Showery and Windy for Christmas Week, No Snow Promised – Met Eireann

Showery and windy for Christmas week, no snow promised – Met Eireann

Christmas week will be a showery and windy week and current indications for Met Eireann suggest there’ll be no snow.

After widespread rain this morning, dry conditions with sunny spells will develop countrywide by afternoon, however, it said that early tonight, rain will spread from the southwest to all areas once again.

According to Met Eireann, it will be rather windy up to early afternoon, with strong and gusty, southerly winds veering westerly, but then backing southwest and moderating for a time.

There’ll be highest temperatures today, 9 to 13 degrees Celsius, mildest in the south, it said.

Rain will continue in all parts of the country tonight, with some heavy falls likely in the west and southwest, according to Met Eireann.

Southwesterly winds will strengthen everywhere also but it will be fairly mild and it said there’ll be lowest temperatures 6 to 10 degrees Celsius.

After a wet start tomorrow (Tuesday), rain will clear southeastwards across the country during the morning,

with showers soon following.

Christmas Eve

Some heavy falls of rain are likely to occur in many places Wednesday however, on Thursday morning, Christmas Eve, the rain will soon clear, Met Eireann said.

It said that winds will veer westerly fresh to strong, and showers will develop as the day goes on, some turning wintry on higher ground.

Showers will continue in the west and north on Thursday night but elsewhere will be mainly dry, with slackening southwesterly breezes allowing ground frost to develop locally, it said.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day will start cold and bright in many places but cloud and rain will develop across the southern half of the country during the morning, according to Met Eireann.

The rain will move further north to affect all areas during the afternoon and evening, turning heavy at times, it said.

Winds will become moderate to fresh, it said, easterly in northern counties and this will keep it feeling cold there, but winds will be moderate to fresh, southerly elsewhere making it feel a lot milder.

Rain will continue in most places overnight into St. Stephen’s Day, Met Eireann said.

St. Stephen’s Day

According to Met Eireann, St. Stephen’s Day itself will remain quite wet until drier conditions develop in the evening and early night.

Southerly winds will strengthen on St. Stephen’s Day but it will be rather mild, with temperatures several degrees above normal everywhere, it said.

Sunday and the early days of next week will remain rather mild for the time of year but with ongoing fresh or strong, mainly southerly winds and it said there will be dry periods at first but spells of rain will occur thereafter.

Farm Incomes to Climb an Average of 5% Next Year

It was a year of contrasts for farmers, as 2015 saw buoyant beef and lamb prices, with incomes up on average €2,700 on the traditionally low-income cattle rearing farms.

Yet farmers with expanding dairy herds suffered an income slump as they were hit by fluctuations on the world markets.

"Mainly due to a 9 cent a litre or 24pc fall in milk prices, the average dairy farm income is estimated to have fallen from around €68,000 in 2014 to €48,000 in 2015," said Trevor Donnellan one of the economists behind the 'Outlook 2016 - Economic Prospects for Agriculture' conference.

Milk production surged 10pc this year since the quota barriers were lifted, with the expansion of Ireland's dairy herd surging ahead of other European countries.

The farm advisory body predicted the average milk price would show a 'modest' recovery from 30 cent per litre this year to 31.5 cent a litre next year.

Teagasc economist Kevin Hanrahan highlighted a recovery in the beef market with the gross margin on cattle rearing farms up 37pc on the lows of 2014, and margins up 33pc in the high-cost cattle finishing business.

However, he warned beef prices were expected to fall next year with a lot more cattle on the ground following the expansion of the dairy herd.

Teagasc economist Thia Hennessy warned the weakening of the euro against sterling was a 'double-edged sword' for Ireland's valuable agri exports industry.

"Over the last 12 months the two biggest issues for the agricultural sector have been exchange rates and oil prices," said Ms Hennessy.

"This is a double-edged sword for the agri sector really as, on the one hand, a weak euro means our exports are quite competitive in non-eurozone countries, for example in the UK," she said.
"We found the weak euro has inflated farm input costs that come in from outside the eurozone," she added.

"The negative side of this is that lower oil prices has dampened demand for oil exporting countries, such as Middle Eastern countries that would buy our milk powders."

Ms Hennessy said the Chinese economy has not performed as well as expected, with poor demand for milk powders, while Russia's embargo on EU produce has also had a knock-on impact on prices.

Following three bumper global cereal harvests, prices for crops have remained low which has hit tillage farmers hard, but also delivered lower animal feed prices.

