Dairy Newsletter – October 2025

By Teagasc Dairy

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In this month’s edition:

• Top five tips for October
  1. As we move into the quieter part of the year, it is important to take stock and see how well-prepared you are for the upcoming calving season. Complete an audit of the previous calving and calf-rearing season and see what worked well, what didn’t, and if there are options to improve the things that didn’t go well.
  2. Slurry requirements for slurry storage are likely to increase under the new Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). Presently, there is a 60% grant with a ceiling of €90,000 that farmers should look to avail of.
  3. Arrange a final milk recording and start to look back over your records to identify which cows are suitable for selective dry cow treatment and which cows will require antibiotics.
  4. Unfortunately, the world milk markets have declined recently and our cost base remains stubbornly high. As we move into the new year, a refocus on maintaining and reducing our cost base will be essential.
  5. Complete an autumn grass budget for your farm. Closing your farm properly to allow for enough grass next spring will be an essential part of controlling your costs, as grass in the spring is more valuable than grass in the autumn.
• Is surface water reducing your effective slurry storage capacity?
  Teagasc Moorepark recently published a study assessing the current volumes of slurry and soiled water being produced over winter on Irish dairy farms. While the study suggests that volumes of slurry and soiled water are currently underestimated, it also highlighted the large variation in volumes of water getting into storage tanks.
• Autumn grazing management
  September grazing varied hugely across the country this year – some counties were tight on grass after emerging from drought, while others battled high rainfall and difficult ground conditions in recent weeks.
• Preparing for dry-off
  The time is approaching when cows will start to be dried off on farms. There is a significant proportion of herds with chronic somatic cell count (SCC) issues.
• Health & Safety – Call for stories about cows at calving
  Teagasc and UCD master’s student Kirsty Sweet would like to talk to farmers who have stories about accidents or near misses with cows at calving. Discussions are anonymous, with no contact details linked to the information shared. These stories are vital to Kirsty’s research and understanding of cow attacks around calving. To share your story, please contact Kirsty on 090-663 3226 or at kirsty.sweet@teagasc.ie