Dairy
Autumn calving: Keeping SCC below 100
As winter milking is already a costly system, keeping the somatic cell count (SCC) down is crucial in order to...
SCC
Dairy
Is it worth moving to once-a-day milking?
Many farmers may be wondering whether it is worth considering the move to once-a-day (OAD) milking for some time before...
Dairy
Dairy advice: Time to focus on cows that need an early dry-off
Over the coming weeks, farmers will be using milk recording data to decide which cows to need to be dried...
Dairy
Keeping SCC down during final few months of lactation
Somatic cell count (SCC) can often start to rise in the few months of the lactation due to harsher weather,...
Dairy
Dairy advice: Time to service your milking machine
As farms quieten down between the first and second cut of silage, you should be looking into servicing your milking...
Dairy
Being efficient and hygienic in the parlour during mid-season
Most cows will be served by now and a lot of first cuts of silage will be in, meaning that...
Dairy
Taking hold of cell counts and identifying the problem cows
We are now approaching the mid-lactation and things will begin to ease off as less cows are getting served, though...
Dairy
What’s your protocol for high cell count cows in the herd?
Many herds will be in the latter end of the calving season with only a few to calve, and high...
Dairy
Dairy advice: Strict milking routine to keep mastitis at bay
We are now coming towards the end of the calving season, which means the milking routine can become more consistent...
Dairy
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...
N.Ireland
Dairy advice: The value of a CMT this spring
As cows will be calving thick and fast in the coming weeks, carrying out a Californian milk test (CMT) will...
N.Ireland
Dairy advice: Developing a herd health plan for 2025
The year is almost behind us, and before the spring calving season gets underway, farmers should develop a herd health...
N.Ireland
Familiarising heifers with milking facilities this winter
Familiarising heifers with the milking facilities and getting them parlour trained is the final piece of the puzzle for getting...
N.Ireland
Drying off: Do not let hygiene slip for final cows
For many spring calving herds, the majority of the herd has been dried off by now. It is important that...
N.Ireland
Dairy advice: Reducing mastitis risk during the dry period
As we are now in the month of December, many cows around the country are dried off at this point...
N.Ireland
Winter milk: Controlling SCC in the early stages of lactation
Controlling your somatic cell count (SCC) is not always easy during the early lactation of your winter milking herds, particularly...
Dairy
Autumn calving: Achieving 100 SCC in the first 100 days
As we are now into the thick of autumn calving, it’s important to be considerate of keeping your somatic cell...
N.Ireland
Dairy advice: Getting prepared for a smooth drying off
Cows are coming in for winter housing and grazing 2024 is finishing up, which means the next job on the...
