Hugh Harney

Mitigating the risk of heifer lameness this spring
Mitigating the risk of heifer lameness this spring

The majority of heifers will already have calved down this spring and it is of prime importance that lameness is...

Dairy advice: What to look out for in sick calves this spring
Dairy advice: What to look out for in sick calves this spring

Identifying sick calves this spring is vital for early treatment to get calves back on track and prevent the spread...

Monitor BCS as freshly calved cows are in an energy deficit
Monitor BCS as freshly calved cows are in an energy deficit

It can be easy for farmers to take their eyes off the ball when balancing their herd’s diet and body...

What are the cost benefits of feeding milk replacer vs whole milk
What are the cost benefits of feeding milk replacer vs whole milk

At this time of the year, farmers often move from feeding whole milk to feeding milk replacer, in order to...

Spring grazing: Allocations can be a process of trial and error
Spring grazing: Allocations can be a process of trial and error

Many farmers have been enjoying the dry conditions early this spring, which has allowed a smooth spring grazing for the...

Dairy advice: Keeping excess quality colostrum in reserve
Dairy advice: Keeping excess quality colostrum in reserve

The spring calving period is underway and as more cows begin to calve down, the amount of excess quality colostrum...

Grazing: Taking opportunities as they come this spring
Grazing: Taking opportunities as they come this spring

Early grazing can be a controversial topic for many farmers at this time of the year, but taking every opportunity...

Prepare a nutrient management plan for the new season
Prepare a nutrient management plan for the new season

Now is the time for farmers to start preparing a nutrient management plan with all zones now open for fertiliser...

Mitigate infection with a good milking routine this spring
Mitigate infection with a good milking routine this spring

Having a quality milking routine is critically important for the early stages of a cow’s lactation, with infectious pressures very...

Early grazing: Is it worth the extra work?
Early grazing: Is it worth the extra work?

The start of February has been cold, but relatively dry, allowing many farmers to get cows out for grazing this...

Getting the calibration of your fertiliser spreader right
Getting the calibration of your fertiliser spreader right

Fertiliser spreader calibration has become a hot topic in recent months as many farmers have experienced issues with spreading protected...

Keeping cases of calf scour to a minimum this calving season
Keeping cases of calf scour to a minimum this calving season

The majority of the herd will now have calves on the ground as we get further into February which means...

Dairy Advice: Dealing with ‘retained cleanings’ this spring
Dairy Advice: Dealing with ‘retained cleanings’ this spring

Retained cleanings is also known as retained fetal membrane or retained placenta and occurs when the calf’s side of the...

Heifer rearing should be seen as an investment, not a cost
Heifer rearing should be seen as an investment, not a cost

Heifer rearing is often seen as a high cost enterprise but it should be seen as an investment rather than...

How can farmers prepare for wintry conditions?
How can farmers prepare for wintry conditions?

The cold spell in the past few weeks has acted as a reminder that now is a good time to...

Dairy advice: Reducing the risk of metabolic issues
Dairy advice: Reducing the risk of metabolic issues

The calving season is only a matter of weeks away and the risk of milk fever (hypocalcemia) and other metabolic...

Dairy advice: Taking stock of your winter feed
Dairy advice: Taking stock of your winter feed

January is an important time to assess remaining winter feed stocks, and particularly following the year we had, which proved...

Lameness: Key areas to consider before calving kicks off
Lameness: Key areas to consider before calving kicks off

It can be argued that lameness is one of the main animal health and welfare issues on dairy farms, so...