Breeding Management

Excellence in breeding management underpins profitability on Irish dairy farms.

Nationally only 58% of the dairy herd calves in the first six weeks of the calving season in a calving interval of 394 days: the Teagasc targets are 80% calved in the first six weeks and a calving interval of 365 days.

Fundamental to achieving the targets are excellence in the following areas:

MATING MANAGEMENT

• Dairy Cow Reproduction (PDF)
• Key Stages and Goals successful breeding season - Visual demonstration (PDF) 
• Heat Detection - Helpful visual demonstration (PDF, 1MB) 
• Guidelines on the use of sexed semen during breeding season (PDF) 

GENETICS

• Selecting beef AI sires for the dairy herd (PDF) Today's Farm - March/April 2018 
• Dairy Cow Breeding (PDF) 
• Understanding the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) (PDF) 
• How to calculate genetic merit of bull team - Worksheet (Word Doc) 

REARING REPLACEMENT HEIFERS

The Teagasc Dairy Manual, Chapter 43 have more data about: "How to achieve successful calving at 24 months of age" -  Replacement heifer Management (PDF) also More guidelines on  Calving and Calf Health (PDF), Chapter 49.

Further material: Target Heifers weight calculator (Excel Doc).

NUTRITION - Supplementation in diet

DISEASE - Types of most common disease affecting calf and cow