The Dairy Edge

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist discusses nitrogen fertiliser for silage ground. To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/ For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podc...

Dairy Farmer, Tom O’Connell, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge podcast to give an insight into the key drivers for a successful breeding season on his farm. Tom operates a spring calving, grass based system, milking 320 crossbred cows who produce in excess of 500 kg MS from 800 kg meal. Tom explains that the high level of milk production is achieved due to a long la...

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist discusses pre-breeding management to try and improve the six week calving rate. The target is to have 90% calved within six weeks. To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/ For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcas...

Frank Buckley joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the role of cross-breeding and the use of alternative dairy breeds in Irish milk production systems. Frank outlines the fundamentals of cross-breeding, including: removing the risk of in-breeding, introducing breed complementarity and exploiting heterosis. Frank explains that in-breeding is not a maj...

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by Zerlina Pratt from Kildalton College to discuss selective breeding for enhanced genetic gain and better beef. To register for future Let’s Talk Dairy webinars go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/corporate-events/lets-talk-dairy/ For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to...

Dairy farmer, Jim White, and grassland researcher, Mike Egan, join Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the establishment and management of white clover through over-sowing. Mike recommends that dairy farmers make a plan to establish white clover for the grazing platform and can target up to 25% of the platform with a combination of a full reseed with pere...

For this week’s podcast version of the Let’s Talk Dairy webinar series, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, discusses when to start the second round of grazing in 2022. Firstly, Stuart outlines how the start time varies from year to year. You need to look back to go forward - to see what's on the first grazed paddocks – and where that is going to dictate the start of the second round. You als...

Dairy Specialist George Ramsbottom joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss best practice for management of heifers in order for them to calf down timely in seasonal calving systems. Firstly, George explains that only 80% of dairy heifers calf, owing to heifers not achieving target weight prior to mating start date, sub-optimal breeding management and mortality. At mat...

Tillage specialist, Mark Plunkett, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast with advice on fertiliser strategies for silage ground, taking into account uncertainty around supply and the soaring cost of fertiliser. Mark explains that the recommended fertiliser application is 100 kg Nitrogen, 20 kg Phosphorus, 125 kg Potassium (35 kg of which after first cut) and 20 kg Sulphur to s...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by Dr Stephen Moore, Teagasc to discuss synchronisation protocols for the 2022 breeding season. Given the current climate it is going to be important to try and retain as many cows as possible in the...

Dairy advisor, Bernadette Bennett, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge podcast with advice for farmers on how to make the best breeding decisions so as to maximise the genetic gain of their herd. Firstly, Bernadette gives insight into an analysis she completed on 100 dairy clients: the top 20% had an average EBI of €186 and produced 498 kg MS while the bottom 20% had...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by Rosarii O'Connor and Mairéad O'Neill, Munster Bovine, to discuss milk recording. Rosarii and Mairéad gave an insight into Electronic DIY milk recording and the steps you can take to ensure a succes...

Dairy farmer, Mike Bermingham, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast with an update on the grazing and calving season during February, and looks forward to the remainder of the first grazing rotation. On 1st March, Mike had 32% of the farm grazed and an average farm cover of 1,000 kg /ha. Mike intends on maintaining a high level of grazed grass in the diet in March, supplement...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by dairy farmer, Dermot O’Donovan, who documents the tricky grazing conditions following the storms and snow and looks forward to his grazing plan for the month of March. To register for future Let’s...

Padraig O’Connor joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge to consider why you should complete an early milk recording event to manage SCC and mastitis from early lactation. Padraig explains that there are several reasons: cows have been dried for a significant amount of time and therefore an early milk recording will establish the baseline SCC for the herd and identify any...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, was joined by dairy farmer Martin Connaughton to discuss milking Once-A-Day (OAD) to manage spring workload. Stuart gives a brief overview of ongoing research in Teagasc Moorepark on OAD milking. Martin gave an...

Emma Behan from Progressive Genetics joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the process of milk recording, differentiating between DIY and manual milk recording events. Emma quantifies the rise of milk recording by 23% in the Progressive Genetic geographic area, given the greater emphasis on selective use of antibiotics at dry off. She explains that the last two week...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, discusses record keeping and how it can improve efficiency on your farm. Stuart outlines how good record keeping can improve farm performance and how it's important to put a system of recording in place that wor...

‘The Moovet’ Eamon O’Connell joins EmmaLouise Coffey on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast with his insights into the common ailments he has seen on dairy farms since the onset of calving. Eamon explains that the main call outs in early February are to assist calving and treatment of milk fever. He recommends that farmers allow cows time for birth to progress naturally - two hours from when the bubble...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, discusses the plan for Spring grazing in 2022. Stuart outlines what is important to watch out for and some actions that people can be taking. It is important to have a Spring Rotation Plan (SPR), as well as a Sp...

Dairy advisor, Grainne Hurley, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge to provide tips on balancing the competing objectives of feeding the freshly calved cow and hitting grazing targets during the first grazing rotation. Grainne recommends that all farmers complete a farm walk to quantify how much grass is available on farm right now. Based on farms she works with, avera...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, discusses when you should spread chemical Nitrogen - specifically Urea - this Spring. It is important to have a plan in place and to have your soils analysed. Early N application should also have more grass on t...

Dairy Specialist, Martina Gormley, joins Emma-Louise Coffey on this week’s episode of the Dairy Edge to assess the factors that impact on the length of the working day on Irish dairy farms. Martina analysed milk recording results which provided AM and PM milking start times and she explains that milking interval dictates PM milking start time with a 71% of variation in the length of the working da...

Teagasc is running a weekly Let's Talk Dairy webinar series which is also being made available as a bonus podcast episode. For this week’s webinar, Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, is joined by George Ramsbottom, Teagasc Dairy Specialist to discuss milk replacers. George gives an overview of milk replacer specifications for younger calves, how to calculate the costs of milk replacer, diffe...

On this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge, Dairy Specialist Patrick Gowing joins Emma-Louise Coffey with an insight into projected costs of production in 2022 and strategies to maintain profitability. Patrick explains that costs of production are expected to be in excess of €1,500, increasing from €1,311 in 2020, with fertiliser and concentrate accounting for 40% of total costs. Patrick recommends...