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In this section you will find up to date articles on Dairy farming news and best practices. We would also welcome your feedback, suggestions and ideas about how we may improve or further develop this section.
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A good dry off procedure is essential to prevent the introduction of new infection into the cow’s udder – hygiene is crucial here. Cow’s tails should be clipped in advance…
Read moreBy EDMOND CURTIN, B.Arg.Sc Dry cow: Cows in the wrong body condition score (BCS) need to have this rectified 2-3 weeks before calving starts. From then on a greater proportion…
Read moreInevitably a time will come when grass runs out but before we consider the economics of continuing to milk, we must firstly recognise that it will cost the same to…
Read moreDIGEST-IT: increases nutrient recovery, improving the fertiliser value of slurry, reduces ammonia emissions and odours, breaks down solids, reducing the time required to agitate and pump slurry, grows more, better…
Read moreWhy dose cattle at this time of year? Cattle will have acquired both a gut worm and lungworm burden during the grazing season. Lungworm is the most significant parasite for…
Read moreSilage quality is key to good animal performance, reducing winter feed costs and increasing profitability during the housing period. Right now, you cannot change the quality of your silage but…
Read moreYour cows have a base line concentrate requirement, needed to meet her current milk yield and to build a grass wedge. Additional concentrates on top of this requirement will deliver…
Read more12th August 2024 2024 has been very challenging, particularly from a weather perspective, resulting in reduced grass growth rates, milk volumes and fodder reserves on farm. Dairygold Board and Management…
Read moreAs we enter the month of August there are a number of key areas that need to be reviewed on dairy farms and decisions that are taken…
Read moreKey Takeaways Do a fodder budget – Assess whether you need to take extra bales or third cut to fill your winter fodder stocks – Grass growth is…
Read moreFarmers across the country are working to reduce nitrogen use on farm in order to preserve water quality and reduce emissions. However, concerns remain regarding limited N allowances that will…
Read moreWatch Milk Advisor Limerick Region Raymond Ryan talk to Denise Weeks on Milk Efficiencies that she carries out on her farm in Kilfinane, Co. Limerick
Read moreSoil chemical health is on the decline. 2022 was poorer than 2021 and 2023 results have shown a further decline since 2022. On soil P index, in 2023 we had…
Read moreAfter a poor spring for milk proteins it is imperative now that we make steady gains to year end. Milk proteins in week 20 2024 were 0.1% lower than the…
Read moreEfficient milk production from grass-fed cows is a significant challenge for dairy farmers this Spring according to Philip O’Connor, Head of Farm Supports, ifac. However, with careful management and tactical…
Read moreWith the wet spring some damage may have been done to paddock. Minor poaching In minor poaching cases, the plant is able to repair itself reasonably quickly and tiller density…
Read moreWe need to consider the compounds we are using on our silage grounds. Overall Soil chemical health is poor, with only 20% of our soil’s optimum for pH, P and…
Read moreThe forecast is improving and the weather for the coming week looks dry and warm. There is a lot of grass in place to be grazed but we need to…
Read moreIn times like these, when the challenges of poor weather and a fodder crisis weigh heavily on your shoulders, we want you to know that Dairygold…
Read moreHeavy rain has made grazing conditions next to impossible in the short-term. The forecast for the coming week is showery with little improvement expected in ground…
Read moreThe ultimate goals from early lactation nutrition are : Feeding your cow to get her back in calf as quick as possible Feeding your cow hold milk protein…
Read moreMilk proteins at farm level are currently approaching the yearly low point for milk protein. Every 0.1% increase in milk protein annually is worth c.€5000 for the…
Read moreYour cows will on average produce 220 times their peak milk across their lactation. Every extra 1 ltr of milk produced at peak is worth 220 ltrs per cow per…
Read moreDairygold Co-Operative Society is hosting a Dairy Farming – “A Positive Future” Conference next Friday, 19th January, in the Corrin Event Centre in Fermoy. The conference, free to all famers,…
