Dairy
Managing late calving cows to shorten calving interval
We are now only weeks away from the start of the 2021 breeding season. Whenever you intend commencing your breeding season, the management of late calvers is something that needs to be given some thought in order to avoid them calving late again in 2022 or not at all. Stuart Childs has advice here
17 March 2021
Top results with sexed semen
Sexed semen can be successfully used to increase numbers of dairy female replacements born and to reduce the number of dairy bull calves born. Teagasc recommends that early calving younger cows or maiden heifers are most successfully bred to sexed semen. George Ramsbottom, Dairy Specialist explains
16 March 2021
How to improve likelihood of success with sexed semen
Sexed semen provides many potential advantages to dairy farmers. The most obvious and compelling reason to use sexed semen is because of the sex bias induced in the calf crop. Stephen Butler, Teagasc, Moorepark has some advice as part of Teagasc / ICBF Breeding Week.
16 March 2021
Breeding maiden heifers on the out farm
Teagasc recommends that maiden heifers are bred with dairy AI as these are the most fertile animals in the herd and have the highest EBI. Make sure to target your heifers with sexed or conventional dairy AI to maximise the rate of genetic gain in your herd. Stephen Moore, Teagasc Researcher explains
16 March 2021
Body condition score cows
Body condition is critical to a successful breeding season. Identifying thin cows early allows steps to be taken to improve their body condition in good time. The first step is to body condition score all animals in the herd. The next step is to provide extra care and attention to thinner animals
16 March 2021
Feeding for Fertility
The quality of feeding in the dry period and early lactation is important in achieving good herd fertility. Joe Patton, Dairy Specialist, has advice here on getting some key targets right.
15 March 2021
Getting more cows in calf during the first three weeks of the breeding season - Webinar
This Dairy Breeding Seminar webinar took place in April 2020. Dr. Stephen Moore, Teagasc Moorepark made a short presentation on recent research in the area of compact calving. Dr. Donal Patton, Teagasc Ballyhaise outlined the plans in place to compactly breed the Ballyhaise dairy herd.
15 March 2021
Using teams of bulls equally
Teagasc and ICBF recommend that teams of bulls are used when breeding dairy cows as Margaret Kelleher, ICBF outlines here. This is the advice regardless of whether the bulls are genomically or daughter proven. The key message: when planning what bull to use, also plan how to use each bull equally
15 March 2021
Six point plan to successful breeding
Have you received the new dairy breeding guidelines for the spring 2021 breeding season? The guidelines include six simple steps which if followed will ensure the continued improvement of your dairy herd into the future.
15 March 2021
Setting the targets for spring breeding 2021
Nationally only 65% of cows and heifers calve during the first six weeks of the calving season, ideally this should be at 90%. As part of Breeding Week 2021 the major factors to achieving a high six-week calving rate are discussed here
15 March 2021
Using LESS Gives More from Slurry
Cattle slurry is a valuable source of N, P & K produced on farm. Nitrogen (N) in cattle slurry is in a similar ammonia form to N in urea & is easily lost to the atmosphere. Teagasc Advisor Mark O'Sullivan has valuable information on the benefit of using trailing hose or trailing shoe to apply slurry
14 March 2021
GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme Farmer Focus - John & Margaret Murphy
John & Margaret Murphy, Co. Cork are GLAS participants who availed of the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme for repairs to an old stone outbuilding on the farm. Eimear Connery, Teagasc Advisor has more details. For the past four days Teagasc Daily focused on Co Cork participants of this scheme
14 March 2021
GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme Farmer Focus - Tom O'Neill
Tom O'Neill, Co. Cork is a GLAS participant who availed of the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme for repairs to an old 1740s tower building. Eimear Connery, Teagasc Advisor has more details. For one more day, of a four day focus, Teagasc Daily will focus on Co Cork participants of this scheme
13 March 2021
Teagasc/ICBF Breeding Week 2021
The breeding season on Irish dairy farms has become increasingly concentrated in the late April to June period. Teagasc in conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) will run a dairy breeding week from Monday 15th to Thursday 18th March 2021 on important genetic & technical issues
12 March 2021
GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme Farmer Focus - Kevin Wood
Kevin Wood, Co. Cork is a GLAS participant who availed of the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme for repairs mainly to a lofted grain store dating back to 1888. Eimear Connery, Teagasc Advisor has more details. For two more days Teagasc Daily will focus on Co Cork participants of this scheme
12 March 2021
New farm forests are backing biodiversity
Ireland’s new forests are working to reverse the decline in our national biodiversity and strengthen environmental sustainability. Teagasc Forestry advisor, Noel Kennedy, explains how biodiversity protection and enhancement are at the heart of today’s young forests.
