Dairy
Fodder Budget – Planning for winter 2022
As feed prices are anticipated to remain strong next winter, it’s very important that farmers calculate the silage stock in their farmyards. Advisor Eddie Webb gives advice and guidance on the completion of a fodder budget as the best way to forward plan
21 May 2022
Climate Actions for May
As we progress through the latter half of May it's time to check to see if we are meeting our Signpost climate action targets for May; Using protected urea, grazing at 8-10cm, targeting a late May silage cut, manage silage effluent, right clover incorporation conditions, applying sulphur to cereals
21 May 2022
How farmers can help bees on World Bee Day
It's #WorldBeeDay. Bees need food all year round, requiring a diversity of flowering plants in the landscape. Farmers can help bees by allowing space for wildflowers to grow and flower within hedgerows and field margins, around farmyards, along farm roadways and in field corners. Learn more here
20 May 2022
Safely Handling Animals on a Beef Farm - Factors to Consider
Bernadette Earley, Noeleen Brereton, Teagasc Grange Researchers set out general guidelines that all persons should take into consideration to reduce the likelihood that an animal will behave in an unpredictable or aggressive way and thereby endanger either people or other animals nearby.
19 May 2022
Additives reducing methane emissions
The ‘METH-ABATE’ project aims to identify additives from a range of sources in order to reduce methane emissions. Emily Roskam and Sinéad Waters, Teagasc Grange Researchers enlighten us. Sinead Waters also presented on the role of feed additives in reducing methane emissions in a Signpost video here
19 May 2022
Ireland to host European Dairy Farmers Congress in June
The 30th European Dairy Farmers Conference,will take place from 28-30th June in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork. The theme of the conference is ‘Sustainable Dairying – The Irish Story’. Over 350 delegates from more than 28 countries are expected to attend the three day event. Read more here
19 May 2022
Grass10 Newsletter - 17th May 2022
In this week's newsletter get the regular Grass10 weekly tips, grass growth figures plus a chance to look back on the webinar on grass wedge using PastureBase Ireland. Peter Doyle, Teagasc Grange returns as The Clover Reporter and this week's Grass10 featured farmer is John and Brendan Walsh
18 May 2022
Using beef AI on the dairy herd
As we progress through the breeding season Teagasc recommends moving from selectively using beef AI on the dairy herd to fully using beef AI on the cows once the target number of inseminations to dairy AI has been achieved. Nicky Byrne, Teagasc Grange has more advice in a video here
18 May 2022
Kildalton 50th Anniversary Open Day launched
Kildalton College in South Kilkenny will hold a major open day on Saturday, 25th of June this year kindly supported by FBD. Martin Heydon TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently launched the open day in Kildalton and reviewed the plans for the event.
16 May 2022
Time off this summer: Planning and Task Prioritisation on Dairy Farms
With calving finished on Spring block calving farms, now is a great time to plan time off, the staff roster, and farm projects. Martina Gormley, Teagasc Dairy Specialist discusses planning ahead and task prioritisation. Martina recommends using a wall planner and actively working with it
16 May 2022
Fertiliser Spreader – Basic Setup and Calibration Factsheet
Teagasc recently published a compendium of 20 factsheets providing the latest technical advice on soils, nutrients and fertiliser. The fifteenth of these is about the Fertiliser Spreader – Basic Setup and Calibration and can be read here. All 20 will be published here on Teagasc Daily
15 May 2022
Award-winning Kylemore farmhouse cheese
Kylemore farmhouse cheese won the Sustainable Rural Innovation Award 2022 at the RDS Agriculture & Forestry Sustainability Awards recently. Anne Kinsella, Teagasc Rural Economy Development Programme, Athenry reports from her visit with Teresa Roche at her cheese-making business
14 May 2022
How to reduce Nitrogen losses at farm level?
Diffuse nitrogen (N) loss is a key pressure on water quality. Losses typically occur in ‘light’ free draining soils, which water can easily permeate through. Teagasc Advisor Mary Roache has advice on ways to minimise N leaching on your farm and Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)
14 May 2022
Today's Farm - May/June 2022
The May/June edition of our bi-monthly magazine is now available online. The main focus of this edition is on Teagasc Grange research and previews the BEEF2022 Open Day. It also has articles on the upcoming Sheep Open Day; heart health; butterflies and moths; fodder budgets; silage walls and more.
