Articles
Excellent calf nutrition in the first week of life: the 1-6 rule
Excellent calf nutrition in the first week of life: the 1-6 rule The peak spring-calving period is fast approaching or has just commenced on dairy farms nationally. To ensure calf health is maximised, colostrum management is critical, as it is the most important factor in calf health and vitality. Where poor colostrum […]
21 January 2023
Happy staff, happy horses
Happy staff, happy horses Good staff management is key on farm enterprises. Seán Keane, Equine specialist, Teagasc Rural Economy Development Programme tells us more. Nearly a quarter of employees in the equine industry leave their job annually for different reasons. This highlights how difficult it is to retain staff and that employers […]
21 January 2023
How to reduce nitrogen losses at farm level
How to reduce nitrogen losses at farm level The prohibited period when organic fertilisers are not allowed to be spread on ‘zone B’ farms came to an end on January 15th, Mary Roache, Teagasc advisor in Westport, offers advice on reducing nitrogen losses. Slurry and fertiliser spreading is prohibited over the winter […]
20 January 2023
Sustainable and profitable beef – the key drivers
Sustainable and profitable beef – the key drivers The two main drivers of profit and efficiency are age at first calving for suckler calf to weanling systems and optimising live weight performance (Average Daily Gain/ADG) for suckler weanling-to-beef systems. John Galvin, Teagasc advisor, discusses further. Beef production in Ireland is predominantly from […]
20 January 2023
Cork production – at the heart of the Montado agroforestry system
Cork production – at the heart of the Montado agroforestry system The next time you uncork a bottle of wine or pop the champagne spare a thought for that little cork stopper and where it has come from. Noel Kennedy tells us more. Cork is amazing and has been described as nature’s […]
20 January 2023
Enhancing women’s role in rural life, agriculture and rural affairs
Enhancing women’s role in rural life, agriculture and rural affairs The FLIARA Project aims to enhance women’s role in rural life, agriculture and rural affairs. FLIARA – Female Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas – is a three-year project with a €3m budget, funded through the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Programme, […]
20 January 2023
Grass10 Featured Farmer – Dara Killeen
Grass10 Featured Farmer – Dara Killeen Dara Killeen farms with his wife Beatrix, father Charlie and daughter Isabella, milking 160 cows on 46 Ha. Dara completed his opening AFC last week and completed a spring grass budget on PastureBase Ireland to help him manage grass supply throught the spring. Location: Eyrecourt, Co. GalwayEnterprise: […]
19 January 2023
The Fundamentals of Soils Part 3: Soil Testing
The Fundamentals of Soils Part 3: Soil Testing This is the third episode of four for The Tillage Edge’s special soil series and this week, Dr Karen Daly, a soil scientist from Teagasc, joins Michael Hennessy to chat about the types of soil test used to measure critical nutrients and the tests […]
19 January 2023
Tips to reduce risk in what’s set to be a testing year for tillage farmers
Tips to reduce risk in what’s set to be a testing year for tillage farmers The recent Teagasc Outlook Webinar 2023 makes for some interesting reading from a tillage farm point of view. While the average incomes achieved on tillage farms were good in 2022, the outlook for harvest 2023 is a […]
19 January 2023
Taking a Silage Sample
Taking a Silage Sample Silage sampling for a laboratory analysis is recommended to get a more detailed report on the nutritional value of silage, Eamonn Dempsey, Teagasc Advisor, tells us more. Samples should not be taken until at least 5 to 6 weeks after ensiling and is essential to give the farmer […]
19 January 2023