Choosing the right cow breed - what cow will suit post quota Ireland?

Jack Kennedy reports on a session discussing the ideal cow for a ‘post-quota world’ at the Irish Grassland conference compared two spring-calving farmers who had made different breed choices to fit into a similar production system. Jim Delahunty is staying with high EBI Black and White cows that are delivering for him, but Shane Chambers is turning to Jersey crossbreds in Bandon. Why? Read Jack's report here.

Russian dairy farms are undergoing huge development

With small family Russian dairy farms confined to history, new large scale operations are on the way. Jack Kennedy reports on his visit to a Russian grain and milk company called Greendale.

Read Jack's report here.

Is the Scottish model of scale and high yields an option for Irish farmers?

As quota hasn’t been limiting UK milk output, herd size has increased and many of the large Scottish herds have turned to indoor milking and high yields per cow. Is large scale and high yields the future?Read Jack's report here.

Dutch dairy farming is dependent on high inputs and output - can it survive?

Growing a high risk dairy industry by investing on farm and working harder is not for the faint hearted, as Jildert Monkelbaan and his son who farm in the north of the Netherlands know. Read Jack's report here.

Dairy drainage facility - study results

Jack Kennedy reports on a Teagasc farm walk on the farm of Tommy and TJ Ryan, where Teagasc specialists visited the farm to assess the type of drainage that would best suit the land.Read Jack's report here.

Could the dairy boom turn into a bubble?

In June, the dairy industry in Ireland was booming and plans were in motion for processing investment and increasing cow numbers. Jack Kennedy asks can the Irish cow pay for all this new processing steel and will it be money well spent? Is there the danger of ghost processing sites in coming years akin to the ghost estates developed during the recent building boom? At the very least could efficiency be improved with a national processing plan? Read Jack's analysis here.

Deciding how to reseed

How you reseed depends on machine availability and soil and ground conditions so choose wisely, writes Jack Kennedy. Read and look at some of the options. Read Jack's report here.

What machine wash system are you using?

While the best dairy farms in Ireland all produce top-quality milk, there are many different routines and products used.Read Jack's report here.

Will a high EBI herd deliver better fertility?

Yes is the answer so far in Cork, where the scan results were just in for the Next Generation high EBI herd in Kilworth in September and high EBI was delivering. Read Jack's report here.

Dairy Know-how: Body condition scoring dairy cows

Jack Kennedy gives an overview on the important factors in body condition scoring dairy cows.Read Jack's report here.