13 May 2022
Grass10 Newsletter - 10th May 2022
In this week's newsletter get the regular Grass10 weekly tips, grass growth figures plus details of upcoming webinar on the grass wedge using PastureBase Ireland. Brian McCarthy, Teagasc Clonakility is The Clover Reporter and this week's Grass10 featured farmer is Aidan Maguire, 2021 Drystock GFOTY
11 May 2022
27% of farmers in Ireland report their wellbeing was ‘poor’ or ‘below average’
A recent Irish study shows that 27% of farmers reported their wellbeing was ‘poor’ or ‘below average’ whilst a further study found that the most common sources of work related stress are weather, workload and money. Other issues causing stress include policy changes, regulation and farm succession.
10 May 2022
Reminders for Breeding Season 2022
George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist summarises advice on breeding. Select a team of high EBI sires using the threshold and average values detailed here. As herds stabilise, there is an opportunity to more carefully select the cows that we breed our dairy replacements from in the years ahead
09 May 2022
Let's Talk Dairy - Reduced Crude Protein Diets Requirement Under Derogation
On this episode of Let's Talk Dairy, which took place on Thursday, 28th April, Stuarts Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist discusses the reduced Crude Protein diets requirement under Derogation.
09 May 2022
Helping farmers reduce energy use
Teagasc is engaged in an extensive range of research including national and international collaborations. Teagasc highlights the impacts of its latest research in "Research impact highlights in 2020". Dairy - reducing energy use is one such area as John Upton, Teagasc Researcher, Moorepark outlines
08 May 2022
Red Clover for silage swards
Red clover has the potential to fix between 150-200 Kg N/ha per year from the atmosphere in well managed silage swards. Nicky Byrne, Research Officer in Teagasc Grange highlights the progress of a red clover/ perennial ryegrass silage sward at Grange in this video
07 May 2022
Getting to Grips with the Summer Wedge on PastureBase
Join John Douglas & Joseph Dunphy from Teagasc Grass10 and Micheal O'Leary from PastureBase in this webinar on Thursday 12th May at 7pm, as they give advice on understanding the summer wedge, managing summer grass and more. They will be joined by 2021 young GFOTY Philip Tyndall
07 May 2022
Managing stress
The most valuable assets that any person has is their health and safety. With pig farmers facing into increasingly difficult times – be it financial, personal or professional – the one thing that shouldn’t be neglected is your mental health and well-being.
06 May 2022
Teagasc Signpost Programme Newsletter May 2022
In this month’s newsletter, we publish a factsheet on practical steps to reduce chemical N use on farms as well as an article on useful tips for managing silage effluent. We have the profiles of 3 Signpost farmers, our monthly climate actions, key messages from the Teagasc clover walks and more
05 May 2022
Grass10 Newsletter - 3rd May 2022
In this week's newsletter the Grass10 team return to farmer Lawrence Sexton in The Clover Reporter section as well as this week's Grass10 featured farmer Philip & John Tyndall. View some Grass10 weekly tips, grass growth figures and upcoming webinar on the grass wedge using PastureBase Ireland
04 May 2022
Don't delay silage cutting date on your dairy farm
James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, Ballyhaise, outlines why delaying silage cutting date will have a negative effect on quality and quantity of silage for dairy systems. He advises against using a ‘one big first cut’ approach, which can lead to fodder shortages due to late first cuts being made
03 May 2022
Summertime Cow Nutrition: A Lot Done, More to Do
We have come a long way in the last 20-25 years in terms of managing the feed we give to dairy cows during the summer. However, there is still a lot more to be done in terms of mid-season cow nutrition. John Mc Cabe, Teagasc/Aurivo Joint Dairy Programme Advisor has some advice
30 April 2022
Save the dates – Teagasc Open Days 2022
Teagasc has a busy summer offering of events and open days. Open Days planned for 2022 include Beef 2022 in Grange, Sheep Open Day in Athenry, and Kildalton 50th anniversary celebration. More information on these and other events below.
29 April 2022
Dairying and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
AMR is a new challenge to the farming community and a risk to public health. Don Crowley, Teagasc Dairy advisor discusses antimicrobial resistance, how it develops and the importance of milk recording in the absence of preventative antimicrobials, on the dairy farm
29 April 2022
Kildalton College takes top prize at Macra Challenge Day
The 2022 Macra Na Feirme Challenges day ran in Gurteen Agricultural College, Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary on Wednesday, 27 April 2022. The overall winners this year were Kildalton College.
28 April 2022
From costs to the weather, how stressed out are farmers?
Analysis: farmers and farm workers have been found to experience high levels of stress and relatively low levels of wellbeing.
This article by Mary Brennan, Emma Dillon and David Meredith, Teagasc and Thia Hennessy, UCC, was first published on RTÉ Brainstorm recently
28 April 2022