Housing
Amy Forde on 17 Oct 2021
‘Broad acceptance and adherence needed to closed slurry periods’
“When we have closed periods, we need broad acceptance and broad adherence to those closed periods."
Kieran Mailey on 16 Oct 2021
Beef management: five tips for finishing out the grazing season
On farms that still have a significant quantity of grass available, Kieran Mailey outlines some tips to make use of these covers.
Kieran Mailey on 13 Oct 2021
Comparing sale options for cull cows
For suckler farmers offloading cull cows, completing a simple budget will give a solid indication of which market will return the best price.
Declan Marren on 09 Oct 2021
Thrive weekly roundup: housing stock in the west and demo farm dilemma
This week's dairy-beef programme roundup is all about housing cattle. Where ground conditions are poor and grass dry matter is low, it is better to house finishing stock.
Kieran Mailey on 09 Oct 2021
Beef management: five jobs to carry out after housing
Wet weather is speeding up the rate of housing on cattle farms and with animals inside, outlined are five jobs for herd owners to carry out.
Kieran Mailey on 06 Oct 2021
Is a silage-only diet for store cattle an option this winter?
With rising feed costs, is there potential to offer store cattle a silage-only diet?
Aidan Brennan on 06 Oct 2021
Feeding dairy replacements this winter
Regular weighing of dairy heifer weanlings is critical to ensure that meal is targeted to those that need it the most, writes Aidan Brennan.
Declan Marren on 06 Oct 2021
Thrive: is it time to house some finishing stock?
Liveweight gains at grass have nosedived over the last fortnight on the Thrive demo farm, which is making us question whether finishing stock should be housed.
Kieran Mailey on 05 Oct 2021
Beef management: heavy rain gets winter housing under way
Heavy rain has made ground conditions harder to manage and farmers are starting to house cattle.
Kieran Mailey on 02 Oct 2021
Beef management: five tips to finish off the grazing season
The grazing season is down to the last few weeks and with wet weather on the way, Kieran Mailey outlines some tips to finish out the final rotation.
Kieran Mailey on 29 Sep 2021
Ten tips for successful use of AI in autumn breeding
Kieran Mailey outlines 10 tips to help get the most from using AI this autumn.
Kieran Mailey on 29 Sep 2021
Ten tips for managing suckler cows and calves post-weaning
Weaning is a crucial period on suckler farms. To deal with the challenges farmers face this autumn, Kieran Mailey outlines some tips.
Kieran Mailey on 29 Sep 2021
Which method is more cost effective: AI or natural service?
AI is a common choice for breeding autumn-calving herds. But is it more cost effective than natural service? Kieran Mailey takes a look at typical costs incurred.
Margaret Nolan on 27 Sep 2021
Money Mentor: soaring mortgage approvals with shift to rural areas
Money Mentor Margaret Nolan reports mortgage approvals have soared with a shift in construction to the commuter belt and other regions, yet housing remains a critical issue.
Kieran Mailey on 25 Sep 2021
Beef Management: five jobs for autumn
The grazing season is coming to a close. But before cattle are housed, Kieran Mailey outlines a few management jobs to prioritise in the coming weeks.
Declan Marren on 22 Sep 2021
Thrive: maintaining performance in dairy-beef calves this autumn
Performance at grass can often be quite poor over the last few weeks at grass in autumn. Declan Marren looks at some steps to take to maintain liveweight gain in the runup to housing.
Kieran Mailey on 18 Sep 2021
Beef management: five tips to get cattle sheds ready for housing
Housing cattle is likely to get under way in a few weeks' time. Following the outlined tips will make sure sheds are ready for when cattle have to come indoors.
Contributor on 15 Sep 2021
Housing crisis is affecting students
For those who are attending college away from home this year the advice is to get cracking on securing your accommodation, writes Fiona Alston.
Aidan Brennan on 08 Sep 2021
Slurry figures set to change in December
A review of the technical tables relating to slurry is to be complete by December, which could alter the amount of slurry storage required for all livestock.
Kieran Mailey on 07 Sep 2021
Beef management: final call for fertiliser on grazing ground
The closed period for chemical fertiliser applications on grassland begins on 15 September, so final nitrogen dressing should be applied before this date.