Teagasc's Fiona Thorne said "phenomenal" crop yields this year helped boost incomes for tillage farmers. -Irish Independent 02/12/2015

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Employing Labour is a Big Challenge for Many Dairy Farmers

Dairy farms in Ireland are entering a new era of expansion and growth and some may have to employ additional labour to deal with larger herd sizes in the future, according to Teagasc’s Pat Clarke.

 

According to the Teagasc Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, for many dairy farmers it may be the first time to bring in outside labour and this may be a stressful undertaking for some.

“The removal of quotas presents many dairy farmers with the opportunity to expand and for many it may the first time they have to employ a labour unit.

It is a completely new era for many people and for some it may be the first time they employ someone and this will be a big transition for many dairy farmers.

Clarke added that he will facilitate a ‘breakout’ session at Teagasc’s upcoming National Dairy Conference, in Kilkenny on December 9 to give farmers the relevant information required to employ the correct employee.

Farmers are asked to register for this year’s conference which has a new format of ‘breakout’ sessions for practical advice.

According to Clarke, this ‘breakout’ session will give farmers the relevant information they will require when entering the labour market.

Clarke added that it will allow farmers to prepare properly to ensure they hire the correct person for the position.

However, Clarke added that farmers thinking of employing labour on their farm must be aware of the legal requirements and what exactly they want the labour unit to do before entering the labour market. It is important to get the basics right before you employ somebody, farmers must go through a thought process before they consider bringing a labour unit onto the farm.

“This thought process will lead many farmers to the creation of a job specification as they will see exactly what type of labour unit their business will require.”

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Five Key Steps to Preventing Milk Fever in Your Herd This Autumn

Cases of milk fever have been quite common this autumn. Milk fever is a calcium deficiency triggered by the increased secretion of calcium as a result of the production of colostrum and milk in the first days of lactation. The sudden decrease in calcium levels affect the strength of muscle contractions and the cow may initially be unsteady on her feet but eventually she will go down completely. Prevention is the preferred option as for every case of clinical milk fever, up to five cows may have subclinical milk fever and associated decreased muscle contraction. This can possibly lead to left displacement of the abomasum, it may also cause uterine contraction after calving to be delayed resulting in womb infections and retained afterbirth and eventually sub-fertility. Steps to preventing milk fever 1. Have cows in the correct BCS at calving (3 to 3.25). 2. Reduce calcium intake before calving and avoid any added oral calcium. This will allow the cow to mobilise her own calcium from bone or blood immediately after giving birth. 3. Avoid lush pasture for autumn calving cows as this grass is low in magnesium. 4. Feed a good quality dry cow mineral that is high in magnesium and has no added calcium or low added levels. 5. Feed forages that are low in potassium and have not received potassium fertiliser or slurry.

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Expanding Dairy Farmers Have 2 Options: Get Better or Get Bigger

Expanding Dairy Farmers Have 2 Options: Get Better or Get Bigger

Dairy farmers thinking of expanding have two options: Get better or get bigger, according to Derry O’Donovan of the report ‘Opportunities for sustainably competitive Irish Agriculture’.

The report was launched recently, in association with Grant Thornton, and said that while Irish agriculture is at a ‘tipping point’ it must a adopt a ‘smarter’ strategy to ensure the equitable development and longer-term success of the sector.

O’Donovan said that the gap between the top 10% of farmers and the average dairy farmer converts into €400/cow or €25,000 on the average dairy farm in Ireland.

“There is a serious gap there and one has to post the question, why has this gap persisted over many years. Is it due to a technical or husbandry deficit?

“Why are people not achieving even half the level the top 10% are achieving? Is it business/financial skills constraints?”

The expansion options to dairy farmers, he said are to increase efficiency or increase cow numbers.

Increasing efficiency means increasing milk output, milk solids and paring costs to the minimum and that 90% of dairy farmers in Ireland can increase their profitability through increased productivity.

“Why are they not doing it?”

That, he said, is the least-cost route for many farmers.

Expansion in cow numbers, however, he said would be the route for many farmers looking at expanding but it will involve investment in cows, labour and infrastructure.

O’Donovan also that there had been a slight overhyping of the liquid gold revolution of the last few years.

“It’s fine to say there will 300,000 extra cows or thousands of new jobs, but who is going to pay for it? The persons behind the growth is the individual risk taker – the farmer and there has to be an incentive for the farmer to grow their business.”


Dairy Farmers Finances

He also said that Ireland is a wonderful country for making mistakes and into learning from them, but banks must play a role in eliminating this.

He said banks must take the initiative to have a standardized application form that will capture all the information needed. “Banks must carry out realistic evaluation and must also fund cash flow difficulties.”

