Dairy
Grazing update from 2023 winner of the Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year
For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week.
28 June 2024
Safety during Busy Times on the Farm
The summer is some of the busiest times on Irish farms with many essential activities taking place. Children are on holidays from school and may be out and about on farms. Martina Donnelly discusses ways to stay safe during this busy time.
27 June 2024
Finish your breeding season on a high
As the breeding season for spring-calving herds heads into its final month, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, Stuart Childs explains why it is important that dairy farmers keep up the momentum and capture as many repeats to minimise empty rates at the end of a defined breeding season.
24 June 2024
Bull choices for the latter stages of breeding
Alan Dillon, DairyBeef 500 Campaign Co-Ordinator, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss late breeding season bull choice.
24 June 2024
Michael and Alex McCarthy - Signpost Farmer Update
Michael & Alex McCarthy, Signpost Dairy Farmers, give us their farm update for June.
22 June 2024
Shedding light on dairy cow weight and the beef potential of progeny
The lack of knowledge on how selecting solely for smaller dairy cows impacts upon the beef merit of their resulting progeny has been narrowed through the publication of a recent paper in the Journal of Dairy Science.
20 June 2024
Managing variable grass growth rates on the Teagasc/Tirlán Future farms
Farmers in the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme are employing different strategies to counteract the effects of variable grass growth rates witnessed over recent weeks.
19 June 2024
Farm and field specific plans needed to improve water quality
The recently published ‘Water Quality in 2023: An indicators Report’ by the EPA has shown no significant change in any of the water quality indicators for Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwaters in 2023.
18 June 2024
Managing cash flow to make better financial decisions – a farmer’s perspective
Given the significant increase in input costs on dairy farms since 2021, along with the increased feed budget costs this spring due to poor weather, good cash flow management has never been more important to ensure the efficient running of the farm business.
17 June 2024
Milk residues and how to avoid them
Terry McElvaney, Veterinary Inspector at the Veterinary Medicines, Antimicrobial Resistance, By-products and TSE Division, joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss residues in milk.
11 June 2024
Cashflow planning after a difficult spring
To say dairy farmers have endured a tough period on cashflow is an understatement. The last few months have been about doing the best we could with the conditions in front of us and generally this meant increased feeding with lower milk yield than expected.
10 June 2024
Assessing roadway condition and associated cow flow
Irish dairy farming can maintain its global competitive edge by prioritising low-cost grass- based milk production and continuing with compact spring-calving systems.
10 June 2024
Cow-calf contact systems in Irish dairying
Alison Sinnott, Sarah McPherson, and Emer Kennedy recently undertook an experiment comparing two differing Cow-calf contact (CCC) systems to a more conventional Irish calf rearing system.
10 June 2024
Getting the best return from second-cut silage
Ensuring that there are adequate fodder reserves in place for next winter is something each individual farmer needs to focus on throughout 2024 rather than being reliant on purchasing feed next winter to fill a deficit.
09 June 2024
Feeding 3-NOP in Irish dairy systems
Hazel Costigan, Laurence Shalloo and Ben Lahart tell us about research at Teagasc Moorepark which shows that the inhibitor 3-NOP can reduce enteric methane emissions by up to 22% in dairy cows.
08 June 2024
Listen: Grass10 Update - Growth Predictions, and Farmer Insights
On the latest Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy covers PastureBase data, predictions for grass growth and rainfall. He also provides grazing management advice, including an update from featured farmer Arthur Sweetman in Co. Wexford.
07 June 2024
Doing the simple things right on the road to clover
The recently crowned Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year, Patrick O’Neill first commenced establishing white clover on his dairy farm in Co. Longford in 2018 – long before high fertiliser prices brought this legume’s nitrogen fixation benefits back into vogue.
06 June 2024
Mid-season breeding decisions to improve farm profitability
Effectively at half time, Michael Donoghue, B&T Dairy Advisor, Teagasc Galway/Clare, writes on the decisions farmers need to make in the second half of the 2024 breeding season to ensure it’s a success.
05 June 2024
Patrick O’Neill, Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year, discusses his farming system
Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year, Patrick O’Neill, and Teagasc Grass10 Manager, John Maher, join James Dunne on this week’s Dairy edge podcast to discuss Patrick’s award-winning farming system.
03 June 2024
Milk recording - take action to get value from the effort
Dr Joe Patton, Teagasc Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, looks at the uptake of milk recording on farms nationally and explains why it’s essential to make use of the results.
03 June 2024
Celebrating World Milk Day with Teagasc Food Scientists
World Milk Day was established by the FAO in 2001 to recognise the importance of milk as a global food. It is celebrated every year on the 1st of June.
01 June 2024
Water systems – very big troughs not the solution
Along with suitable paddocks and roadways, the role of a suitable water system in good grazing infrastructure can’t be overlooked. Factors such as adequate pipe sizes, suitable ballcocks, the size and location of water troughs, and the water flow rate all needed to be factored.
01 June 2024
Creating a fertiliser plan – why it’s needed and how to get one completed
Getting a fertiliser plan should be a priority for every farmer in 2024, writes Tim Hyde, Environment Specialist at Teagasc, who details why it’s required and the process of having one completed.
31 May 2024
Watch: Farmers share actionable measures to improve water quality
The Teagasc Better Farming for Water Campaign, a multifaceted approach to support and accelerate the adoption of actions on all farms to improve all water bodies to Good or High Ecological Status, centres on 8 actions for change.
31 May 2024
The future of the grass seed industry
Germinal Technical Director, Mary McEvoy joins Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the future of the grass seed industry.
29 May 2024
How milking efficiency facilitates an off-farm job
Patrick Gowing, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, recently visited two farms with varying milking systems to find out how both systems work for them and their families in tandem with off-farm employment.
28 May 2024
Managing grass and herd nutrition in mid-season
A recent webinar organised by the Teagasc Dairy Specialist team looked at managing grass and herd nutrition in mid-season.
27 May 2024
The Importance of a good Milking Routine
Pádraig O Connor discusses the importance of a good milking routine for efficiency, hygiene, and cow productivity.
27 May 2024
Are you leaving milk solids behind?
Failing to provide dairy cows with grass at the optimum pre-grazing yield could be hitting the income potential on some dairy farms.
26 May 2024
Quality over Quantity - Silage 2024
Nollaig O’Dowd, B&T Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Galway/Clare, discusses the importance of creating a fodder budget, ensuring high-quality silage for optimal animal performance, and timing the harvest correctly to balance quality and quantity.
25 May 2024