The Dairy Edge

On this week’s episode of the Dairy Edge podcast, the 2017 Grass 10 champion Eddie O’Donnell gives us an insight into his dairy farm. Eddie and his father Denis have grown their dairy farm business substantially from 70 cows in 2005 to calving down 350 cows across 2 units in 2018. Eddie explains changes on the farm in recent years such as extending lactation length after the abolition of milk quot...

We revisit the farm of milk quality award winners John and Brendan Walsh with John giving an insight into his farming life and how his milk hygiene practices really changed with the new milking parlour, while Brendan explains the importance of sustainability to the family farm. For more information go to www.teagasc.ie.

On part two of this week's episode of The Dairy Edge podcast, Grass 10 Manager, John Maher, speculates on recovery time from soil moisture deficit once it rains. With depleted grass covers on many farms across the country, John suggests different diets to feed cows over the coming weeks, emphasising the importance of water in the cow's diet with water demand doubling! For more information from Tea...

How can dairy farmers cope with the current summer dry conditions? Teagasc's, Grass 10 Manager, John Maher gives the top management tools. He explains the link between soil moisture deficit and grass growth whilst also advising on fertiliser strategy, 2nd cut silage and management of recently reseeded ground. For more information from Teagasc go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publication...

With the ongoing summer drought conditions, Emma-Louise Coffey presents some of Teagasc's key advice and tips to help farmers cope and manage with their grassland management. For more information, go to: https://www.teagasc.ie/rural-economy/farm-management/farming-in-difficult-weather-conditions/summer-drought-conditions/

On this week's episode of The Dairy Edge podcast, milk quality award winners John and Brendan Walsh explain the practices that help them produce the highest quality milk ahead of their Open Day on July 4th. John emphasises the importance of hygiene and grassland to maintain good udder health while Brendan qualifies how they achieve up to 300 days at grass and treatment protocol for cows with masti...

On this week's episode of The Dairy Edge podcast, we hear from Dairy Farmer Gillian O'Sullivan about how once-a-day milking helps her family achieve work life balance. Gillian is farming near Dungarvan with husband Neil and father Michael. Gillian and Neil began dairy farming almost 10 years ago, and credits her father's wealth of knowledge, their local dairy advisor Brian Hilliard and other farme...

On this week's episode of the Dairy Edge podcast we speak to Aidan Lawless, Farm Manager of the dairy herd at Johnstown Castle. As the gap widens between the milk production of the spring and autumn calved cows, Aidan explains the current performance and diet. Cumulative performance is similar for the autumn herd compared to the 2016/2017 lactation, while the spring calving cows have a consistentl...

On this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge podcast we speak to Waterford based dairy advisor Brian Hilliard about the use of once-a-day milking across the entire lactation. Brian explains that there are 40-50 dairy herds across Ireland milking their herd once a day as a means of reducing overall workload and improving lifestyle. Brian weighs up the pros (reduced labour, improved animal health and fe...

Are robots the future of milking? On this weeks episode of The Dairy Edge podcast we speak to Caroline O’Sullivan, manager of the robotic unit at Teagasc Moorepark and Caroline gives an insight into how robotic milking systems work including the number of milkings robots are capable of per day, the ideal number of cows per robot and what her work looks like from day to day. Caroline emphasises the...

Dairy Specialist, Joe Patton discusses silage production, from the cost to key metrics for quality and the optimum cutting date. Joe explains what to look for when analysing the quality of grass silage and what quality and quantity of silage is required for the various groups of stock on the farm. Finally, Joe debates optimum cutting date to maximise quality and quantity. Importantly, one silage p...

Dairy Specialist Martina Gormley speaks to the Dairy Edge about 6-week calving rate, the leading metric for dairy fertility performance. Firstly, Martina identifies where the national dairy herd 6-week calving rate is and how it compares to target. Martina sets out the benefits and subsequently, the financial implications of achieving target. In short, for each 1% increase in 6-week calving profit...