However, there is gross under estimation of expansion project costs, he said, and the overdraft is the easiest available money.
“But if you rely on that you will run into ‘hard core’ problems as we call them in the bank.”

The investment must add value to the business and buildings and investments should be functional, not palatial, he said.


Price Volatility for Dairy Farmers

Price volatility is a major risk factory, O’Donovan said, and provides opportunities for people in suits. Dairy farmers, though, he said are now particular exposed to price volatility must manage it.

“It has been a permanent feature in the oil industry, in the stock market and commodity market and currencies. It continues to be driven by supply and demand and economics and politics and geopolitical issues, speculation and sentiment.”

Farmers must improve efficiencies and look at fixed price contracts, he said. “This is realistic farm planning.”

He also said that a successful expansion plan must include family buy in; spouse involvement and succession plans.

Milk Output Surges as Grass Growth Hits Record Highs

The unseasonably dry and mild October weather has delivered a farming bonus, with grass growth up to 30pc above normal and milk production up by as much as 50pc on some farms.

The surge in milk output is partially compensating for dairy and tillage prices that have dipped below the cost of production.

Met Eireann data shows that rainfall for the first half of the month is less than 10pc of the October average at Moorepark and Ballyhaise, while Athenry and Cork are at 13pc and 14pc respectively.

Temperatures are up to 1.5C above average for the month.

Teagasc's Dr Michael O'Donovan predicted that 2015 would surpass the record-setting grass yields of 2014.

"Grass growth last week was 30pc higher than the same week last year. We expect grass growth in 2015 will surpass that of 2014, which was an excellent grass producing year," he said. The shoulder periods of April and September to October were giving 2015 the edge on last year, he added.

Grazing

But Mr O'Donovan cautioned farmers not to lose sight of the need to close off paddocks over the coming weeks to ensure adequate grazing in February 2016.

Week-on-week milk intake at the dairy processors is up by 10pc in Kerry, with Glanbia reporting an increase of 29pc and supply in the Dairygold area up by 33pc. Processors are also reporting an increase in protein levels which is adding 1-3c/l to farm receipts. This balances out slightly lower butterfat because of the higher
production.

Respiratory Disease Accounts for 26% of All Cattle Deaths

Respiratory disease accounts for 26% of all deaths in beef and dairy cattle, the Department of Agriculture’s Laboratories Quarterly Surveillance Report has found.

The report refers to the third quarter of 2015 (July to September) which was characterised by a wetter than average July and August and a very dry, but cool, September.

The late summer months typically herald a reduction in carcass submissions to Department laboratories while animals are at pasture during July and August with an occasional rise in submissions of weanlings recorded, particularly with diagnoses of pneumonia, in September as the autumn sales begin.

The report found that the seasonal rise in respiratory disease submissions was not witnessed in this quarter which is probably, in part, due to the favourable weather conditions for stock at weaning this year.

Alimentary tract disease was diagnosed most frequently as the cause of death in all ages of cattle in the second quarter with respiratory disease considerably less frequently diagnosed.

This quarter recorded a reversal of this trend with respiratory disease recorded moderately more frequently than alimentary tract disease.

The Most Common Causes of Death in Cattle

Pneumonia was the most common cause of death in cattle of all ages in the third quarter, with 90 deaths.

Enteritis was the second most common cause of death in cattle with approximately 27 deaths, followed by poisoning with 17 deaths.

Blackleg was the next common cause (approximately 17 deaths), followed by septicaemia.

In calves aged less than one month the most common cause of death was alimentary tract disease, accounting for almost 40% of all deaths in this category.

In calves aged greater than one month but less than three months 33% of calves in this category died from respiratory disease. This was closely followed by alimentary tract disease (almost 30%).

Housing is One of the Best Times to Treat Cattle for Parasites – Teagasc

Housing is one of the best times of the year for treating cattle against some of the more common internal and external parasites, according to Teagasc.

Housing is one of the best times of the year for treating cattle against some of the more common internal and external parasites, according to Teagasc.

Most beef farmers treat their cattle around housing, but there are so many products now on the market that it can be confusing as to which product to use and how best to use it.

Some farmers also have products left over from earlier in the year and these also need to be considered, it says.

Products vary in price, in what they control and in how they are given to the animal.

Key questions to consider when selecting a dosing product at housing:

• Will type II stomach worms be controlled?
• Will lice be covered?
• Do I need to cover for liver fluke?
• How convenient is it to give the product?
• How long after housing do I need to wait before giving the treatment?
• Will I need to give a second treatment and when?
• Could rumen fluke be an issue?
• How long is the withdrawal period with any of the products used?
• What will the overall cost per animal be?

