The Dairy Edge Teagasc

On this week’s episode of the Dairy Edge, Stuart Childs is joined by Aurivo Joint Programme Monitor Farmer and DairyBeef 500 Ambassador, David Gannon, and John McCabe, Monitor Farm advisor with the Aurivo Joint Programme, to discuss the beef breeding plan for David’s farm for 2024.
 
David starts by outlining the background to his herd and then spoke about how he plans to use the beef bull team he has selected along with John and Tommy Cox of the DairyBeef 500 team on his herd this season.
 
David describes how for him it’s about making incremental gains in the quality of the beef stock he produces each year.  Using data from ICBF, John can confirm that there is an improvement in the quality in the beef calves being generated but suggests that people can do more.
 
David has a number of customers for his calves and this is a huge benefit to know that a particular number of calves will leave the farm on particular dates which frees up housing and labour for him at the busiest time of the year which is a very important piece of the jigsaw.
 
Finally David says it is his objective to deliver a better animal each year through improving genetics and also to assist the customers he has to get the maximum return from the stock they buy from him, not only through using better genetics but also discussing the health plan that he has for his own replacement calves with his customers so that they can benefit from any improvements he has made in his own calf rearing protocols.
 
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. 
With surplus grass on many farms, Joseph also discusses grazing advice and he has a grazing update from County Sligo, with Young Category Winner of the Sustainable GFOY Evan Hunt.
 
Link to this week’s newsletter: 
https://bit.ly/Grass10-23rdApril

David Quinn, Superintending Veterinary Inspector at the Department Of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is on this week’s joint episode of the Dairy Edge and the Beef Edge with hosts James Dunne and Catherine Egan to dispel some of the myths around TB (Bovine Tuberculosis). 
 
David gives a detailed breakdown on Ireland’s TB statistics. He describes the testing methods and why they are used and outlines the issues around false positive and false negative animals. 
 
David also outlines the current strategies to manage TB risk within the wildlife population.  
 
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. 
 
With an improving weather forecast, Joseph discusses getting back on track with grazing and fertiliser and has a grazing update from Sustainable Grassland Farmer of the Year Overall Winner Patrick O Neill, Co. Longford.
 
Link to this week’s newsletter: 
https://bit.ly/Grass10-16thApril

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