12 March 2021
GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme Farmer Focus - Siobhan Madden
Siobhan Madden, Co. Cork is a GLAS 3 participant who availed of the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme for repairs to adjoining 200 year old buildings. Enda Maloney, Teagasc Advisor has more details. For the next three days Teagasc Daily will focus on Co Cork participants of this scheme
11 March 2021
The Signpost Series - Impact of climate change on smallholder food production in the tropics
In this episode of The Signpost Series, Mark Gibson is joined by Paul Wagstaff, Senior Agricultural Advisor with Self Help Africa who speaks about the impact of climate change on smallholder food production in the tropics and the interventions that can be used to reduce the impacts of climate change
11 March 2021
Planning for purchasing Dairy beef calves
We are now at the point of the year where peak dairy calf numbers are starting to appear in marts and on farm for sale. Alan Dillon, Teagasc Beef specialist, discusses the factors farmers need to consider before calf purchase.
10 March 2021
Timoleague Agricultural Catchment Programme Update
Teagasc’s Agricultural Catchments Programme has been monitoring water quality in 6 locations across Ireland to investigate the impact of agriculture on water quality in these catchments. Oisín Coakley, ACP Advisor, provides an update on the 8km square Timoleague catchment here
08 March 2021
Fertilisation of clover swards
The use of clover in grassland to replace fertilizer N can substantially lower greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from pasture-based production. James Humphreys, Researcher and Dan Barrett, Farm Manager, outline Clover sward fertiliser management from 12 years research at Teagasc Solohead Farm.
08 March 2021
Water trough Location and Water Quality
Correct Water trough location is vital to ensure livestock have good access to plenty of drinking water while also ensuring there is no negative impact on water quality. Fiona Doolan, Teagasc ASSAP Advisor, Co. Laois discusses correct siting of water troughs on farm to meet these requirements
07 March 2021
Farm Planning – Don’t leave it to the last minute
Andy Ryder, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Westport focuses on applications for and changes to, Herd Numbers. He identifies how this impacts on Basic Payment Scheme, ANC, GLAS and Forestry schemes. Andy emphasizes the importance of planning in advance and not leaving Herd No changes until the last minute
06 March 2021
Disbudding Factsheet
By definition, disbudding is the removal of an area of skin including the horn bud in a young calf prior to solid attachment of the horn bud to the skull. Disbudding is performed for economic and practical reasons: to prevent bullying and injury to other animals and human safety during handling
06 March 2021
Six Steps to Good Navel Care in Calves
On most farms shed space is at a premium at calving time and getting some of the first calved cows out to grass is key to relieving the pressure on sheds, unfortunately the wet conditions have not allowed this. Martina Harrington, Teagasc Beef Specialist, warns that this can increase navel ill cases
03 March 2021
Soil sampling - Money well spent
Now is the ideal time of the year to take soil samples on your farm if you have not done so in the recent past as it will provide vital information on the soil fertility status of your farm. Ciaran Beatty, Teagasc Advisor, Castlerea, advises not to delay in having soil samples taken
02 March 2021
Early Management of the Dairy Beef Calf
With the main dairy calving season underway and dairy calves moving onto beef farms, having good practices in the early stages of dairy beef calf rearing will minimise problems later on. Vincent Ronayne, Teagasc Mayo, advises on a number of core principles which should be followed on every farm
01 March 2021
Maximising Grass in the dairy cow diet
Getting cows out on grass is better for the cows, and beneficial for the grass plant. Nutritionally, spring grazed grass is far superior to grass silage indoors with digestibility of 80 + in terms of DMD. So the more of it you can get into the diet the better, advises Ciara O’ Shea, Teagasc Macroom
01 March 2021
Six Steps to SCC Success
The old proverb "Tús maith leath na hoibre" (a good start is half the work) is very relevant when it comes to management of Somatic Cell Count (SCC) in early lactation. Stuart Childs, Dairy Specialist and Don Crowley, Milk Quality Specialist list Six Steps to Somatic Cell Count (SCC) Success here
01 March 2021
Additional resources to meet demand for Green Cert Courses | Teagasc Virtual College Open Days
Teagasc welcomes the recent announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., giving approval for the recruitment of 20 fixed term education staff to meet exceptional demand for Teagasc Green Cert courses.
27 February 2021