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.

IGA conference: Farmers may sell solar power back to grid

Agri-Business

IGA conference: Farmers may sell solar power back to grid

Farmers are expected to be able to sell their solar power back to the national grid under the Clean Energy...
IGA conference: Reducing organic N could reduce farm profit by 53%

Dairy News

IGA conference: Reducing organic N could reduce farm profit by 53%

The annual Irish Grassland Association (IGA) National Dairy Conference, sponsored by Yara, is taking place today (Wednesday, January 18), where...
Dairy advice: Final jobs ahead of calving

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Final jobs ahead of calving

While some farms have started calving, a large number are just over a week away from the planned start of...
Managing calf stress on farms this spring

Dairy Technical

Managing calf stress on farms this spring

Calf stress is not something that many farmers would consider or be aware of when rearing calves – but they...
Tirlán survey: Half of suppliers ‘tight’ for fodder

Dairy Technical

Tirlán survey: Half of suppliers ‘tight’ for fodder

A challenging second half to 2022 in many parts of the country has meant that many farmers used a large...
Measures to improve efficiency and save time this spring

Dairy Technical

Measures to improve efficiency and save time this spring

The busiest time of the year is approaching for spring-calving dairy farmers, with the workload on farms about to significantly...
Calving 2023: Treating a scouring calf

Dairy Technical

Calving 2023: Treating a scouring calf

Treating a scouring calf is unfortunately an issue that has to be dealt with on the vast-majority of Irish dairy...
Dairy advice: Preparing for grazing 2023

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Preparing for grazing 2023

Many dairy farmers will be hoping to start grazing cows in early February – that is if the weather plays...
KPIs for dairy farmers this spring-calving season

Dairy Technical

KPIs for dairy farmers this spring-calving season

The 2023 spring-calving season will be starting on farms in the coming weeks. In fact, some farms may have already...
Why water shouldn’t be used when cleaning the calf shed

Dairy Technical

Why water shouldn’t be used when cleaning the calf shed

Regularly cleaning the calf shed is important to ensure that the bacteria load placed on calves is kept as low...
Is your milking machine ready for the 2023 calving season?

Dairy Technical

Is your milking machine ready for the 2023 calving season?

The milking machine is the only piece of equipment in the yard that is used everyday, up to 365 days...
Getting dry cow management right for a successful calving

Dairy Technical

Getting dry cow management right for a successful calving

Getting dry cow management right is a key component to having a successful calving season. Cows that calve down in...
Have you developed your herd health plan for 2023?

Dairy Technical

Have you developed your herd health plan for 2023?

Ahead of the start of the spring-calving season starting on farms, now is a good time to sit down with...
IGA Dairy Conference to focus on how dairy farms can navigate new era

Dairy News

IGA Dairy Conference to focus on how dairy farms can navigate new era

The annual Irish Grassland Association (IGA) National Dairy Conference, sponsored by Yara, is set to take place on Wednesday, January...
Measures to prevent sickness in the calf shed

Dairy Technical

Measures to prevent sickness in the calf shed

A key area that farmers can focus on to improve calf health is the calf shed. The spring-calving season is...
Planning for the spreading of slurry

Dairy Technical

Planning for the spreading of slurry

The closed period for farms to spread slurry in zones A and B ends in the coming weeks, while zone...
Spring calving: Getting ready for the arrival of calves

Dairy Technical

Spring calving: Getting ready for the arrival of calves

The start of the calving season on spring-calving farms in now just around the corner, so it is time to...
The benefits of feeding transition milk to calves

Dairy Technical

The benefits of feeding transition milk to calves

Feeding transition milk to calves can offer a number of benefits, including reducing the level of sickness in calves. The...