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.

Why do we have a dry period for cows?

Dairy Technical

Why do we have a dry period for cows?

Dairy cows, typically, undergo a dry period of 60 days prior to calving. A dry period is important for several...
Slurry is going to be a valuable fertiliser this spring

Dairy Technical

Slurry is going to be a valuable fertiliser this spring

Slurry, no longer considered a waste product of production, is considered a valuable source of fertiliser on farms. It is...
Dairy advice: Weighing heifers, treating parasites and parlour training

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Weighing heifers, treating parasites and parlour training

Weighing, treating parasites and parlour training are all jobs that can be completed in the coming days and weeks with...
Dairy Focus: ‘The Once A Day Farmer’

Dairy Focus

Dairy Focus: ‘The Once A Day Farmer’

In this week’s Dairy Focus, Agriland  meets Andrew Macky, who is better known on YouTube as ‘The Once A Day Farmer’....
Good appetite among buyers at Ballyjamesduff sales

Dairy Technical

Good appetite among buyers at Ballyjamesduff sales

This week saw a decline in the numbers entered at Ballyjamesduff Mart’s weekly calf sale, which took place on Wednesday...
Using clover to mitigate soaring input costs

Dairy Technical

Using clover to mitigate soaring input costs

The use of clover looks like it is going to become increasingly more important on Irish farms as input costs...
Grass growth: It’s important to know when to stop

Dairy Technical

Grass growth: It’s important to know when to stop

Looking back, 2021 will be described as an ‘up and down year’ for grass growth, but on most farms, a...
Dairy breeding strategies explored by NUI survey

Dairy Technical

Dairy breeding strategies explored by NUI survey

The use of sexed semen is likely to increase further in Ireland with the recent opening of a sexed semen...
Autumn calving: Managing freshly calved cows

Dairy Technical

Autumn calving: Managing freshly calved cows

Autumn-calving cows are now in the period between calving and breeding, so good management of them at this time of...
Dairy focus: The impact of banding on this Wicklow dairy farm

Dairy Technical

Dairy focus: The impact of banding on this Wicklow dairy farm

In this week’s dairy focus, Agriland made the trip to the Garden county to meet with David Young on his dairy farm near...
Autumn calving: Some jobs to tick off the to-do list

Dairy Technical

Autumn calving: Some jobs to tick off the to-do list

The autumn-calving season is well underway on farms, but as we move towards the breeding season, it is important to...
Getting maximum benefit from footbathing your cows

Dairy Technical

Getting maximum benefit from footbathing your cows

The footbathing of cows is an important management tool to prevent issues like lameness. But to ensure you get the...
Is your calf housing up to par?

Dairy Technical

Is your calf housing up to par?

Calf housing facilities are an important part of any dairy farm, with below-par facilities leading to increased sickness among calves....
How closely related are the top genomically-selected AI bulls?

Dairy Technical

How closely related are the top genomically-selected AI bulls?

According to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), 73% of inseminations for the first six months of the year were...
Dairy advice: Time to start thinking about spring grass

Dairy Technical

Dairy advice: Time to start thinking about spring grass

Although growth rates this backend have been quite good, it’s time to start thinking about spring grass, and close the...
Is your silage quality good enough for milking cows?

Dairy Technical

Is your silage quality good enough for milking cows?

Silage quality is extremely important on farms that operate a winter milking system, with extra concentrates required if silage is...
Autumn dairy sales: Trend from the spring continues

Dairy Technical

Autumn dairy sales: Trend from the spring continues

The autumn dairy sales have begun, with early reports showing that high-quality stock with good pedigree are in high demand...
Preparation for the spring-calving season

Dairy Technical

Preparation for the spring-calving season

For a spring-calving herd the busiest time of the year is the calving season, so getting ahead of yourself and...