According to Teagasc, all of the avermectin (any product that has an active ingredient ending with ‘mectin’), and all of the benzimidazole (mostly white drench products) will control type II stomach worms and lungworms.

The levamisole products (mostly the clear or yellow drenches) will not kill type II stomach worms and should not be used.

Some of the combination worm/fluke drenches are levamisole based and so should not be used for a housing dose.

The avermectin products will also control sucking lice. If you are using a benzimidazole wormer you will also need to give a lice treatment.

Depending on the amount of lice present, many of the lice only treatments recommend a second treatment a number of weeks later. On farms that have to treat for fluke, the key thing to watch is the product used, says Teagasc.

Some products only control adult fluke, whereas others will also control immature fluke.

Only a small number control early immatures. Know which type you are using; otherwise, you may only be killing a proportion of the fluke present.

According to Teagasc, many farmers will treat for fluke a couple of weeks after housing (along with their stomach worm and hoose treatment) and again later in the winter to pick up those not covered.

Otherwise, you have to wait too long to give the fluke treatment to make sure that they are all killed with just one treatment.

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Farmers Across the Country Asking if it's Worth Producing Milk into the End of the Year

Dairy farmers are asking if it is worth continuing to produce milk into November and December and when spring-calving cows need to be dried off, now that milk quotas are not limiting. They are also asking if cows are to be milked, how does this affect autumn grassland management?

The simple answer to the first question is that the calving date and condition score should decide when the dry period starts. Cows finishing their first lactation and predicted to calve for the second time in early spring need at least 10 to 12 weeks dry to regain lost condition score. Mature cows in good condition will suffice with six to eight weeks dry, but if they are due to calve in early February, this means they need to be dried off by the end of November.

Again, if cows are in poor condition score, it is better to dry them off for two to three weeks in addition to the eight-week basic treatment.

One of the golden rules for spring grassland management suggests the first paddocks targeted for grazing in early February need to be closed in early October.

The rest of the paddocks should be closed in rotation from then onwards. If you graze the first paddocks for the spring in November and December, you won’t have grass on them in February.

So, if late calving cows are being milked then the autumn grassland plan should not change.

You need to stick by the plan to have spring grass available and that means starting to close in early October.

1. Feed meal or round-bale silage to fit the autumn feed budget and to supplement what grass is left on-farm.

2. Autumn clean-out is important and cows should, if at possible, clean out the paddock so that there is no carryover of old clumps of grass that will die off over winter and cause bare patches in the sward next spring.

3. Start drying off cows from mid-October. The first cows to be dried will be those finishing the first lactation, thin cows and those milking less than 8kg per day

4. Only late-calving cows can potentially be milked on into December and January. Whether this is worthwhile or not depends on the quality of forage available, the price of concentrate purchased and the value of the extra milk. Don’t compromise condition score for spring-calving cows.

Article by Jack Kennedy in The Farmers Journal 1st October, 2015.

Coveney Predicts Milk Price Recovery for 2016 – Dairy Incomes to Fall 40% in 2015

A dairy recovery is predicted for 2016 and will more than likely occur before the middle of next year, according to the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney.

According to the Minister, dairy farm incomes will fall by 40% in 2015, this is despite a 30% increase in output.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, the Minister said that his most important job is to insure the future of the country’s farming families.

“We need to make sure that Irish farmers get through a difficult pricing period so we can get back to some sort of normality in pricing markets.”

In 2014, the average dairy farm income stood at €68,000, which included a direct payment aspect of approximately €20,000, the average farm income is set to fall 40% in 2015, said Coveney. However, he added that this income fall will only be temporary.
“It had been predicted since last October that milk prices would fall in 2015. They have fallen, but they will recover again. It is clearly predicted that they will recover by next year, certainty by the middle of next year,” said Coveney.

To aid farmers with the 2015 income struggles, Coveney added that there will be a 50% advancement in direct payments in October to ease some of the cash flow worries. This advancement will see approximately €375m paid directly to farmers in October.

According to the Minister, the upcoming meeting of the dairy forum in the next couple of weeks will decide how the money will be allocated to struggling farmers.
At present there is a fund of €14m available to help struggling dairy farmers, which will be used to help these farmers through a difficult pricing period.

“The dairy forum will meet in the next couple of weeks to decide as an industry how best to allocate that money to farmers that need it most,” said Coveney.

Dry, Bright and Settled Weather Throughout the Week

According to Met Éireann, the weather will be dry and settled through the week, with high pressure dominating conditions. However, midweek, it might feel a little cooler near east and southeast coasts.

