Weaning: a unique set of challenges? With summer now clearly on the horizon, many suckler farmers are either weaning calves or preparing to wean them...
DAFM Announcement The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, today (1 May) announced that the Animal Welfare...
Always a concern Dog attacks are always a concern for sheep farmers. Teagasc estimates that there are between 300 and 400 such attacks on Irish farms...
An early hatching season? Met Eireann issued its annual nematodirus forecast last Thursday. This forecast, which provides a useful service for farmer...
Exhausting weeks ahead For hill farmers and those of us farming marginal ground, April is the height of lambing season. Over the weeks ahead, we can ...
A long and wet spring There have been years when it was possible to turn cattle onto spring grass in late February or early March. Unfortunately...
Late turn-out anticipated? With heavy rain battering the country in recent weeks, hopes of an early turn-out have been shattered. Most farmers ...
With recorded rainfall figures running at 30% above average levels for the past year, the coming weeks will see cattle turned out into swards that con...
A Hidden Menace? Putting ewes onto grass at the end of lambing is a rewarding moment in the sheep farmer’s calendar. With any luck, this will b...
Inevitable Losses The old adage says that where you have livestock, you will inevitably have deadstock. Unfortunately, this is especially true at lam...
TFBS Open for Applications This week the Heritage Council announced that the 2024 Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme (TFBS) is now open for applicatio...
Colostrum and lamb survival With lambing season now getting underway, it is important to acknowledge the key role that colostrum plays in getting new...
