Dairy
With rain beginning to fall following a prolonged period of dry weather, the risk of lungworm is back on the table.
N.Ireland
Growing bluetongue concerns in the UK do not seem to be holding back dairy sales, as pedigree stock are making up to 3,650gns.
Farms often see thermoduric bacteria rising in the backend of the year, especially those still dealing with drought conditions.
By this stage of the season, the majority of autumn calving cows should be dried off, leaving farmers to focus on dry-cow management.
With high volumes of concentrates been fed in dairy parlours due to the drought, it may be worth calibrating the feeders.
Good calving starts months before the first calf ever arrives on farm by preparing the sheds ahead of things getting hectic once again.
At this stage of the lactation, farmers should be body condition scoring their herd to ensure everything is in order after breeding.
The Barber family of Manor House Farm, in Preston, UK, held the dispersal sale of their Highhopes and Halcyon pedigree Holstein herds.
Hayley and Gareth Lewis are milking 1,000 cows in Methven, New Zealand with their three children Harry, Mack, and Neve.
A top price of 5,000gns was paid at the Drointon Summer Heatwave Sale during the week as part of the Border and Lakeland Show and Sale.
Farms are constantly evolving so as to be as efficient and as profitable as possible, while complying with advancing rules and regulations.
The amount of positive bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) cases is continuing to follow a downward trajectory in Ireland.
This time last year, there was plenty of chatter around the consequences of a dairy heifer shortage, but is that risk still looming?
Machinery
Agriland recently visited Grieskirchen, Austria, the home of Pottinger, to witness the machinery giant's innovations first-hand.
The prestigious award-winning animal, Eedy Doorman Fame, has just become Ireland's highest classified cow.
The majority of farms will have wrapped up breeding or will be finishing during the week, meaning it may be time to 'pull the bull'.
There is never too much dairy stock at marts at this time of the year, but the few that are seem to be making relatively strong prices.
First cut silage is fully wrapped up with many farmers now eyeing up second cuts, if it has not been done already.
The average farmer begins calving down on February 1 and finishes up within nine weeks, that means...
The current focus is on finishing out breeding and grassland management, but should farmers be looking at mastitis control?
With rain forecast once again after the warm weekend, parasites will be thriving and putting young calves at risk.
Reseeds were late getting done this year given the poor spring, however there are a few drier places ready to graze now.
Farms that start breeding May 1 may be wrapping up with artificial insemination (AI) and letting stock bulls out to finish the job.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the Irish dairy herd grew last year, but it is a different story in Britain.