Today (Monday), the overnight mist or fog from Sunday will clear to give another dry day with good spells of sunshine. It will be pleasantly mild with highest temperatures of 15°C to 18°C or 19°C – the best weather will be further west. It will be breezy at times though, Met Éireann says, with moderate to fresh southeast winds.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be another dry day with good spells of sunshine. It will be very mild, with highest temperatures of 15°C to 18°C or 19°C.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be dry with good spells of sunshine, but possibly not as mild as recent days. Highest temperatures will range from 14°C to 18°C or 19°C, with the best weather across the midlands, west and northwest.

Next weekend - Current indications suggests much of next weekend will hold dry as the blocking high keeps weather fronts at bay

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How to Reduce the Spread of Infection in Cattle on your Farm!

There are two main sources of infection on your farm; Infected animals and contaminated environment, equipment and visitors, Animal Health Ireland (AHI) says.

So how do you go about reducing the spread of infection from animals and the environment?

AHI says to avoid bringing in new diseases so having stringent bio-exclusion practices on the farm will help to prevent new diseases coming into your herd from outside.

Diagnose and treat sick animals promptly; according to AHI, treatment reduces the number of sick animals on the farm and potentially reduces the amount of infectious agent being produced by the animal.

Identifying sick animals quickly is very important to get the best response to treatment so good stockmanship is needed, it says. Your veterinary practitioner may recommend treating all animals in a group, AHI says, not just the sick animals, e.g. respiratory disease. Isolate or remove animals from the group/herd. It says that individual sick animals should be isolated from the rest of the herd during treatment.

For some diseases, treatment is not appropriate because the animal will not respond AHI says e.g. those persistently infected (PI) with BVD virus. Once identified, it says that the best option is to move PIs promptly to an isolation area and cull as soon as possible.

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* Reducing stocking density in critical areas such as calving pens and calf houses will reduce infection challenge.
* Ensure that housing and handling facilities remain adequate for the size of your herd.
* Cleaning and disinfecting contaminated housing; calving pens, isolation boxes and calf pens must be cleaned and disinfected with approved disinfectants after use.
* Composting manure and storing slurry; the longer that manure is allowed to compost or slurry is stored the lower the risk of disease transmission.
* Regularly emptying and cleaning feed and water troughs. AHI says to keep troughs at a height that they can only be accessed by your cattle.
* Water troughs should be regularly checked to ensure they are clean. Any persistent source of dampness or water leakage can promote survival of parasites and bacterial.
* Ensure pipes, taps, drinkers, gutters and roofs are adequately maintained, reducing equipment and machinery contamination
* Clean and disinfect equipment after each use: e.g. slurry spreading equipment, trailers, calving aids.
* Use disposable equipment where possible: e.g. needles, syringes, gloves and dispose of appropriately.
* Clean and disinfect animal handling equipment after each use: e.g. tongs, stomach tube used to feed scouring calves.

Overall reducing the number and scale of infectious sources on the farm makes reducing the spread of disease easier.

Six of Your Weed Control Questions Answered by Teagasc.

(1) In late summer, when is the best time to spray for docks in grassland?

Spray docks when they are actively growing in the summer months when they are free of disease, pest attack, drought, etc. with nutrients being translocated to leaves, stem and roots of the actively growing dock plant.

Best time to spray is before stem formation. In late July, this is when the dock plant has plenty of leaves to absorb chemicals in herbicide being used.

If stem and seeds are present on dock plants, it may be best to top the field, then spray the regrowth a few weeks later.

(2) In a field with peaty soil, furze bushes on the boundaries have started to grow out into the field. I am afraid that I may be penalised if I have a Cross Compliance inspection. So what is the best way to control these furze bushes?

Yes, you could be penalised if you have a Cross Compliance inspection.

That is if you allow this invasive species to continue to grow out into the field. Very few herbicides will kill hard, woody stem material.

Best suggested practice is to cut any growing bush at the butt at ground level using a small chainsaw.

After a few weeks, any regrowth can be spot sprayed with Grazon 90 at the recommended rate.

(3) Creeping buttercup has started to emerge in some low lying fields that I own. How can I control this?

Buttercups are best controlled by MCPA or 2, 4-D or Lupo. Check each field to see what weeds you need to deal with before spraying and select the best spray to deal with all the weeds.

(4) I have a persistent problem with creeping thistle in many of my fields, what is the best herbicide to use on them?

Creeping thistle is a perennial plant and grows mainly from an underground stem or rhizome and this makes total control difficult with one spray.

Yield losses of up to 15% have been recorded but they cause most damage by preventing animals grazing around them.
Frequent topping can reduce the root reserves but will seldom eradicate the problem as root fragments can lay viable and dormant for years.

