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)
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