Dairy
Assess the quantities of grass on your farm now
0 Assess the quantities of grass on your farm now The average farm cover on your farm is a vital piece of information required to plan your spring feed budget, writes Teagasc Dairy Specialist, Mark Treacy. Farm covers entered on PastureBase Ireland show an average farm cover on dairy farms of 838kg DM/ha […]
5 February 2024
CBVs expected for 85,000 mart-traded calves
0 CBVs expected for 85,000 mart-traded calves Following the publication of over 620,000 genotypes last week and ongoing sampling at farm level as part of the National Genotyping Programme (NGP), ICBF expects ~85,000 mart-traded calves to have a Commercial Beef Value (CBV) displayed at the time of sale this year. In a recent […]
3 February 2024
Keeping calves healthy as calf rearing kicks off
Keeping calves healthy as calf rearing kicks off In recent years over four hundred thousand calves are traded annually between dairy and beef farmers around the country. With calving in full swing on dairy farms, the coming weeks will see large numbers of calves move between both enterprises. Tommy Cox tells us […]
31 January 2024
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