This weed is best sprayed with Thistlex, Forefront, Lupo, MCPA or 2, 4-D in June before flowering and may need a second treatment later in the season to control any late shooting thistles.
In a reseed, both root fragments and seed can cause an explosion of creeping thistles.

(5) In some fields of permanent pasture, spear thistles are becoming a problem. What’s the best way to get rid of them?

Spear thistle only spreads by seed. Each plant lives for two years (like ragwort) producing a flatted rosette of leaves in year one and then the familiar ‘tree-like’ structure in year two.

Once controlled in the re-seed, it is rarely a problem in grazed fields except after poaching or other sward damage.

Topping is not effective to control the growth in year one but can be carried out on the second year growth before seed is set.
Chemical control options are the same as for creeping thistle.

(6) Clumps of Nettles in pasture have become a problem on my land. What’s the best way to control them?

Perennial nettle tends to grow in clumps in pasture and can prevent grazing.

The growth pattern of this weed makes it an ideal target for spot treatment with some of the Dicamba/Triclopyr/Fluroxypyr/Aminopyralid based products.

If the clumps are small and not too dense some of the Dicamba/CMPP based products will also contain them if sprayed on a regular basis.

High water volumes (400L/ha) are essential when spot treating. Treat before seed production for best effects.

By Anthony O’Connor, Teagasc Adviser, Galway/Clare Regional Unit and Tim Hyde, Environment Specialist, Teagasc, Athenry

2,000 Dairy Farmers to Seek Contract Rearing Service

Contract rearing will increase quite substantially over the next couple of years and potentially 2,000 dairy farmers could require the service.

Teagasc’s George Ramsbottom said that by 2020 over 3500 dairy farmers will have more than 100 cows and these farmers will be stocked at more than a cow/acre when speaking at a recent dairy event.

Ramsbottom highlighted the importance contract rearing will play in the successful future of both the Irish dairy and beef industries.

“The scale and intensity of future dairy enterprises will create huge demands, and dairy farmers will be looking for people to take their stock to relieve some of the labour issues in years to come.”

This increase will mean that there is potential for 2,000 dairy farmers to have their heifers contract reared within the next five years said Ramsbottom.

He also cited the pros and cons New Zealand farmers had experienced in terms of contract rearing.

Teagasc has more information on Contract Rearing at the following link http://www.teagasc.ie/collaborativearrangements/contract_rearing_of_heifers.asp

‘Herd Health Improved with Lely Milking Robots’

The introduction of Lely robotic milking technology has been viewed by many dairy farmers as an opportunity to get out of the parlour!

However, according to Lely, its robotic technology provides many more benefits in terms of health, production and reproductive performance.

Evelyn Drake, Lely Farm Management Support said that at each individual milking there are over 100 pieces of information generated.

These include milk quality, temperature, body weight, animal health and milk speed, she said.

She said farmers can access the milk yield, protein, fat and milk quality for each individual cow following milking.

Health issues can also be identified, she said, and the use of a colour check and conductivity allows for the ease of mastitis diagnosis.

“The colour check can also be used for the detection of blood and colostrum.”

The number of times cows are milked is also dependent on milk yield, she said.

“The system is individual to the cows, we do not over or under milk any cows. There is no point in milking a high yielding cow once-a-day or a low-yielding three times a day.”

Farmers using Lely technology can also choose to dry off one particular quarter if there is a persistent udder health issue.
The technology can be used in the detection of heat and the optimum mating time, she said.

Each cow is fitted with a collar, she said, and these collars have activity monitors that indicate when cows are in heat.

This is carried out by comparing two corresponding days activity levels, calving date and the date of the previous heat.

Aidan Fallon, of Lely added that the robot remembers the previous seven milkings.  As the udder gets bigger and smaller over the lactation curve it will know where the teats are located.
The milk is tested while the cow is being milked, mastitis is recorded on a per quarter basis allowing the farmer to easily identify the affected spin.

Lely uses a four effect pulsation and each unit drops off depending on the flow rate from each quarter.

Is it Time to Replace Your Milk Liners?

For the month of July MagentaDirect.ie is offering a FREE set of Pulse Tubes with every set of Milkrite or Kingston milk liners sold!

Teagasc recommends you replace your liners after 2500 milkings, after this a 5% reduction in milk yield occurs due to under milking.

It only costs approx. €200 to replace these liners.

Milkrite and Kingston milk liners are now available. Outstanding quality. Cross-fits majority of machines including Delaval, Dairymaster, Fullwood, Pearson & Gascoigne.

