Dairy
Feeding replacement heifer weanlings this winter
The winter management of your replacement heifers is crucial to ensure they meet their target weights at breeding next spring, writes Stephen O’Callaghan, Walsh Scholar, Teagasc Navan.
14 December 2023
Why the Irish dairy industry has the capacity for continued growth
International dairy consultant, David Beca joins Emma-Louise Coffey for part two of his discussion on the Dairy Edge podcast to outline the global milk supply trends over the last two decades and he speculates on what milk-producing nations have the capacity to meet growing consumer demands.
11 December 2023
Top five tips for December
Joe Patton, Teagasc Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, gives his top five tips for dairy farmers this December.
11 December 2023
Viewing labour as an asset not a cost
Farming in Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny, Brendan and Fiona Joyce milk a herd of 150 high EBI cows under a spring-calving system. Their farm is very much grass focused; the herd produced 560kg of milk solids per cow last year, while concentrate input is targeted at 750kg/cow.
11 December 2023
Agriculture must work to meet skills and labour shortages
Agriculture is one of seven Irish sectors facing skills and labour shortages, Teagasc researcher Marion Beecher told the Teagasc National Dairy Conference, while highlighting the need for the sector to “work harder” to ensure the correct steps are taken to make farms a more attractive workplace.
07 December 2023
Facility to amend nitrates banding submission now live
Dairy farmers who have a need to change the nitrogen excretion band for which their herd was placed earlier this year have been given the opportunity to do so.
06 December 2023
FBD contributes €6 million to new research centre at Teagasc Moorepark
The new research centre is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the environment sustainability of Irish agriculture.
04 December 2023
Are your Standard Operating Procedures fit for purpose?
The next number of weeks might be a good time to review your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on farm or even creating some new ones ahead of the new production year, explains Padraig O’Connor.
04 December 2023
David Beca on the fundamentals of cost control in grazing systems
International dairy consultant, David Beca, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the fundamentals of cost control in grazing systems.
04 December 2023
Focusing on storage as soiled water spreading deadline approaches
Ground conditions are improving so there is an opportunity on many farms to spread soiled water before the new closed period commences from December 10th to 31st, Tom Fallon, Teagasc Farm Buildings and Infrastructure Specialist, tells us more.
04 December 2023
Dairy-beef weighing scheme payments to commence next week
Payments under the National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme, which offers herd owners grant aid to weigh up to 50 calves at a payment rate of €20 per head, will commence on December 4, the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue told a full house at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference.
01 December 2023
Successful Teagasc National Dairy Conference
Hundreds of dairy farmers gathered in Kilkenny, yesterday, November 29, for the Teagasc National Dairy Conference on 'Adapting to a changing dairy farming environment'.
30 November 2023
Stabilisation of water quality needed to secure nitrates derogation post 2025
Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius' visit confirmed that farmers in certain locations, where water quality failed to show significant improvement as part of an interim review of the Nitrates Action Programme, would be in receipt of a lowered maximum stocking rate under the nitrates derogation.
30 November 2023
Estimates point to a 71% decline in dairy net margins in 2023, but recovery expected
Following a challenging year, when the dairy sector experienced a sharp decline in the value of output, combined with costs remaining very high, Teagasc economists have estimated that the national average net margin on dairy farms will be €859/ha in 2023 – a decline of approximately 71% on 2022.
28 November 2023
Results from the Teagasc Sustainability Report
Cathal Buckley, Researcher at the Rural Economy Unit in Teagasc Athenry, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the results from the sustainability report of 2022 that was published in October of this year.
28 November 2023
Breeding targets for winter milk herds
Breeding goals for winter milk herds, as James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist explains, should be centred on improving milk solids output, while improving fertility traits such as calving interval and six week calving rate.
27 November 2023
How Meath's David Hannon uses data for better dairy farming
With the level of data available to dairy farmers increasing all the time, David Hannon, a dairy farmer from Co. Meath, joins James Dunne on the latest Dairy Edge podcast to explain how he uses data to drive better decisions on his farm.
20 November 2023
How dependent is your farm on having a student this spring?
The hope of getting a student is now on the mind of many dairy farmers. The big question is: will this student help ease the workload? Will having this student make the spring more bearable or not?
20 November 2023
Teagasc National Farm Survey 2022 - Dairy Enterprise
The 2022 Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS) recorded data on 795 farms representative of almost 85,860 dairy, beef, sheep and tillage farms nationally. This analysis summarises the results of dairy enterprises, excluding farms supplying mostly liquid milk and herds of 10 cows or less.
20 November 2023
Teagasc National Dairy Conference: 'Adapting to a changing dairy farming environment'
This year's Teagasc National Dairy Conference will take place on Wednesday, 29 November in the Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny. The conference theme is 'Adapting to a changing dairy farming environment'.
16 November 2023
The questions to consider after a decade of expansion
Teagasc’s Richie O’Brien and Joe Patton join Emma-Louise Coffey on the latest Dairy Edge podcast to reflect on the progress made after a decade of expansion whilst also discussing concerns in areas such as the economic consequences of overstocking the milking platform.
13 November 2023
Stop grazing in time for spring
With reduced milk prices and tight feed stocks on some farms this autumn, it might be tempting to ‘shorten the winter’ by grazing on a bit longer if ground conditions allow. However, this is usually a false economy.
13 November 2023
‘I was leaving money behind compared to other herds’
James McMahon has seen his herd’s milk performance increase since joining the Teagasc Heavy Soils Programme. Farming near Swans Cross, Co. Monaghan, James joined the Teagasc Heavy Soils Programme in 2015. He currently milks 115 cows on a 28ha milking platform, while farming 79ha in total.
13 November 2023
'Where are the women?'
During the opening and closing of her address to the recent conference on Irish Agriculture and the EU 50 years on, a journey through 50 years of Ireland’s EU membership, EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness posed the question 'where are the women?'
12 November 2023
Bringing benefits in the bulk tank through grassland management
Farming outside New Ross in Co. Wexford, Shay Ryan farms 97ha, with 56ha of this area being the milking platform. Milking 180 cows and carrying 45 replacement heifers, there is also a small beef enterprise on the farm.
07 November 2023
The financial performance of dairy farms in 2023
Jim Moyles, Teagasc Dairy Advisor, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge to discuss the financial performance of dairy farms in 2023 and potential areas where farmers can focus on to protect profits.
06 November 2023
Solar energy opportunities for dairy farms
As we all know, energy costs have increased dramatically since the war in Ukraine started and are unlikely to go back to pre-war levels. In this article, Patrick Gowing, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, offers some key advice for farmers considering installing solar on their farm.
06 November 2023
Dairy advice: Act early when managing body condition score over an extended dry period
With milk yields falling rapidly, some cows may have to be dried off well in advance of their planned dry off date.
02 November 2023
Efficient practices and facilities key to reducing labour on Irish family dairy farms
Teagasc releases a new study on achieving labour self-sufficiency on family dairy farms.
31 October 2023
The importance of late-lactation milk recording when using selective dry cow therapy
Blanket dry cow therapy (DCT) to treat existing intra-mammary infections (IMI) and to prevent new IMI over the dry period has been a key pillar in mastitis control for many decades. New EU regulations state that antimicrobials should not be used as a preventive measure.
31 October 2023