Dairy
Save time by altering your milk feeding strategy this spring
If carried out correctly, Once A Day milk-feeding is a practice that can greatly reduce the labour required during the rearing period. James Dunne, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, states that numerous Teagasc research trials show a 25% - 36% reduction in labour input required versus twice a day feeding
19 March 2021
Teagasc Daily – One year on
Today is the 1st Anniversary of the introduction of Teagasc Daily, a new digital communication channel providing information to Teagasc audiences. It was set up in response to the first Covid related lockdown last March, as a digital tool to maintain knowledge transfer to Teagasc audiences.
18 March 2021
Grass10 Newsletter - 16th March 2021
Get the latest news & updates from the Grass10 team: weekly PastureBase data & Elodie Ruelle’s MoSt Grass Growth Prediction Model; grass growth set to double this week; Tomas O Brien, Mitchelstown on his grazing plan; Teagasc Grange Dairy calf to beef trial update & Pat Collins, Cattle GFOTY update
18 March 2021
Using both dairy and beef AI
Teagasc in conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) is running a dairy breeding week this week. The focus of today's videos is on Using both dairy and beef AI, from the start of the breeding season. Siobhan Ring, ICBF, and Hugh Egan, Dairy Farmer, Co. Offaly outline why here
18 March 2021
Keeping on the Right Side of the Wire
Although the weather last week slowed down grazing on many farms, some farmers flew through area over the past 2-3 weeks. Make sure you don’t run out of grass and stay on track, to keep grass in the diet & set up the farm for the 2nd rotation. This is the advice from the Pasturebase and Grass10 team
17 March 2021
An Update on the Dairy Beef Index
As part of the Teagasc & ICBF breeding week, Teagasc researchers Nicky Byrne & Alan Twomey join Catherine Egan on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to give an update on the Dairy Beef Index (DBI) and an insight into its impact in the future.
17 March 2021
Saint Patrick in Ireland: Names and Places
Lá Fhéile Pádraig shona dhaoibh! For Saint Patrick’ Day we have a special map, dedicated to Ireland’s patron saint. The static map provides an overview of the townlands and settlements deriving their names from Saint Patrick, including a short summary of the mythology. Read on for more details
17 March 2021
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
The key traits in dairy replacements to maximise income
Teagasc specialist Joe Patton and ICBF geneticist Kevin Downing join Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge to explore the key traits in dairy replacements to maximise income on Irish dairy farms.
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
Dairy Newsletter - March 2021
Get the latest information & advice from the Teagasc Dairy team in this month's newsletter. It includes: Getting grazing back on track!; Early turnout to grass of replacement heifers; Supplementing grass to improve milk solids yield; Lameness - around calving time; and Health & Safety.
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
Farmer Safety Health and Wellness Webinar Series: Steve Redmond
Carbery Group, Cork recently held a Webinar on Farm Safety, Health and Wellness for farmer suppliers in advance of a busy spring. The Event will now be shown as a series of Webinars from today for 3 Sundays. The first is Steve Redmond, first person to complete the ‘Seven Ocean’s Challenge
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
Planning your Spring Grazing with PastureBase Ireland
Are you looking to graze more in March? On this webinar which took place on Wednesday, 3rd March, John Douglas & Joseph Dunphy, Teagasc Grass10 and Micheal O'Leary, PastureBase Ireland go through how you can use PastureBase Ireland to plan your spring grazing.
10 March 2021