Sold in sets of 4.

If you're unsure about which liner would be best for you please ring our office 053 9236256 with the number/product code off your existing liner

WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY COST TO REAR A DAIRY HEIFER - AND WHEN WILL SHE PAY YOU BACK?

Rearing a dairy heifer to 24 months costs €1,545 including both the cost of labour and opportunity cost of land, Donagh Berry told farmers at this year’s Moorepark Open day.

He noted that the figure is probably not all that different than the price being paid for high EBI cattle in the mart for the past few years.  He said “For those 24 months the heifer is doing nothing for you.”

According to Berry, once a cow, which has been reared on farm, calves for the first time it takes 1.63 lactations before that cow actually pays back the farmer what has been invested in her.
“If the heifer or cow only lives for 1.5 years she was actually doing nothing for you. She may generate a bit of revenue from her lactation but all that was doing was offsetting the cost that was put in to rear that animal.

Berry said it is only when the cow gets into the second part of her second lactation that’s she starts making money for the farmer. 

He told farmers at Moorepark that currently only 5% of Irish dairy herds are achieving the Teagasc target of 5.5 lactations per cow.

He said 5.5 lactations equates to a replacement rate of about 18%.  “We know this is the optimum replacement rate. Around half of which should be involuntary culling so essentially not in-calf animals and a further 9% which farmers can use for voluntary culling such as late calvers cows that are kicking clusters.”

According to Berry on average Irish herds are achieving only four lactations per cow. He said by moving that up by one lactation farmers stand to gain €100/cow or 1.5c/L.

“It’s the single largest cost on the dairy production system for the vast majority of farmers and we all have heard of the importance of keeping costs down in a volatile milk market.”

GREAT VALUE ON LUBRICATION

BUY ANY 3 LUBRICATION OIL 20 LITRE AND GET A FREE 5 LITRE MILKING MACHINE OIL

We have a large range of quality lubrication oils available to members at competitive prices including:

Milking Machine Oil,
Yard Scraper Oil,
Chainsaw Oil,
Gear Oil

as well as

10W30,
10W40,
15W30,
15W40.

Limited supply so order online today at http://www.magentadirect.ie/Hardware/Lubrication

ACTIOIL Diesel Treatment - The Long Life Diesel Fuel Treatment

Actioil is a complete diesel fuel treatment that prevents and solves the problems associated with modern diesel.

The dramatic reduction in sulphur and the introduction of up to 7% biofuel has left diesel vulnerable to attack from bacteria, fungus and yeasts creating deposits of sludge blocking your filters and injectors or allowing for corrosion in your tank.

Diesel Gelling is also a side effect from this bacteria growth.

These problems associated with modern diesel can all lead to costly down times for your machinery, but Actioil is the solution.

Actioil prevents and solves the problems of moisture; gelling and bacteria & fungus build up.

Actioil is a long life diesel fuel treatment. It is not just a biocide, nor is it just an additive. It is a complete treatment, and unlike additives you only need to treat your machinery or tank once and they will be protected for 3 years in a storage tank or a full service interval in your machinery.

Actioil has also proven to be a great product to recover machinery which has been out of service for a long period of time.

Advantages of Actioil

The benefits of using Actioil in your diesel system include;

Protects your engine and it components like injectors & fuel pump.
Prevents the build-up of bacteria
Reduces downtime of equipment
Restores engine to original performance levels
Improve fuel efficiency
Reduces the freezing point of your diesel
Eliminates water caused by condensation.
Reduces emissions

Instructions for using Actioil in a Vehicle

Ensure fuel tank is between a quarter and a third full.
Change fuel filter before treatment.
Add 1 litre of Actioil for each 100 Litres of tank capacity.
Run engine at 1000rpm for 15 minutes.
Completely fill the fuel tank.
Repeat treatment at every service interval or every year. (whichever comes first)

Instructions for using Actioil in a storage tank. 

Ensure fuel tank is between a quarter and a third full.
Add 3 litres of Actioil per 1000 litres of tank capacity.
Completely fill fuel tank.
Leave tank with treated fuel sit for 2 hours.
Use fuel as normal.
Repeat treatment every 3 years

BUY ACTIOIL HERE

Farmers - Stay Safe When Spraying

It's important to keep safety in mind whenever you're spraying around the farm.

The most basic step you can take is to cover up properly. This means protecting your whole body from possible contamination.

Through our sister company MagentaDirect.ie we have a number of products for this.

Start by wearing a disposable protective boilersuit to keep any spray off your clothes and head.

Next comes the safety goggles to keep your eyes safe.

