that covers all the potential scenarios that can arise, Collaborative Farming Specialist at Teagasc, Ruth Fennell shares the key details. Cuts to organic nitrogen stocking rates, […]
17 August 2024

Listen: Building grass cover for autumn grazing
Listen: Building grass cover for autumn grazing Denis Brassil, Teagasc Kerry Joint Programme Monitor Farm Advisor, joined Stuart Childs on this episode of the Dairy Edge to discuss building grass cover for autumn grazing. Denis first explains that the farms he deals with are across a range of land types and experience […]
15 August 2024

Building grass is this month’s focus
Building grass is this month’s focus August is the month to start building grass for autumn. We have had a slow year in terms of growth but management in the next six weeks will be crucial, as the rate of grass growth (supply) will be less than what is eaten (demand) by […]
12 August 2024

Listen: Assessing grazing infrastructure and how it can be improved
Listen: Assessing grazing infrastructure and how it can be improved Increasing the level of grazed grass in the cow’s diet is a key driver of profitability on Irish dairy farms. In order to achieve this, good grazing infrastructure is important to access all parts of the farm area and ensure cow performance […]
12 August 2024

Additional places available in National Genotyping Programme
0 Additional places available in National Genotyping Programme The National Genotyping Programme has reopened to additional applicants, with applications now accepted through the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) website. Since the programme was launched last year, over 10,600 herds have participated with over 1.3 million animals genotyped to date. 700,000 breeding animals, from […]
8 August 2024

All aspects of cubicle housing detailed in new publication
0 All aspects of cubicle housing detailed in new publication Teagasc has published a new booklet titled ‘Cubicle Housing for Dairy Stock’. The booklet provides detailed information on all aspects of cubicle housing for dairy farmers. The authors of the booklet are Tom Fallon, Farm Buildings and Infrastructure Specialist with Teagasc, and Francis […]
7 August 2024

Domestic milk intake down 242.6 million litres to end of June
0 Domestic milk intake down 242.6 million litres to end of June Estimates from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have shown that domestic milk intake from the January to June period 2024 is running 5.3% lower than the corresponding period in 2023. Totalling an estimated 4.35 billion litres for the period, that’s a […]
7 August 2024

Achieving success with red clover and multispecies pastures
0 Achieving success with red clover and multispecies pastures Farming in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, Teagasc Signpost demonstration farmer Sean Moher is having success with red clover and multispecies swards. In this update, he discusses the management on his farm given the recent upturn in grass growth rates and how such swards are performing. […]
7 August 2024

Less work, better welfare: the benefits of upgrading your calf rearing facilities
0 Less work, better welfare: the benefits of upgrading your calf rearing facilities James Dunne and Anthony Mulligan discuss the importance of reviewing and upgrading calf rearing facilities to improve efficiency and reduce labor demands during peak seasons on dairy farms. Now is the time to review your calf rearing facilities. There is still […]
6 August 2024

Assessing winter feed stocks – what are the priority actions?
Assessing winter feed stocks – what are the priority actions? For this week’s Dairy Edge podcast, James Dunne is joined by Dr Joe Patton, Head of Teagasc Dairy KT, to discuss the recent fodder survey and what options farmers should consider. Given the extended winter at the start of the year and […]
30 July 2024