Dairy Newsletter - October 2022

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In this month's edition:

• Winter feed survey results
  A survey of winter feed stocks was completed by 570 Teagasc client dairy farms across the country in early September. This followed on from an earlier survey that had shown a healthy surplus of feed on farms. As expected however, the situation has since tightened due to the summer drought.
• Drying off – preparation key to success
  According to Teagasc’s milk quality expert, Don Crowley, preparation is the key to successful drying off. Clip tails in the days beforehand to ensure that things are as clean as possible on the day of drying off. Plan for the time and labour that it takes – more than one person is usually needed to allow you to do the job well.
• Finding staff for spring 2023 – start early
  With spring calving only four months away, now is the time to start looking for help for next spring. With this in mind the question is often asked how do I find help? Before we look at advertising options we must identify what position is available, what people want from farm employment, and can the farm offer some or all of people’s requirements?
• Health and Safety - Winter and well-being 
  Get ready for the winter. With animals returning indoors the yard will become very busy. It is important to check that your safety electrical switches or residual current devices (RCD) are working correctly. Check that farmyard lighting is adequate, as poor lighting is associated with farm accidents.