Hugh Harney

Kildare

Technical Dairy Specialist and Writer at AgriLand

Featured in: Favicon

agriland.ie Favicon

agriland.co.uk

Articles

Lameness: Roadways and infrastructure around breeding

2 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

Without good roadways and grazing infrastructure on dairy farms, grass utilisation is going to be limited as accessing paddocks under difficult conditions will cause problems for cows at this time of year when heat activity is high. Under such stressful conditions, poor infrastructure may lead to injury and lameness.
Watch: Milking 66 cows with the help of young daughter in Wexford

2 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

Dairy farmer Sean Tracey, based in Paradise, Tomhaggard, Co. Wexford is milking 66 cows with great help from his 12-year-old daughter Amelia. Sean runs a simple enough system, where he milks 66 Holstein Friesian cows, keeps on all of the calves on the farm to fatten, and has about 60ac in tillage as well. He earned the Tirlan East Region Award for his history of consistent quality as he produces milk to the highest of standards while keeping hygiene to the fore.
Pre-mowing: The preferred option on a lot of farms this year

2 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

Over the last number of weeks, dry weather with plenty of heat in the ground saw a lot of seed go to head quite early, and pre-mowing became a popular measure to correct grass quality. Pre-mowing is often considered an expensive way of correcting grass quality, as you are burning fuel and possibly impacting on milk protein content of the milk.
Grass quality, reseed progress and finishing up AI in Co. Cork

3 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

At a recent Teagasc/Dairygold farm walk in Co. Cork, dairy farmer Tim Leader highlighted how he has been staying ahead of grass quality and how he felt his breeding season has gone to date. Tim Leader is milking 157 cows this year alongside his wife Mary, daughter Aoife and two sons, John and Paddy, who are all heavily involved on the farm.
Being efficient and hygienic in the parlour during mid-season

3 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

Most cows will be served by now and a lot of first cuts of silage will be in, meaning that the pit of the parlour will be where most time is spent over the next few weeks. With peak milk production coming that bit earlier this year, farmers are focusing on holding solids production and grass quality, but as a lot of time will be spent in the parlour, a good routine to promote hygiene and efficiency must be considered.
Grass growth rates begin to pick up as few farms fall into deficit

3 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

It has been a strange few weeks in terms of grass growth and covers, as the recent dry weather led to soil moisture deficits which put grass under pressure and quality hard to manage. Over the last 10 days or so, there has been a lot of rain, which has turned the soil moisture deficits around but grass has still been slow enough to respond despite the moisture and decent soil temperatures of 11-13℃.
Explainer: How do proofs fluctuate in the ICBF Active Bull List?

3 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

The most recent evaluation of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) Active Bull List has sparked a bit of controversy among farmers as one of the most popular bulls in the country had his Economic Breeding Index (EBI) drop like a meteor. So, naturally enough, the most recent evaluations caused debate among farmers, with many looking for a bit more clarity on how these evaluation are made.
Cow flow and avoiding congestion on roadways during breeding

3 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

As the breeding season progresses and oestrus activity hopefully begins to settle down, farmers should look at cow flow and congestion points on roadways. Things are still quite hectic in farmyards at this time of the year due to cows getting handled and served, grass quality proving hard to manage, and many farmers trying to wrap up their first-cut silage.
Topping and spraying: Mid-summer weed control is needed

3 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

Weed control can often prove a difficult task at this time of the year as when grass growths really begin to get going, weeds can spring up, especially with heat and moisture in the ground. It would not be unusual to see toppers out in paddocks after cows have grazed to correct grass quality as well as to mechanically control weeds.
Weather conditions may offer perfect environment for lungworm to develop

3 weeks ago | agriland.ie | Hugh Harney

After a few weeks of dry and warm weather, the recent rainfall may have created the perfect environment for lungworm development. Lungworm, also known as ‘hoose’, is a respiratory disease caused by the roundworm parasite Dictyocaulus viviparous and usually thrives and multiplies in humid conditions following rainfall. As the last couple of weeks have been dry, many animals will have experienced low levels of worm burdens thus far.