The Dairy Edge Teagasc

With the difficult conditions at farm level, much of the conversation over the last number of weeks has centred around ensuring the milking herd are properly fed.
 
These conditions have also meant that maiden heifers have remained housed on a lot of farms for longer than normal this spring and on this week’s Dairy Edge, James Dunne is joined by Teagasc dairy specialist, Stuart Childs, who offers some advice to farmers around the management of heifers over the coming weeks and some tips for the breeding season ahead.
 For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: 
https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/
 
The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

On this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week. 
 
Joseph explains the options for farmers starting their second rotation and those with low % grazed & we also hear from featured farmer Stephen Buttimer from county Cork.
 
Link to this week’s newsletter: 
https://bit.ly/Grass10-9thApril

On this week’s episode of the Dairy Edge, Donal Patton, Teagasc Ballyhaise and Mike Egan, Teagasc , discussed at a recent Teagasc webinar the current weather conditions and scenarios facing farmers across the country and how best to deal with them.
 
Donal first talked through the current situation in Ballyhaise and then discussed trial work that was done over a 4 year period there which mimicked the situation that many farmers are now facing in terms of high proportions not grazed and how to deal with it in the short-term but also in the medium term to maintain grass quality and maximise performance through the main season when weather will hopefully much improve.
 
Donal highlighted that conditions are very challenging currently and consequently grazing is hard work but it is important that farmers try to make a start so get out and walk to see if there is some dry spot to get cows out for a few hours at least to reduce the silage demand and increase the level of performance through inclusion of grazed grass. He was quick to acknowledge that there are scenarios where it may not be possible to get out but that people need to be looking regularly.
 
Mike Egan spoke on fertiliser advice in these very trying weather conditions. Mike outline the various scenarios on farm from some fertiliser spread to none and how to respond to these, again similar to Donal’s advice, when the conditions allow.
 
Mike finished by discussing fertiliser advice for silage this year and emphasised the need for good cuts in order to replenish very much diminished stocks on farms. This will not be achieved by going for big bulk first cuts. 
 
Instead, early/mid/late May cuts depending on the starting point of the crop will be necessary to get ‘May growth’ into 2nd cuts in order to get the bulk many farmers require but with a much higher level than a big bulky first cut in June will deliver.
 
Mike emphasised that bulky first cuts actually undermine total silage production and cautioned farmers against being tempted to take this approach to silage production not just this year but any year.
 
You can also watch the webinar in full at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kQMPH73y0&t=4s&ab_channel=Teagasc 
 
For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: 
https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/
 
The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week.
 
As the wet weather continues, Joseph discusses grazing management advice and he has an update from Shane Seymour in county Tipperary.
 
Link to this week’s newsletter: 
https://bit.ly/Grass10-2ndApril

Recognition of the high forage quality and the nitrogen (N) fixation benefits of grass-white clover pastures has led to a resurgence of interest in its use as a means of reducing the economic and environmental costs in livestock agriculture. 
 
On this week’s Dairy Edge podcast, Teagasc grassland researcher Caitlin Looney and Teagasc Grass 10 advisor Joseph Dunphy, outline the benefits of grass white clover swards, the findings from the Clover 150 commercial farm trials and how to set out incorporating clover on your farm. 
 
 
For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: 
https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/
 
The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

On this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, Joseph Dunphy discusses PastureBase data, Dry Matter % and Predicted grass growth, rainfall & soil temperatures for the week.
 
Joseph also discusses feeding the cow as poor weather forces farmers to house and he has an update from dairy farmer Kevin Murphy in county Wexford.
 
Link to this week’s Grass10 newsletter: 
https://bit.ly/Grass10-26thMarch