Articles
What to expect and planning for the year ahead
0 What to expect and planning for the year ahead Having an optimistic view is one of the cornerstones for all farmers. Undoubtedly, there will be challenges in 2024, there are plenty of areas that tillage farmers can still be positive about. On most farms, farmers are playing catch-up in terms of planted […]
4 January 2024
On the road to Carbon estimates: the Signpost Deep Soil Sampling Campaign
0 On the road to Carbon estimates: the Signpost Deep Soil Sampling Campaign Embarking on a four-month journey, spanning 12 counties in Ireland, our Signpost team covered 148 soil profiles, collecting 2,919 soil and bulk density samples up to 60cm depth. Our goal: build the baseline of our soil carbon observatory and investigate […]
4 January 2024
Avoiding poor winter thrive – the factors to consider
0 Avoiding poor winter thrive – the factors to consider Farmers often comment in the spring, when animals are returned to grass, that they are disappointed with how their animals have performed over the winter period, with average daily gains of as low as 0-0.3kg/day a common theme. In this article, Gordon Peppard, […]
3 January 2024
Livestock safety – understanding livestock behaviour
0 Livestock safety – understanding livestock behaviour Understanding the behaviour of livestock will facilitate handling, reduce stress, and improve both handler safety and animal welfare, writes Serena Gibbons, Education Officer, Teagasc Galway/Clare. Large animals can seriously injure handlers and/or themselves if they become excited or agitated. The renowned animal behaviourist Temple Gradin has […]
2 January 2024
Achieving 100 SCC in the first 100 days
0 Achieving 100 SCC in the first 100 days Somatic cell count (SCC) is a key indicator of intramammary infection, which compromises udder health. SCC of less than 100,000 cells/ml is the objective to maximise milk production and milk revenues. Any increase in SCC above 100,000 is associated with a reduction in animal […]
2 January 2024
Management at housing this winter
0 Management at housing this winter For this week’s OviCast, we hear from a recent Let’s Talk Sheep webinar with Sheep Specialist Damian Costello speaking about key management advice at housing this winter. Damian covered various aspects from some of the challenges faced this year to managing ewe condition to practical advice at […]
2 January 2024
Forage crops and store lambs proving a good fit
0 Forage crops and store lambs proving a good fit Increasing the area of forage crops sown has helped integrate the sheep and tillage systems on the Gavin farm in Co Carlow, Ciarán Lynch, Teagasc Sheep Specialist, and Frank Campion, Sheep Researcher, tell us more. Eddie Gavin, his wife Laura, their two young […]
2 January 2024
Wholefarm Nitrogen Use Efficiency
0 Wholefarm Nitrogen Use Efficiency William Burchill, FBD Lecturer in Soil Science in UCC, is on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast discussing Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) from a wholefarm point of view but also from the point of nitrogen applied. William explains how wholefarm Nitrogen Use Efficiency works and then how NUE can […]
1 January 2024
Grain the advantage
0 Grain the advantage Innovations in plant variety testing in Europe are laying the foundation for more sustainable agriculture. Breeding better crop varieties is an essential component in the development of sustainable agricultural production systems. Plant breeding has a demonstrated track record of success in driving agricultural productivity and profitability. However, increased agricultural […]
1 January 2024
Future-proofing winter-milk systems
Future-proofing winter-milk systems The Johnstown Castle dairy herd was established in 2003 to provide a base for winter-milk research within Teagasc. Readily available, high-quality pasture during a long grazing season makes the Irish dairy industry highly seasonable. During the winter period, most spring-calving cows are non-lactating. As a result, winter-milk is a […]
31 December 2023