Dairy

Labour saving benefits from ten-in-seven milking

Labour saving benefits from ten-in-seven milking Flexible milking systems may help to alleviate the problem of labour shortage on dairy farms, Dr. Emer Kennedy, Teagasc Research Officer, tells us more. Flexible milking systems are those where the number of milkings per week, or the daily milking time, differ from a conventional twice-a-day […]
30 June 2023

Enteric methane – facts and solutions

Enteric methane – facts and solutions At present, methane emissions from Irish dairy cows are predicted using international default emission factors. Here, Hazel Costigan and Ben Lahart explain how research in Teagasc Moorepark has found this figure to be substantially lower in grazing dairy cows. These differences are primarily due to high […]
29 June 2023

Maximising potential from renewables

Maximising potential from renewables Current levels of solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment on farms are relatively low. However, as John Upton explains, to encourage the uptake of renewable energy generation by farmers some considerable developments have recently occurred. Planning permission For solar panel installations on rooftops of agricultural premises, installations covering the entire […]
28 June 2023

Approaches to reduce farm labour demand

Approaches to reduce farm labour demand Conor Hogan and Marion Beecher outline how improved time use can reduce labour demand and improve work-life balance, resulting in more attractive workplaces. There are three main approaches: work organisation; facilities; and work practices and technologies. Work organisation Characteristics of farms with effective work organisation include […]
27 June 2023

Ballyhaise’s road to clover incorporation

Ballyhaise’s road to clover incorporation Commencing in 2021, Ballyhaise College is currently in its third year of clover incorporation. Prior to that, the farm was behind the curve in terms of clover compared to other farms like Moorepark, which had already demonstrated positive outcomes from clover inclusion. On a recent episode of […]
27 June 2023

Sexed semen use in the Irish dairy industry

Sexed semen use in the Irish dairy industry The recent developments regarding the availability and uptake of sex-sorted semen in Ireland have been remarkable. There was no sex-sorted semen produced in Ireland for the 2021 breeding season, and availability was limited to a combination of a small number of Irish bulls that […]
27 June 2023

Laurence Shalloo on the challenges & opportunities facing the dairy industry

Laurence Shalloo on the challenges & opportunities facing the dairy industry Laurence Shalloo, Head of the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Programme at Teagasc Moorepark, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the dairy industry in the forthcoming years. Laurence looks back […]
26 June 2023

Let’s Talk Dairy – milking 10 times a week in the second half of lactation

Let’s Talk Dairy – milking 10 times a week in the second half of lactation On this episode of Let’s Talk Dairy, James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by Teagasc Research Officer Emer Kennedy to discuss milking 10 times a week in the second half of lactation. Elsewhere in the webinar, […]
26 June 2023

Optimum grazing stocking rate in mid-season

Optimum grazing stocking rate in mid-season Best practice grazing management over the summer months is to maintain pre-grazing herbage mass between 1,300 and 1,500kg dry matter (DM)/ha (8 and 10cm), and target a post-grazing sward height of 4-4.5cm. Grazing conditions have been difficult this spring; therefore, grass quality on a lot of […]
25 June 2023

Watch: Calf Health and Welfare

Watch: Calf Health and Welfare Marie and Anna are working on calf health research at Moorepark. Gathering this research data involves recording the calves’ health status on a daily basis along with more in-depth twice weekly health scoring.  Calves are also weighed every two weeks and average daily gains calculated. In addition […]
23 June 2023