Read moreSlurry is an important nutrient that needs to be used wisely. The average or book value for slurry in terms of NPK is 9-6-30 but slurry value varies depending on…
Read moreWhat is Anthelmintic resistance The genes responsible for anthelmintic resistance are believed to be present in all worm populations but at very low levels. When animals are treated with an…
Read moreThe fertiliser you order for and spread in 2024 should be driven by the nutrient allowances your farm has. In 2024, with the newly introduced fertiliser register, this will become…
Read moreDairygold and Tirlán are collaborating to expand on-farm Solar PV programme Dairygold and Tirlán have joined forces to further strengthen the dairy sector’s sustainability efforts by rolling out Tirlán’s renewable…
Read moreHer race is nearly ran! Its been a slog, especially of late but the average cow has still c. 500-700 litres more to give. Milk price this year is…
Read moreHealth at Farms Level: Between 2015 to 2019 some gains were made in terms of soil chemical health, however between 2021 and 2023 Dairygold dairy suppliers farms are showing a…
Read moreThe Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilizer Regulation Bill 2023 is now signed into law. It has passed all stages of the Oireachtas and has been signed by the…
Read moreWholecrop silage can be cut from 30-60% DM. The drier the crop the more complicated the process, the greater the risk of the silage heating at feed out and the…
Read moreThe rain has fallen. Hopefully now it wont forget to stop!! But grass growth should be good and our nutritional priorities for the summer will be to maintain grass quality,…
Read moreFertiliser Choice And Soil Chemical Health As part of the European Green Deal we must reduce our chemical Nitrogen application by 20%. Reduced nitrogen application and reduced profits at farm…
Read moreMaize silage yield varies year to year from lows of 18T per acre to highs of 25T per acre. This year maize is looking good so strong yields are expected….
Read moreAssuming your wholecrop silage yields 10T per acre and is 35% DM then every acre has the potential to feed 3 cows over a 3 month winter. How does wholecrop…
Read moreVery dry weather in early June has led to increased concentrate feeding levels at farm level and in some cases, silage made with next winter in mind had to be…
Read moreSoil moisture deficits are c.60mm in the Dairygold area. The forecast is showery with c.30mm forecast over the week, some of which will be heavy with thunderstorms possible.. This…
Read moreThe key ingredient in Dairygold’s Prime Elite calf milk replacer range is Imunopro®, a concentrated Whey Protein, is carefully balanced to ensure the optimum level of amino acids, fatty…
Read moreOnce cattle are housed for fattening, the cost per kg of live weight gain increases by up to 50% compared to grass-based finishing. Finishing cattle need to be kept gaining…
Read moreThe maintenance P and K requirements of a paddock in any given year will depend on the yield of the paddock and weather the paddock was primarily grazed or if…
Read moreYear to date our average cow has produced c.4000 ltrs of milk. There is a lot of valuable milk yet to flow. With a 3 % weekly decline from…
Read moreOur main aim with post sowing managements are: Establish the new ley, 2. Encourage tillering, 3. Prevent weed establishment It can take up to 12 months for the new crop…
Read moreGrass Growth in August was poor, a lot of farms now find themselves behind target for grass as we start the month of September. We need to build grass covers…
Read moreIn times of slowed grass growth, we need to cut grass demand to ensure we keep a minimum cover of grass on our farm, that we maintain cow intakes and…
Read moreHeat stress Heat stress is most marked when it comes in short bursts with no time for the cow to adapt to the rising temperatures. When heat stressed: A cows’…
Read morePeak production yield has come and gone but there’s a lot of valuable milk to flow yet. From here to year end, milk volume should drop gradually while milk protein…
Read moreSilage preservation: The battle begins Your allies: The Lactic Acid producing bacteria The enemy: Nitrates Within the silage making process we want to reduce pH to pickle the silage. The…
Read moreUpdates on New Veterinary Regulations – Expert Advice – Special Offers Tuesday 3rd – Terelton Wednesday 4th – Killumney & Old Pallas Thursday 5th – Buttevant & Ballinhassig Friday 6th…
