Dairy
Over 13,000 sign up to improve dairy-beef breeding
Over 13,000 sign up to improve dairy-beef breeding A total of 13,155 applications were received for the CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme, a scheme which offers a financial incentive to dairy farmers to use sires of higher genetic merit. With a maximum payment rate of €1,000 available, successful applicants are required to […]
21 May 2024
A deep dive into pasture quality with Dr Mike Dineen
A deep dive into pasture quality with Dr Mike Dineen The improvement in growth rates and grazing conditions has turned the focus to correcting grass quality to make sure herds meet their nutritional needs throughout the breeding season. For this week’s Dairy Edge podcast, Teagasc Senior Research Officer, Dr Mike Dineen joins […]
20 May 2024
Optimising your summer stocking rate
Optimising your summer stocking rate Grazing conditions have been difficult this spring and, as a result, grass quality on a lot of farms needs correction, writes James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, who offers tips on optimising your summer stocking rate for the June to August period to maximise herd performance. Best practice […]
20 May 2024
FRS Training: Best Practice in Milking
FRS Training: Best Practice in Milking Attracta Dooley from FRS Training and Chloe Walsh, a secondary school teacher who helps her husband Pat on their farm outside Durrow in Co. Laois, join Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to talk about the upcoming FRS Training Best Practice in Milking Courses. […]
18 May 2024
Silage 2024 – quality and quantity needed
Silage 2024 – quality and quantity needed Recent weather reinforces the need to have quality silage reserves. Do not delay first-cut silage in order to bulk up the crop and replenish diminished silage stock. Delaying is likely to have a negative effect on silage quality, as well as reducing the total yield […]
18 May 2024
Producing quality silage
Producing quality silage As silage season commences it is important to consider the key requirements for producing quality silage. Mark Treacy tells us more. Grass growth stage will have a large effect on silage DMD so target cutting date at the correct growth stage for the quality of silage you are trying […]
13 May 2024
‘Once you have breeding targets to follow, you can select suitable bulls’
‘Once you have breeding targets to follow, you can select suitable bulls’ Richard Starrett and his wife Wendy farm in Killendarragh, Lifford, Co. Donegal. With calving coming to a close, Richard highlights his farm’s transition to breeding in this update, emphasising the importance of EBI in steering bull selection. With calving coming […]
12 May 2024
Adding continental sires to the dairy breeding mix
Adding continental sires to the dairy breeding mix After mastering their replacement heifer breeding strategy, Kevin and Enda Farrell have doubled down on their beef breeding strategy to produce quality calves. Participants in the Teagasc / Lakeland Dairies Joint Development Programme, working closely with Owen McPartland, programme advisor, and local advisor John […]
11 May 2024
Once-a-day milking: the impacts on Cheddar cheese
Once-a-day milking: the impacts on Cheddar cheese Research into milking frequency and Cheddar cheese production has produced some fascinating insights into such a move, Richard Page, a PhD student and Walsh Scholar at Teagasc, tells us more. Life on dairy farms is typically punctuated every morning and evening by the rhythm of […]
10 May 2024
Challenging March hits milk supplies
0 Challenging March hits milk supplies Recently released data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have pointed to a decline in both the volume of milk and its contained protein delivered to processors and co-ops over the month of March. Estimates from the national statistics office suggest a domestic milk intake of 753.8 […]
9 May 2024