Then a face mask. You can go with disposable FFP2/FFP3 spray masks or reusable half face and full face masks with replaceable filters.

Finally a pair of strong disposable nitrile gloves to keep the spray off your hands.

It's a good idea to have this protective gear on before mixing the spray to avoid any splashes.

All these products can be bought direct from us at http://www.magentadirect.ie/Clothing/protective-gear

BSE: Everything YOU Need to Know

After the recent BSE scare in Louth we figured we'd post some information on BSE just to remind everyone of the details on this disease.

Q. What is BSE?
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease that affects adult cattle. BSE attacks the brain and central nervous system of the animal and eventually causes death. Commonly known as 'Mad-Cow Disease', BSE has a long incubation period. This means that it usually takes four to six years for cattle infected with BSE to show signs of the disease, such as disorientation, clumsiness and, occasionally, aggressive behaviour.

Q. Where does BSE come from?
BSE was first confirmed in cattle in the UK in 1986. The first case in Ireland was confirmed in 1989, when there were 15 cases confirmed. Most experts agree that BSE was most likely spread by cattle eating feed that contained contaminated Meat and Bone Meal (MBM). It was incorporated into cattle feed until it was banned in the 1990s. The practice of feeding MBM to cattle has been banned in Ireland since in 1990.

Q. What danger is BSE to people?
BSE only develops in cattle, but it belongs to a family of prion diseases, several of which can affect humans. The most commonly known disease in this group among humans is Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). This is a rare and fatal form of dementia that normally occurs in individuals between the ages of 40 and 80.  CJD is not a new disease among humans, but in 1996, scientists discovered a new strain of CJD that occurs predominantly in younger people.  More recent evidence has shown that the protein that accumulates in the brains of individuals with this new form of CJD is similar to the protein found in cattle infected with BSE, rather than that found in classical CJD. Because of this discovery, the new illness in humans is known as variant CJD or vCJD.  Some individuals who have developed vCJD are known to have eaten potentially BSE-infected meat products.

Q. How is BSE being controlled in Ireland?
BSE controls in place in Ireland since 1996 are very strict and there are layers of robust measures to ensure maximum consumer protection in relation to BSE. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) bases its decisions upon the best scientific data and knowledge, and develops inspection and audit controls to ensure maximum consumer protection in relation to meat and meat products.
These are some of the risk reduction measures that are in place:
* The Cattle Movement Monitoring System (CMMS) which tracks the location of all animals in the national herd.
* Ante-mortem examination of all animals prior to slaughter at all abattoirs and verification of each animal's status via the CMMS.
* The screening of all cattle over 30 months of age using an approved test.
* Removal of all high-risk Specified Risk Material (SRM) at the abattoir.
* Extensive checks by veterinary inspectors to ensure that the removal of SRM has been thoroughly carried out.
* On-going audit by FSAI of the effectiveness of controls at abattoirs and meat retail outlets.
* The total exclusion of all meat and bone meal products from the animal feed chain.
* The restriction of all local abattoirs to the slaughter of animals under 30 months of age since January 2001.

Q. What is Specified Risk Material (SRM)?
SRM are the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE and these must be removed. These parts are:
* The skull, brain, eyes and spinal cord
* The tonsils and intestines of bovine animals of all ages

*Information compiled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland https://www.fsai.ie/faq/bse.html

Sunny Days Ahead - Predicts Kiwi Forecaster Ken Ring

FARMERS anxiously worrying about weather for hay-making and silage can expect a dry and sunny June, according to the Kiwi weather guru, Ken Ring.

After correctly predicting extremely wet conditions across the country for May, the New Zealander expects that June weather will be 13pc drier than average overall.

The hours of sunshine will be up to 41pc above average, according to Mr Ring, whose website predictweather.co.nz has become a hit with Irish farmers over the past five years.

Statistics from Met Eireann have shown that the forecast he gave last October for March, April and May has proven accurate.

He predicted the good summer weather in 2014 and the heatwave in 2013 with uncanny accuracy.

The weather guru also forecast that more than twice the normal rainfall would land in the northern regions during May.

Lower rainfall

Mr Ring predicted farmers in the northern region of the country could fare best during this month with conditions drier by around 39pc, followed by the west enjoying an estimated 19pc less than average rainfall.

The east could be drier by 4pc, but the south will fare worst with rainfall predicted to be 9pc higher than average.

The weather man said that most days should have some hours of sunshine with the northern region the sunniest by up to 48pc.
He said farmers should make the most of the June weather, because July is likely to be slightly wetter than average in most regions of the country with the exception of the south, estimated to be drier by around 9pc.