Read moreHow much silage do I need? Contact your local area sales manger to run through a winter feed budget. 1 acre of 1st cut silage ground will feed 1.5 cows…
Read moreFeeding regimes for freshly calved cows have one ultimate goal: Getting your cows back in calf. To achieve this, we need to: Feed enough energy to limit BCS loss in…
Read moreMore and more farmers are sowing multi-species swards, containing a mixture of grass, legumes and herbs. Germinal’s grass and forage expert Niall Laffan tells us why and describes the latest…
Read moreOver the last month, more than 40,000 native trees have been distributed throughout the Dairygold region, to be planted on the lands of dairy and tillage suppliers. The Biodiversity Tree…
Read moreDairygold Milk Supplier Conor McSweeney with Roisin O’Donnell Dairygold Agri Business Calf Milk Replacer Specialist and David Whyte, Volac Business Manager. Dairy farmer Conor McSweeney milks 140 high EBI…
Read moreBy SEAMUS O’MAHONY, M.Agr.Sc, Head of Commercial, Dairygold Agri Business Why is this happening? Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the ability of microorganisms to resist antimicrobial treatments, especially antibiotics…
Read moreFEEDING YOUR LATE LACTATION SPRING CALVED COWS What and how much you feed will be dependent on your cows yield, current and target calving BCS and current milk price. …
Read moreEconomics of concentrate feeding in late lactation: In late lactation 1kg of concentrates can generate 1kgof extra milk. With concentrates costing c.€300-350/Tand milk valued at c. 40 c/kg (including higher…
Read moreMilk protein % has turned negative. This is a sign of poor energy nutrition or poor grassland management. The week of extreme heat won’t have helped. When heat stressed, cows lie…
Read moreIf you’re buying your dry cow minerals now be cautious and ensure that your minerals are going to meet the requirements of the cow. Mineral Feeding Pre-Calving The objectives…
Read moreDairygold Agri Business have grass testing available, where either individuals can take their grass samples themselves or a Sampler can be sent out on farm to take samples using a…
Read moreLiam Stack, M.Sc.Ag Weeds within your pasture compete with grass for nutrients. A field of grass infested with 20% docks may produce the same tns DM as a field of…
Read moreBy Liam Stack, M.Agr.Sc Ruminant Technical Manager Buying fertiliser without getting your soil sampled and a having a fertiliser plan is like ordering feed without knowing what group of animals…
Read moreThe Health of Our Soils By Rósín O’Donnell, B.Agr.Sc, Dairygold Agri Business Graduate 0867938408 As an industry we are striving to grow more grass in a sustainable manor. Grass is…
Read moreDairygold Agri Business in conjunction with Devenish and Gouldings are pleased to introduce DIGEST-IT®, a biological slurry additive designed to increase nutrient recovery from slurry while also reducing ammonia emissions….
Read moreWhat and how much you feed will be dependent on your cows yield, current and target calving BCS and current milk price. Grass: As a consequence of not building enough…
Read morePotassium (K) has a major role in the efficient use of nitrogen (N) by the grass plant during the growing season. Grass silage crops have the largest demand for N…
Read moreBy Edmond Curtin, B.Agr.Sc, Dairygold Area Sales Manager Your cows diet can be made up of; grass silage, cereal silages (wholecrop wheat, barley, triticale), maize silage, concentrates, straw, hay, wet…
Read moreBy Susan Casey, B.Agr.Sc, Area Sales Manager Hi-Pro ECO LAC is designed around the core values that extend right throughout the Dairygold quality feeds range. It is: – High in…
Read moreMilk volume should decline at no greater than 2% per week or 10% per month. Volume declines of greater than this are an indication of poor energy nutrition. Once volume…
Read moreBy LIAM STACK, M.Agr.Sc Ruminant Technical Manager Prolong the Grazing Season As we reach September and beyond, we need to extend our rotation lengths and build a wedge of grass…
Read moreRight down we have 14% less grass on farms than we should have. If we do not act now we will run out of grass earlier than planned. We need…
Read morePasturebase data has shown us that its not uncommon for many dairy farmers to end up with a lower supply of grass than they would like entering into the autumn….
Read moreMilk Volume: Milk volume should decline at no greater than 2% per week or 10% per month. Volume declines of greater than this are an indication of poor energy nutrition….
