Articles
Calf rearing: Don’t forget water
Calf rearing: Don’t forget water Along with milk, concentrates and forage, water plays an important role in the early life nutrition of calves when it comes to the development of the rumen. When first born, all ruminants are monogastric and so depend on milk diets – be that in the form of […]
17 January 2024
Regulation heightens need for nutrient management planning on drystock farms
Regulation heightens need for nutrient management planning on drystock farms Changes introduced under Ireland’s fifth Nitrates Action Programme in 2023 have heightened the need for nutrient management planning on many drystock farms nationally. As part of this programme, soil tests became compulsory from January 2023 for holdings with a grassland stocking rate […]
17 January 2024
Young bull production – implementing tweaks to improve efficiency and profitability
Young bull production – implementing tweaks to improve efficiency and profitability As the New Year starts, Future Beef Programme Advisor, Gabriel Trayers explains why it is a critical time in the lifetime of a young bull, while highlighting how Shane Keaveney has made tweaks to his system to improve efficiency and profitability. […]
17 January 2024
Take the first step to improve water quality
Take the first step to improve water quality Farmers have been urged to partake in the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), described as being the first step in making water quality improvements on their farms. Aoife Feeney, Nuffield Ireland Scholar, joined Mark Gibson, Head of Teagasc Outreach and Innovation Department, […]
17 January 2024
Keeping the milking parlour running during this cold snap
Keeping the milking parlour running during this cold snap After a well-earned break, the milking parlour is returning to action on many spring-calving dairy farms nationally. Regardless of your milk production system, be it spring or winter milk, keeping the milking parlour operational during this cold spell is key. Below are a […]
16 January 2024
Pregnancy scanning and using the results
Pregnancy scanning and using the results Head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc, Michael Gottstein details the benefits of pregnancy scanning ewes and highlights how to make use of the results to achieve significant cost savings at farm level. Pregnancy scanning to identify which ewes are pregnant and to predict the expected […]
16 January 2024
A preview of the National Sheep Conference
A preview of the National Sheep Conference Dr Philip Creighton joins this week’s OviCast Podcast to preview the upcoming Teagasc National Sheep Conference, which will be held in two venues. Philip discusses the times and locations of this year’s conferences and highlights the speakers and the topics they will cover. These include: […]
16 January 2024
Managing through the cold spell
Managing through the cold spell As temperatures are expected to remain near freezing over the coming days, proactive measures are needed at farm level. Severe weather challenges all of us. Activities that we take for granted can become difficult or even hazardous when severe weather occurs. However, by taking some simple steps, […]
16 January 2024
CMT for peace of mind post calving
CMT for peace of mind post calving The risks around calving are great, with the management of cubicles and calving boxes of high importance. In this article, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, details how early Californian Milk Testing (CMT) will facilitate early identification of mastitis infections. Having clean, dry cubicles, achieved through […]
15 January 2024
Breeding better beef calves for sale
Breeding better beef calves for sale With uncertainty facing the future of calf exports and the potential need for some dairy farms to move animals earlier on account of nitrates changes, Alan Dillion, DairyBeef 500 Co-Ordinator, explained that the onus is on dairy farmers to breed a better quality beef calf to […]
15 January 2024