We speak to geneticist Donagh Berry about the use of genomic bulls as part of the breeding programme for your farm. Firstly, Donagh explains what genomic selection really means and how it compares to the traditional method of selecting daughter proven bulls. Donagh explains that the milk production, fertility, longevity, and consequently profit is greater in offspring from genomically selected sir...

On this week's episode of the Dairy Edge podcast we speak to Grass 10 Campaign Manager John Maher about mid-season grassland management.  Firstly, John talks us through the current grassland situation - with a lot of nitrogen out and soil temperature 2 degrees above normal, grass growth has taken off.  Additionally, John takes through the grazing targets, fertiliser strategies and practical steps...

On this week's episode of The Dairy Edge podcast, dairy specialist Joe Patton has advice on how to maximise silage yields with the view of replenishing silage stocks on farms across Ireland. Joe emphasises the importance of fertiliser in the form of N, P and K and also talks about the balance between quality and quantity, and target cutting dates to achieve a good 1st and 2nd cut, with the possibi...

On this week’s episode of The Dairy Edge podcast we speak to dairy specialist George Ramsbottom about farm profitability. George identifies the main differences between the average and top dairy farmers, namely consistently higher quality output and lower costs. He also speculates where farm profitability will be at the end of 2018, taking cognisance of the high milk price and profit year in 2017,...

The breeding season is coming up and with cows in low body condition after a tough spring with poor grass growth and poor grazing conditions, on this episode of the Dairy Edge, we speak to fertility expert, Stephen Butler about how to get cows fit for breeding.

On this week's episode of The Dairy Edge podcast we're focusing on sire selection for the upcoming breeding season and speak to Dairy Specialist George Ramsbottom while Donal Patton from Ballyhaise fills us in on the upcoming event at Ballyhaise Agricultural College.

On this week's episode of The Dairy Edge podcast we're finding out how to deal with the current grassland situation on dairy farms across Ireland after the recent challenging weather conditions. We speak to grassland researcher, Michael Egan, who advises each farmer to assess their own situation by completing a grass cover and updating their feed budget. John Maher also tells us about an upcoming...

On this week's episode of The Dairy Edge podcast we speak to calf expert Emer Kennedy. Emer talks us through labour saving techniques around the calf rearing process from now until weaning. She explains that once-a-day calf feeding will reduce the labour input around calf care by one-third. Research has shown there is no difference in average daily gain between calves fed once-a-day or twice-a-day...

On this week's show we focus on the recovery on dairy farms after Storm Emma. Aidan Lawless, farm manager from Teagasc Johnstown Castle, explains how they are coping with the heavy snow. Aidan gives an insight into the change in diet of the spring and autumn calving cows in the last week, with the spring calving cows shifting from a grazed grass and concentrate diet to silage and concentrate indoo...

On this week's show we focus on udder health. Don Crowley, mastitis expert and dairy advisor based at Teagasc Clonakilty, talks through the common strains of mastitis identified in Ireland and the declining trend of somatic cell count (SCC) in the national dairy herd. According to Don, good milking procedure will contribute to lower SCC in early lactation. Furthermore, research has shown elevated...

On this week’s show we focus on dairy breeding. We hear from Morgan O’Sullivan, PhD researcher from Teagasc, who explains the differences he has observed between dairy cows with elite and average EBI.  Morgan talks through the differences in milk production, fertility and longevity of elite and average dairy cows, and the consequences for profitability.

On this week’s show we're focusing on spring grassland management with Michael Egan, Grassland Research Officer from Teagasc and Micheal O’Leary, Co-ordinator of PastureBase Ireland also explains what is involved in the PastureBase/Agrinet merger. For more information: teagasc.ie

This week’s episode of The Dairy Edge podcast focuses on feeding dairy cows in early lactation. Brian Garry, Nutrition Specialist from Teagasc Moorepark, explains the rapidly increasing energy requirements of dairy cows after calving, the intake capacity of freshly calved cows and the ideal diet to maximise energy intake. Aidan Lawless, Farm Manager of the Teagasc Johnstown Castle Dairy Herd gives...