Smart scan pre-breeding essential with maiden heifers.
On a farm visit in Co. Antrim today, where a group of 30 maiden heifers were presented for a pre-breed scan in conjunction with the use of sexed semen. Smart scan revealed that over 50% of the heifers weren’t cycling even though they were fit in terms of stature and body weight. Smart scan technology […]
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Expansion in dairy being severely restricted in Northern Ireland by planning regulations for slurry storage.
Farm visits in county Derry this week revealed that dairy farmers will definitely not be able to expand cow numbers on the basis of planning for future expansion being restricted by environmental odds being enforced. Slurry storage, ammonia emissions, methane production within 77 km of any community setting will have to be restricted to […]
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Heat detection systems involving activity monitoring present too many false positives.
On a farm call to county Cork today with a large dairy herd encompassing both dairy cows and maiden heifers for smart scan. On this farm heat detection system involving activity monitoring using collars on the cows to identify cows for AI in both dairy cows and maiden heifers with the primary mode of heat […]
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*** Mental Health – A significant problem on multiple Irish dairy farms. ***
This time of year is reaching peak of calving on many grass based dairy systems. The demand on labour is at its most critical junction in terms of cows calving, rearing of calves, adjusting freshly calved cows to milking routine and an increased demands of cow’s dietary requirements. Freshly calved cows enter a natural […]
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Case Study: using sexed semen in Dairy cows.
Farm visit today, to a bottle dairy farmer outside Birr, County Offaly. Eoin Lyons milks approximately 120 cows in a robotic milking system and calving cows from November through to April. In this system of production, he starts breeding in February. Eoin uses smart scan technology from Reprodoc to identify cows suitable for breeding with […]
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***The Curse of Twins in Dairy cows.***
Many farmers dislike cows identified as carrying twins. The incidence of twins in dairy cows increases with the milk production potential of the herd. Therefor as the stress of milk production increases or other environmental stresses in the herd, the risk of cows starting with twins increases. Unfortunately, the incidence of layer embryonic death beyond […]
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Farmer in Portadown questions pregnancy diagnosis using milk samples collected at milk recording. On a farm visit to a client in Portadown today, discussion arose whereby the client had been approached by his milk recording company to use milk samples collected at the time of milk recording to diagnose the pregnancy status of his […]
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Smart scan reveals the importance of onset of puberty in maiden heifers.
On a call today outside of Cookstown county Tyrone, they revealed a batch of maiden heifers being assessed for fertility status. smart scan revealed 3 maiden heifers which had failed to show heat although eligible for breeding purposes, they had reached their target weights and were reared with a group of counterparts which had all […]
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***Sexed semen can result in an inordinate number of male calves born in high production type dairy cows.***
On farm calls in county Derry today, a client revealed that of 97 cows in calf using sexed semen, 17 were carrying male calves on the basis of smart scan technology. In contrast, 80 maiden heifers were scanned pregnant and in calf to sexed semen and only 2 were carrying male calves. You might ask […]
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Single pens VS Group pens for rearing suck calves.
A question that arises on many farms is health issues centering around young calves. As we are well aware, the ability to supply sufficient colostrum and the quality of this colostrum dictates the future ability of the calf to tolerate the risk of health disorders in the future. Major consideration is the ability of calves […]
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