Hugh Harney

Dairy advice: Management tips with next season in mind
Dairy advice: Management tips with next season in mind

This year has been a difficult one for farmers, but the dairy advice is to plan ahead for next year...

BCS your spring calving cows now before housing
BCS your spring calving cows now before housing

As cows are progressing further into the lactation, closer to drying-off and closer to the housing period, body condition scoring...

Autumn calving: Transition cow management is crucial
Autumn calving: Transition cow management is crucial

Transition cow management has got to be of a high standard, and as many autumn calving herds have started calving...

The importance of colostrum quality for autumn calves
The importance of colostrum quality for autumn calves

As many autumn calving herds have started calving down, it is important for farmers to ensure that calves are receiving...

Dairy advice: Preparing sheds, scrapers and cubicles for winter
Dairy advice: Preparing sheds, scrapers and cubicles for winter

During the month of September, it can be easy to get caught up in other jobs that may seem like...

Autumn calving: Giving calves the best possible start
Autumn calving: Giving calves the best possible start

As we get closer to the start of calving for the autumn calving herds, farmers need to ensure that calves...

Be wary of grass tetany during this time of year
Be wary of grass tetany during this time of year

Dairy farmers must be wary of grass tetany at this time of the year, as too often, the only sign...

Managing your clover swards during autumn months
Managing your clover swards during autumn months

Your clover swards are not like your grass swards and so, they should not be treated in the same manner...

Act now if your replacement heifers are underweight
Act now if your replacement heifers are underweight

During this time of year, farmers are focused on scanning cows and extending the grazing season, but replacement heifers should...

Do you know how much high SCC is costing you?
Do you know how much high SCC is costing you?

If your somatic cell count (SCC) is beginning to creep up at this time of the year, it should not...

Making sure your milking machine is operating to scratch
Making sure your milking machine is operating to scratch

The milking machine is the most important piece of equipment on your dairy farm, as it is what gets the...

Proving high yielding cows can be grazed successfully in Co. Down
Proving high yielding cows can be grazed successfully in Co. Down

In Northern Ireland, traditionally, a lot of the herds would be high yielding cows being milked on a total mixed...

Maximising milk yield: To graze or not to graze
Maximising milk yield: To graze or not to graze

For many dairy herds across the country, the summer has been challenging to say the least, as maximising milk yield...

Controlling lameness issues before the autumn closes in
Controlling lameness issues before the autumn closes in

While some farmers are focusing on securing a third cut of silage and getting fertiliser out, lameness control needs to...

Autumn reseeding: Getting the timing right is crucial
Autumn reseeding: Getting the timing right is crucial

Autumn reseeding is still the preferred option on the majority of farms across the country as the pressure for grass...

Autumn grazing: Building covers to achieve extra days at grass
Autumn grazing: Building covers to achieve extra days at grass

It is important to set your autumn grazing targets now in order to avoid having poor average farm covers (AFC)...

Dairy focus: Antrim father and son maximise farm efficiency
Dairy focus: Antrim father and son maximise farm efficiency

Agriland visited the Hollybank Farm in Co. Antrim where David Cargill and his father Stephen are maximising efficiency while milking...

Dairy advice: Regular foot bathing to limit lameness
Dairy advice: Regular foot bathing to limit lameness

At this time of the year, it can be difficult to stay on top of lameness issues and foot bathing...