Dairy

Bull selection for 2022
Bull selection for 2022 How much time do you spend selecting AI bulls in-conjunction with analysing your herd performance and other farmers’ herd performance figures? In many cases, farmers will say not enough time is given to this important task. Martina Gormley, Dairy Specialist discusses the ICBF Sire Advice programme With the […]
21 March 2022

Now is not the time to skimp on fertiliser
Now is not the time to skimp on fertiliser The rapid rise in fertiliser price, particularly for fertiliser N, is causing some farmers especially those stocked at lower levels to question the economics of spreading Nitrogen this year. George Ramsbottom Dairy Specialist advises farmers to fertilise to maximise grass growth in April/ […]
14 March 2022

Clonakilty Agricultural College Dairy Update Jan/Feb 2022
Clonakilty Agricultural College Dairy Update Jan/Feb 2022 Calving commenced earlier than expected in January on the Clonakilty Agricultural College Dairy farm. James Daunt, Dairy teacher, has the first update of 2022 with the latest on what has happened on the dairy enterprise so far this year with calving, milk results and grassland […]
10 March 2022

Change your milk feeding strategy this spring and save time
0 Change your milk feeding strategy this spring and save time Milk replacer can be fed once-a-day (OAD) with no differences in weight gain or scour incidence. James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist discusses once-a-day feeding of milk replacer. He outlines the benefits, best practice and states it is essential to always follow the […]
7 March 2022

Early Grass Management on a Dairy Farm
0 Early Grass Management on a Dairy Farm The importance of early spring grazing can never be underestimated on Irish farms. Sandra Hayes Co Ordinator, Teagasc Glanbia Future Farm Programme recently visited Jack, Larry and Annette Kearney on their dairy farm in Cork and drew up a spring rotation plan. Watch the video […]
4 March 2022

Research Trial Update Clonakilty Agricultural College
0 Research Trial Update Clonakilty Agricultural College James Daunt, Clonakilty Agricultural College Lecturer caught up with Brian McCarthy, Clonakilty Research Officer to get a review of the clover trial at the College which took place from 2019 to 2021. The experiment looked at sward types and nitrogen fertiliser rates. There has been four […]
3 March 2022

Getting the most out of automatic calf feeding this Spring
Getting the most out of automatic calf feeding this Spring Calf rearing accounts for a large amount of the total workload on farms in spring. Some farmers have purchased an automatic calf feeder to reduce workload. Dairy Specialist Martina Gormley gives advice on best practice when using these feeders. Automatic calf feeding […]
28 February 2022

Winning the War on Mastitis and High SCC in Dairy Herds
Winning the War on Mastitis and High SCC in Dairy Herds Did you know that a mild case of mastitis costs €200 and a severe case over €700, when all costs (including production losses) are included? More milk is lost when the cow is infected in early lactation than when infection occurs […]
26 February 2022

Talking about sustainable farm management: improving communication – have your say!
Talking about sustainable farm management: improving communication – have your say! Lisa Marijke van der Berg is carrying out an online survey to analyse communication with dairy farmers about sustainable land management practices, as part of a M.Sc. Research project with Teagasc and Wageningen University (WUR). Take the online survey here Farm […]
24 February 2022

Robotic milking – is it for you?
Robotic milking – is it for you? Robotic milking is increasing in Ireland as farmers upgrade their parlours and are potentially looking to reduce labour on their farms. Patrick Gowing, Teagasc Dairy Specialist discuses key aspects of robotic milking and what needs investigation before considering the robotic route As with a change […]
21 February 2022