Read moreCatherine Hurley, B.Agr.Sc, Agri Sales Support Advisor Slats and manhole covers are not lifetime items, they need to be replaced before they fail. The expected lifespan of them is about…
Read moreLiam Stack, M.Agr.Sc, Ruminant Technical Manager After taking out surplus grass as bales, it’s important to replace what we’ve taken out in terms of N, P + K to ensure…
Read moreSummer Worms Worms at grass across the summer months; Gut worms (Ostertagia) Lung worms; Lung worms can occur anytime cattle are at grass, outbreaks trend to occur when a dry…
Read moreThe principles of making baled silage are the same as pit silage: 1) Remove all air and maintain air-free through to feedout 2) Reduce silage pH (level determined by the…
Read moreLiam Stack, Ruminant Technical Manager The current soil moisture deficit in the Dairygold areas ranges from 30 to 70 mm, according to figures from Met Eireann. There is some rain…
Read moreTesting grass before cutting for silage is crucial and has a direct effect on silage quality. Farmers should target a High Sugar content and Low Nitrogen content when harvesting. As…
Read moreWhy use Selenium? Selenium is an essential trace element for Vitamin E function and reproduction in animals. Selenium deficiency symptoms include: Fertility problems Retained placenta White muscle disease Poor thrive…
Read moreFrom 1st January 2020 all Milk Bulk tanks must use Chlorine-Free Detergent. Please click on the link for the latest news and information on chlorine free detergents. Dairygold Chlorine Free…
Read moreWelcome to the first addition of our Nutrition Series, a six-part video and article series brought to you by Dairygold and Alltech Ireland for the next six weeks. Liam Stack,…
Read moreLiam Stack, M.Agr.Sc Ruminant Technical Manager There is a balancing act that must be done by farmers when feeding concentrates at grass to the dairy herd. Farmers need to…
Read moreOur fertiliser world is a changing. We now need to focus more on nitrogen use efficiency, ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions. As part of their marginal abatement curve Teagasc have…
Read moreLouise O’Connor, Agri Technical Graduate As we face into December, most farmers are running through their winter checklist. However, one of the best things you can do during this period…
Read moreColman Purcell, Nutritionist Dairygold Quality Feeds Traditionally we value forages based on their net energy and digestible protein content. We usually confine our efforts to these nutrients as we assume…
Read moreMaintaining milk lactose Milk lactose is lower this year than previous years. Milk lactose is affected by stage of lactation and energy nutrition. Despite the good grass growth lactose is…
Read moreIn August soils release their own organic N naturally. On lowly stocked farms (< 170kg organic N/Ha) that have enough winter forage this may provide sufficient N to build grass…
Read moreCatherine Hurley Recent grass silage tests that have been carried out have shown poor protein levels in the winter fodder in many cases, so much so that the feed may…
Read moreBenefits of Kerva treated grain for feed ✓Treating grain with KERVA produces nutritionally enhanced feed (increased protein content by 30% approx.), reducing the need for additional protein in the diet…
Read moreDairy Sustainability Day was held on the farm of Trevor and Olive Crowley this year, winners of the Reduce Carbon footprint category at Bord Bía’s Origin Green Farmer Awards in…
Read moreJames Bourke, B.Ag.Sc. Docks are a common, deep rooted, persistent weed problem on many farms. The perennial broadleaf weed will seriously limit grassland output and productivity unless managed correctly. The…
Read moreFertiliser Requirements mid-season. The capability of grass to grow is compromised if its requirements for major elements such as Phosphorus, Potassium and Sulphur are not met. Phosphorus Requirements: Do you…
Read moreCatherine Hurley, B.Ag.Sc. What is the country’s largest and most important harvest? Tillage farmers might disagree, but the answer is grass, the crop that is the staple diet for the…
Read moreBy Catherine Hurley Chlorates can arise when drums of caustic chlorine-based detergents are stored on a farm for long periods of time. The chlorine breaks down in the drum and…
Read moreWhether you have or haven’t gotten your feeder up and running for the season yet, here are a few key points to keep in mind.
