Brian McDonnell

Brian McDonnell Profile Picture

Technical Dairy Specialist

Brian McDonnell is from Raheny, Co. Dublin. He has an honours degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Dundalk IT. He has worked on dairy and beef farms in both Ireland and the UK, including Teagasc Grange and a large-scale 650-cow dairy farm which also had a 1,200 animal youngstock-rearing farm in Scotland. He has a keen interest in agriculture and particularly the dairy sector and in his spare time is active in local rugby and golf.

Dairy advice: Time for tail clipping to take place

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Time for tail clipping to take place

As cows enter the shed and preparation is getting underway, a job that should be completed over the coming weeks...
Dairy advice: Time to get your calf shed in order

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Time to get your calf shed in order

Ensuring that the calf shed is ready for the arrival of calves should be a focus over the coming weeks...
Keep a close eye on BCS of autumn-calving cows

Dairy Technical

Keep a close eye on BCS of autumn-calving cows

Monitoring of body condition score (BCS) in winter milk cows is important at this stage of lactation, to ensure excess...
Dairy advice: Time to review herbage production

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Time to review herbage production

Late autumn / early winter is a good time to develop a plan to improve or maintain herbage production on...
Controlling heifer mastitis on dairy farms this winter

Dairy Technical

Controlling heifer mastitis on dairy farms this winter

Heifer mastitis can be an issue on some farms, with heifers often calving down with cases or developing them shortly...
Dairy advice: Areas to improve calf health on your farm

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Areas to improve calf health on your farm

Getting calf health right on farm is a key pillar to having a successful calving season, with it having a...
Challenging grazing conditions for those still at grass

Dairy Technical

Challenging grazing conditions for those still at grass

Grazing on many dairy farms has come to an end for the year. Although challenging at times on some farms,...
Noreen family ‘hot trade’ at Mohoncross sale

Dairy Technical

Noreen family ‘hot trade’ at Mohoncross sale

The Mohoncross herd belonging to Jerry Hegarty was part of a dispersal sale of youngstock on Saturday, October 21. The...
Preventing pneumonia in calves this autumn

Dairy Technical

Preventing pneumonia in calves this autumn

Pneumonia can affect cattle of any age; it is a complex multi-factorial respiratory disease, caused by a range of bacteria,...
New €4.8 million AgTech facility opened at Lyons Farm

Dairy News

New €4.8 million AgTech facility opened at Lyons Farm

Thousands of graduate and postgraduate students will now be able to access cutting-edge research and technology at a new state-of-the-art...
Autumn-calving: Dealing with milk fever cases

Dairy Technical

Autumn-calving: Dealing with milk fever cases

Milk fever is unfortunately an issue that will likely have to be dealt with on farms calving cows this autumn....
Time for cull cows to go as housing begins on farms

Dairy Technical

Time for cull cows to go as housing begins on farms

For the most part, dairy cows are now housed as weather conditions have made land too wet to graze, so...
Dairy advice: Drying-off preparation

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Drying-off preparation

The next major event to occur on most dairy farms after housing will be the drying-off of cows for the...
Winter milk: Grouping cows for greater feed efficiency

Dairy Technical

Winter milk: Grouping cows for greater feed efficiency

Having good feed efficiency within winter milk systems is vital for a margin to be achieved on milk produced during...
Dairy Focus: Labour issues lead brothers to switch to Lely robots

Dairy Focus

Dairy Focus: Labour issues lead brothers to switch to Lely robots

For this week’s Dairy Focus, Agriland attend Ireland’s largest robotic grazing farm, which is based on Co. Meath and run by...
Footbathing to keep lameness under control within your herd

Dairy Technical

Footbathing to keep lameness under control within your herd

To control, manage and treat infectious lameness on farms, footbathing of herds is required – especially during the housed period...
Grass growth: Heavy rain has forced most to house

Dairy Technical

Grass growth: Heavy rain has forced most to house

Grass growth rates on farms have taken a hammering this past week as heavy rain swept across the country, ending...
Derogation: Slurry testing necessary if exporting

Dairy Technical

Derogation: Slurry testing necessary if exporting

The export of slurry from highly stocked farms affected by the lowering of the Nitrates Derogation figure appears to a...