Suggestions that better education can improve farm safety are insulting nonsense February 24, 2015 Opinion Last week I met an Irish dairy farmer who was recently heavily criticised by his advisor and discussion group colleagues for, in their…
2015 – more cows or less cows? December 17, 2014 Dairy With the removal of milk quotas only a few months away, many Irish dairy farmers are set to calve and milk a lot…
Do ‘recycled’ empty cows have a role? December 4, 2014 Dairy Increasing the number of dairy cows is expensive and can be a significant drain on cash in a fledgling dairy business. This applies…
Factories, live exports and marts don’t do farmers justice October 10, 2014 Opinion Trust between beef producers and the main processors appears to be at an all-time low. Producers appear to be completely disillusioned with the…
Exploring the ‘third option’ for dairy farmers July 31, 2014 Opinion I was recently involved in a discussion with a small group of west of Ireland dairy farmers. While delighted with the current window…
Farming for profit? Profit for loss? June 19, 2014 Dairy Agriland recently reported on a Teagasc Dairy Expansion seminar where it was stated that ‘If you’re not farming for profit, we’d like to…
Wet May puts high grass utilisation on the back burner for many dairy farmers June 5, 2014 Dairy May was a challenging month for dairy farmers on heavy farms in Ireland’s higher rainfall areas. Rainfall for the month was well above…
Colostrum, hygiene and observation, the basics of calf-rearing February 3, 2014 Breaking News COMMENT: There are increasing numbers of calves being reared on Irish dairy farms in response to the removal of milk quota restrictions next…
Get herd quality right before expansion October 8, 2013 Breaking News COMMENT: In my role as a farm consultant I am fortunate to work with lots of dairy farmers who have significantly expanded their…
Efficient contract rearing key to dairy expansion September 16, 2013 Breaking News COMMENT: From 2015 the new quota in Irish dairy farming will be the amount of milking platform hectares that cows can reasonably be…
Dairy expansion – auto-pilot vs hands-on August 9, 2013 Breaking News Comment: For farmers considering significant expansion on their existing dairy farm or indeed establishing multiple farms, making the transition from managing cows and grass…