Read moreDairygold’s Calf milk replacer specialist talks about once a day feeding Dairygold’s Prime Elite milk replacer range.
Read moreJames Bourke B.Agr.Sc has given a breakdown of the most popular catch crops this 2018, Westerwolds and Forage Brassicas. Click Read More to see more information.
Read moreClick Read More to see what options are available to you if you have not yet made a second cut of silage. Dairygold have also developed a tool to calculate the amount of silage that you could potentially preserve from August to October by feeding extra concentrates to lower feed demand which is available to download.
Read moreDiarmuid O’Riordan IASIS, TMR Area Sales Manager with Dairygold Agri Business gives a breakdown of how much grass silage your crop of wholecrop silage will replace. Click Read More to see if wholecrop can be fed to dry cows, the value of wholecrop silage vs grass silage and the requirements to meet the milking cows needs.
Read moreAlan Ryan B.Agr.Sc, TMR Area Sales Manager with Dairygold Agri Business gives a breakdown of how much grass silage your crop of standing maize will replace. Click Read More to see if Maize can be fed to dry cows, the value of maize silage vs grass silage and the requirements to meet the milking cows needs.
Read moreDairygold Nutritionist Colman Purcell has given an outline of the grass and fodder extender options available through Dairygold Agribusiness. Please click Read More to see options available to you.
Read moreLiam Stack M.Agr.Sc, Ruminant Technical Manager, Dairygold Agribusiness gives a concise breakdown of what your options are if running out of grass during this dry spell.
Read moreThis Spring has proven to be very difficult on farms. Click Read more for a guide for forage management on Dairy Farms. Contact your Area Sales Manager for more information.
Read moreJohn Maher, Teagasc Grass 10 Manager, Moorepark has given fertiliser advice for application of N, P and K fertiliser this challenging spring.
Read moreWhen it comes to animal nutrition, Superchoice Minerals are your guarantee for great quality and value. This product range has been formulated to meet the upper end of Teagasc’s recommended mineral levels and has been formulated to meet the needs of Irish dairy cows, cattle and sheep.
Read moreShane Cotter, Dairygold Grassland Specialist gives some key pointers on controlling Ragwort in grassland this Spring. For more information contact Shane on 087-0671246.
Read moreClick Read More for a brief overview on what key things to look out for this spring when preparing your fertiliser plan. We have provided some examples of fertiliser plans also.
Read moreLameness is now a major challenge in Irish dairy herds. Digital dermatitis (DD), more commonly known as Mortellaro, is an infectious condition and one of the major causes of lameness reducing milk yield, fertility, mobility and feed intake. Read more on this and see how the Provita range from Dairygold can help reduce lameness in your herd.
Read moreWhile screening tests and good biosecurity practices are important in the control of JD, carrying out an on-farm risk assessment (VRAMP), ideally before calving time, is critical to understanding the risks relating to your own herd…
Read more1. Make a plan • Talk to your vet and decide which groups of animals should be protected against which diseases 2. Make sure the vaccination programme is completed exactly as stated on…
Read moreA good Biosecurity Plan can be drawn up at farm level by assessing the risks posed by the movement of stock, personnel and vehicles onto farms. Your Vet can advise…
Read moreEarly Lactation Feeding: Nutrition and Maximising Fertility Performance Poor fertility performance is the biggest cause of involuntary culling on Irish dairy farms. Reducing empty rates from 15% to 10% will…
Read moreMineral feeding for the pre-calving cows Nutrition for breeding Your nutritional aims for successful breeding are: To minimise your herd’s body condition loss between calving and the start of breeding…
Read moreLameness is now a major problem in Irish dairy herds – it has become the second largest dairy cow health challenge after mastitis. Up to 89% of dairy cattle may…
Read moreWhole Crop Cereals/High Moisture Grain It is essential to monitor the dry matter of the crop regularly, starting a month before the anticipated harvest date. Dry matter can change by…
Read moreBCS is a simple technique to assess how thin or fat a cow is on a scale of 1 to 5 with increments of 0.25, where 1 is extremely thin…
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