LATEST ARTICLES
Farm Programmes
Testing slurry and silage for targeted efficiency
Emma Hart
Slurry is both a valuable asset and a potential pollutant. Understanding the composition and quality of your slurry is key to maximising its value while minimising environmental impact.
20 May 2023 Management
Five tips for cutting first-cut silage
As silage season kicks off across Ireland, outlined are five tips to keep in mind.
Feeding 72% DMD silage instead of 67% DMD could save 1kg of meal a day – Teagasc
If a farmer was feeding 50 weanlings over 140 days, this would save seven tonnes of ration.
Testing silage is not tick the box stuff
Adam Woods takes a look at silage quality testing and what to look out for when you get your results.
16 November 2022 Grass & feeding
Thrive: diets to keep stock on target this winter period
Declan Marren looks at the diet required to keep dairy beef stock on target over the winter period which is the highest cost period in livestock production systems.
2 November 2022 Grass & feeding
Testing silage ahead of harvesting on the Footprint Farms
Testing silage for nitrates and sugars ahead of harvesting can be useful, but factors like the weather and the availability of contractors will impact how these test results are used.
Bales from surplus grass will be harder to come by
With the level of fertiliser applied to grazing ground forecast to be down by 50% on average, it is unlikely that there will be surplus bales from grazing ground to boost supplies.
Testing silage never more important
Adam Woods takes a look at testing silage in 2021 and why it was never more important.
17 November 2021 Grass & feeding
Feeding for breeding – take control of autumn cow nutrition
Correct nutrition for the cow post-calving will have a huge impact on the success of autumn breeding.
29 September 2021 Breeding & health
Leftover pit silage: flatten or build up to it?
On farms where there is silage left in the pit from last year, we consider if it is best to spread silage out at the bottom of this year’s pit or to build up against it.
30 May 2021 Management
Top-quality silage can greatly reduce winter feed costs
Concentrate costs are one of the most significant costs in sheep systems and this is influenced strongly by lower feed-value forage being available for ewes in late gestation and early lactation.
17 April 2021 Grass & feeding