Dairy

Extended grazing delivers feed savings on marginal soils

Extended grazing delivers feed savings on marginal soils A study completed in Ballyhaise College examined the impact of extending the grazing season on marginal soil types at two varying stocking rates to quantify the impact on pasture and animal performance, along with the input requirements of a grass-based dairy farming system. The […]
13 February 2023

Let’s Talk Dairy – Supplementation guidelines for cows in early lactation

Let’s Talk Dairy – Supplementation guidelines for cows in early lactation On this episode of Let’s Talk Dairy which took place on Thursday, 2 February 2023, George Ramsbottom was joined by Mike Dineen, Teagasc to discuss supplementation guidelines for cows in early lactation. Elsewhere in the webinar John Maher, Grass10 Programme Manager […]
10 February 2023

What is the impact of ‘banding’ on my farm?

0 What is the impact of ‘banding’ on my farm? Changes to the nitrates regulations will restrict cow numbers on many dairy farms this year, with a decision on further restrictions for derogation farms next year being made in September. Edward Burgess, Agricultural Catchments Programme Specialist, discusses further. Since the start of this […]
9 February 2023

Managing Somatic Cell Count this spring

0 Managing Somatic Cell Count this spring Elevated Somatic Cell Count (SCC) is a hidden cost on dairy farms. Unless a clinical case of mastitis is seen and treated, raised SCC levels are rarely acted upon. James Dunne, Teagasc dairy specialist, outlines the steps farmers should take to manage SCC in freshly-calved cows. […]
8 February 2023

The importance of employer compliance and legislation

0 The importance of employer compliance and legislation Clarissa O’Nuallain, HR Services Manager with IFAC, joins Stuart Childs on the latest Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the legislation that affects employers and that is very important for farmers who are employing people to be aware of. Clarissa emphasised the importance of contracts being […]
7 February 2023

Options to limit summer scour in calves

0 Options to limit summer scour in calves Some farms have encountered problems with summer scour syndrome in weaned calves over recent years. On this week’s Let’s Talk Dairy Webinar, Teagasc Dairy Specialist Stuart Childs discussed the best practice around weaning and a number of steps farmers can take to limit this syndrome […]
6 February 2023

Age at slaughter and in spec traits added to DBI

0 Age at slaughter and in spec traits added to DBI Additional measures – including a carbon sub-index, age of slaughter and an in spec composite trait – have been added to the DairyBeef Index (DBI) as part of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation’s latest evaluation of the beef breeding tool for dairy […]
3 February 2023

‘Our ultimate aim is to try and breed the best beef animals that we can’

0 ‘Our ultimate aim is to try and breed the best beef animals that we can’ Calf quality is often mooted as a reason for the high attrition rates of dairy-beef producers nationally, with just 39% of those engaged in this system in year one doing so at the end of year five. […]
3 February 2023

Let’s Talk Dairy – Housing guidelines for young calves

Let’s Talk Dairy – Housing guidelines for young calves On this episode of Let’s Talk Dairy which took place on Thursday, 19th January 2023, George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist was joined by Patrick Gowing, Teagasc Dairy Specialist to discuss housing guidelines for young calves The webinar was run in conjunction with the […]
30 January 2023

Solving the mystery about grass-clover swards

Solving the mystery about grass-clover swards Over the last year, discussion has emerged around the adoption of new grassland management practices that have the potential to improve farm performance. A trending topic has been the introduction of clover into grazing swards. Despite efforts to promote its adoption, not much is known about […]
27 January 2023