Dairy

Caution urged as ‘small number of local clusters’ of BVD identified

Caution has been urged as the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme approaches a particularly critical juncture.
26 April 2023

Implications of revised nitrates measures on the land market

The SCSI/Teagasc Annual Agricultural Land Market Review & Outlook 2023, published today, April 25th, examined the impact changes to environmental policies – specifically the Nitrates Action Programme – will have on the land market.
25 April 2023

Synchronisation programmes for replacement heifers

With the breeding season having commenced on many dairy farms, the use of synchronisation programmes for replacement heifers may be one avenue by which the workload involved with breeding is reduced.
24 April 2023

Let's Talk Dairy - matching stocking rate to grass grown

On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy, Patrick Gowing, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by Eugene Lawler, dairy farmer, to discuss matching stocking rate to grass grown.
24 April 2023

Teagasc Signpost Advisory Programme open to participants

Most of the actions you are being asked to implement to reduce emissions will also reduce costs, improve animal performance and increase farm profitability. It’s a win-win for your farm.
20 April 2023

Making the rest of 2023 a success with grass and breeding

Spring 2023 started like a dream, with slurry, fertiliser and cows out in February and early March. However, since about the 10th March, record breaking rainfall has created a lot of extra work, increased costs and reduced production on all farms - especially heavy farms.
17 April 2023

Let's Talk Dairy - Breeding beef from the dairy herd

On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy which took place on Thursday, 6th April, host James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist was joined by Ruth Fennell, Teagasc Dairy Advisor to discuss breeding beef from the dairy herd.
17 April 2023

Strategies to reduce lameness on your farm

Lameness is a painful disease that results in suffering for dairy cows, and damages the sustainable and welfare-friendly image of Irish agriculture. Lameness also has negative financial implications due to reduced milk yield and fertility rates, and increased culling and treatment costs.
17 April 2023

Feeding for fertility this breeding season

This spring was a game of two halves, in terms of herd feeding management. The good weather in February saw cows out to grass and intakes were good overall.
16 April 2023

Rebuilding of fodder stocks a priority

A challenging March has caused issues for dairy, drystock and tillage farmers, attendees heard at yesterday’s meeting of the Fertiliser Sub-group of the National Food and Fodder Security Committee in Teagasc Oak Park, Co. Carlow.
14 April 2023

Playing a crucial role in the environmental and economic success of dairy, beef and sheep

Genetics is an essential field to the future of the farming industry in Ireland. With new environmental targets being set nationwide, predicting animal characteristics may prove instrumental.
14 April 2023

Harvesting the benefits of clover swards

Patrick O’Neill farms in partnership with his father Tom, 5km north of Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford. They milk approximately 115 cows, supply Lakeland Dairies, and rear their own replacements.
07 April 2023

Let's Talk Dairy: Tirlán Focus Farmer update

On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy, George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by Steven Fitzgerald, Co. Waterford dairy farmer and Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme participant, to get an update on what's been happening on the farm.
06 April 2023

Setting a clear breeding strategy in Co. Kilkenny

As part of Dairy Breeding Week, Teagasc hosted a farm walk on the farm of Philip Donohoe, Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny. In this article, Teagasc Dairy Advisor, Kevin Brennan, Oak Park, Carlow, outlines the main topics discussed.
06 April 2023

3 tools to breed better beef from the dairy herd

A historical preference of selecting beef sires for use on the dairy herd based solely on calving ease and short gestation resulted in the deterioration of the beef merit of the resulting calves.
04 April 2023

Watch: The advantages of sexed semen usage

Sex-biased semen is a revolutionary technology that provides many potential advantages for the Irish dairy industry, which Dr. Stephen Butler, Teagasc Principal Research Officer in reproductive physiology, discussed during Teagasc Breeding Week.
04 April 2023

Correct fertiliser application rates and cutting dates for first-cut silage

What happens on farm over the next few weeks will have a significant impact to silage stocks on dairy farms for next winter. James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, offers key advice on fertiliser application rates in this article.
03 April 2023

Breeding quality calves for repeat custom in Co. Meath

Conor Smith milks 250 cows with his parents in Carlanstown, Co. Meath, producing 530kg of milk solids per cow last year from a herd of predominately high EBI Holstein Friesian cows. The herd’s average EBI value is €184.
03 April 2023

The EBI: An Economic Breeding Index for the future

Breeding boasts the advantage of being a proven technology that has clearly been demonstrated over decades to be able to deliver changes in performance.
02 April 2023

Improving beef potential from the dairy herd

Regardless of cow type, there is the potential within dairy herds for a better beef breeding policy, Dr. Nicky Byrne, dairy beef researcher in Teagasc Grange, told the recent DairyBeef 500 Spring Conference in Navan, Co. Meath.
01 April 2023

TAMS 3: Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme open

Applications are now open for the TAMS 3 Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS), which provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holding.
31 March 2023

Deadline for dairy ‘banding’ submissions

Today, March 31st, 2023, is the final day for farmers to submit information to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to validate a farmer’s nitrogen excretion band.
31 March 2023

Selecting beef sires on more than calving ease and short gestation

On many dairy farms, the decision of what beef bull to use on their cows is often based on having a very low calving difficulty along with having as short a gestation as possible.
29 March 2023

Weaning calves successfully and target weights

During the first weeks of life, the calf is entirely dependent on milk as a source of nutrition, with the digestion of milk occurring in the abomasum.
29 March 2023

Watch: Identifying your herd’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of breeding

With the calving season entering its final phase on many dairy farms, the next task on the horizon is breeding.
28 March 2023

Keeping grass in the cow's diet with on-off grazing

The last two weeks have been tricky when it came to grazing, Sandra Hayes, Co-ordinator of the Teagasc/Tírlán Future Farm Programme, explained in a recent update.
28 March 2023

Let's Talk Dairy - nutrition of the spring-calving cow ahead of breeding

On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy, George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by Joe Patton, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc, to discuss the nutrition of the spring-calving cow ahead of breeding.
27 March 2023

Mike’s clover road

Thanks to white clover, this Cork farm is on track to dramatically reduce its use of bagged nitrogen. John Maher, Grass 10, and Padraig McCormack, Dairy KT, Cork East, explain more in this article from the March/April edition of Today’s Farm.
27 March 2023

Future-proofing through breeding

The Economic Breeding Index (EBI) has revolutionised dairy breeding in Ireland. It has become the go-to tool when selecting dairy sires. Robert Prendeville, Alan Twomey and Adrian Curtin explain more in this article from the March/April edition of Today’s Farm.
26 March 2023

Everycalf project - contract rearing of dairy beef calves

Increased cow numbers on dairy farms coupled with increased adoption of improved breeding technologies have resulted in consistent improvements in the six-week calving rates on Irish dairy farms in recent years, resulting in large numbers of additional male calves being born each spring.
25 March 2023