Dairy
Watch: 'Back to basics' on calf care
Calf care – ranging from the initial nutrition of the newborn calf, calf housing and management at weanling – is not only essential to minimise disease during the calf rearing period, but it’s critical to ensure the future productivity of both dairy and dairy beef farms.
14 February 2023
Coccidiosis in dairy calves – your help needed to influence our advice
With the busy spring calving season in full flow, it’s time to focus on coccidiosis, a disease which continues to be a concern on many calf-rearing farms.
13 February 2023
Extended grazing delivers feed savings on marginal soils
A study completed in Ballyhaise College examined the impact of extending the grazing season on marginal soil types at two varying stocking rates to quantify the impact on pasture and animal performance, along with the input requirements of a grass-based dairy farming system.
13 February 2023
Reducing the impact of high fertiliser prices through slurry
With fertiliser prices remaining at all-time highs in early 2023, Mark Plunkett, Teagasc Soils and Plant Nutrition Specialist, explains why cattle slurry will be a key resource on farm to reduce the impact of high nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) prices.
12 February 2023
Young farmer incentives increasing
There is a renewed emphasis on encouraging young farmers into farming in the new CAP Strategic Plan, Kevin Sheehan, Teagasc Education Officer, outlines some of these changes.
11 February 2023
Tackling Soil Fertility on Your Farm
The last 18 months have brought around exponential increases in the costs of production for many farmers, it is critically important farmers try and ensure they are as efficient as possible when it comes to farm operations. Damien Gibbons, Walsh Scholar tells us how managing soil fertility can help.
10 February 2023
Let's Talk Dairy - Supplementation guidelines for cows in early lactation
On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy which took place on Thursday, 2 February 2023, George Ramsbottom was joined by Mike Dineen, Teagasc to discuss supplementation guidelines for cows in early lactation.
10 February 2023
What is the impact of 'banding' on my farm?
Changes to the nitrates regulations will restrict cow numbers on many dairy farms this year, with a decision on further restrictions for derogation farms next year being made in September. Edward Burgess, Agricultural Catchments Programme Specialist, discusses further.
09 February 2023
Clover reporter: Michael Doran
Michael Doran is milking cows outside Duncormick, Co. Wexford, and has a plan to oversow about 8ha of clover and reseed a further 5ha with grass-clover if weather allows in 2023.
09 February 2023
Grass 10 Featured Farm: Caroline O' Sullivan, Teagasc Curtins
Caroline O'Sullivan, Farm Manager in Teagasc Curtins Farm, Fermoy, Co. Cork, gives an update on how the spring is going so far in this week’s edition of the Grass 10 Newsletter.
08 February 2023
Managing Somatic Cell Count this spring
Elevated Somatic Cell Count (SCC) is a hidden cost on dairy farms. Unless a clinical case of mastitis is seen and treated, raised SCC levels are rarely acted upon. James Dunne, Teagasc dairy specialist, outlines the steps farmers should take to manage SCC in freshly-calved cows.
08 February 2023
The importance of employer compliance and legislation
Clarissa O’Nuallain, HR Services Manager with IFAC, joins Stuart Childs on the latest Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the legislation that affects employers and that is very important for farmers who are employing people to be aware of.
07 February 2023
Options to limit summer scour in calves
Some farms have encountered problems with summer scour syndrome in weaned calves over recent years. On this week’s Let’s Talk Dairy Webinar, Teagasc Dairy Specialist Stuart Childs discussed the best practice around weaning and a number of steps farmers can take to limit this syndrome occurring.
06 February 2023
Looking for pastures NUE
Researchers from Teagasc, University College Cork and University College Dublin have come together to reduce the output of ammonia, nitrous oxide and nitrate emissions from grazing dairy cows.
05 February 2023
Caution advised as soil fertility levels remain stable in 2022
A recent review of the 2022 soil test results show that for the second year running the number of soil samples taken across Ireland has increased. The largest increase in soil sample numbers was on drystock farms, which increased by 19% in 2022.
03 February 2023
Age at slaughter and in spec traits added to DBI
Additional measures – including a carbon sub-index, age of slaughter and an in spec composite trait – have been added to the DairyBeef Index (DBI) as part of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation’s latest evaluation of the beef breeding tool for dairy farmers.
03 February 2023
‘Our ultimate aim is to try and breed the best beef animals that we can’
Calf quality is often mooted as a reason for the high attrition rates of dairy-beef producers nationally, with just 39% of those engaged in this system in year one doing so at the end of year five.
03 February 2023
Grass 10 Featured Farmer: Joe and Michael Murphy
Joe and Michael Murphy milk spring-calving cows on free-draining land in Bennettsbridge, Co. Kilkenny. They provided an update on their grazing management in this week’s edition of the Grass 10 newsletter.
02 February 2023
September deadline for derogation water quality review
The Nitrates Derogation, the means by which some Irish farmers can surpass a 170kg/ha limit of organic nitrogen on their grassland area, will be reviewed in 2023.
01 February 2023
Eight week window for Nitrates Derogation applications
Farmers availing of the Nitrates Derogation for 2023 have until March 31 to do so, with the application process now available through the Department of Agriculture’s Agfood.ie portal.
31 January 2023
Let's Talk Dairy - Housing guidelines for young calves
On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy which took place on Thursday, 19th January 2023, George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist was joined by Patrick Gowing, Teagasc Dairy Specialist to discuss housing guidelines for young calves
30 January 2023
What will the National Fertiliser Database mean for farmers?
A National Fertiliser Database is in the process of being established by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), with legislation for its creation currently going through the Oireachtas.
30 January 2023
Opportunity to ‘flick a switch’ and create new approach to dairy beef breeding
An opportunity exists to improve the quality of beef being produced from the dairy herd, but it’s going to take buy in from dairy farmers nationally.
28 January 2023
Solving the mystery about grass-clover swards
Over the last year, discussion has emerged around the adoption of new grassland management practices that have the potential to improve farm performance.
27 January 2023
6 key changes to nitrates regulations for 2023
The Nitrates Action Programme – the means by which the Nitrates Directive is delivered in Ireland – has undergone a number of changes, with stronger measures introduced for the protection of water quality.
26 January 2023
Using slurry to grow grass in 2023
Using slurry efficiently in 2023 will be essential in controlling input costs on Irish farms.
26 January 2023
Grass 10 Featured Farmer - the Clune family
The Clune family commenced the grazing year last Sunday when 30 cows went to grass under on-off grazing, with an aim of halving 40% of the farm grazed by March 1st.
25 January 2023
Labour saving this spring
The workload in spring makes up over one-third of the total hours needed to run a farm per year.
24 January 2023
Fertiliser spreader calibration: getting ready for the coming season
Teagasc, in association with Carberry, organised a number of events on fertiliser spreader setup and calibration in West Cork recently.
24 January 2023
Dairy production costs and projections 2022-2023
The average unit cost of producing milk has increased since the abolition of quotas. The rate of increase in costs from 2015 to 2017 was 1.9% per year.
23 January 2023