On a farm visit outside Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, a client informed us that he lost a number of calves. A post mortem investigation revealed that they had a severe infestation of fluke. However, it was found that copper poisoning was also causing further problems. The calves had access to mineral licks and gorged on same.
Read MoreOn a farm visit in Co. Derry a client informed me that they had sold Holstein Friesian bull calves for a pound recently. There is currently no export market for bull calves in the North of Ireland. There is demand at home for these Holstein bull calves. In 1 case, a farmer bought 40 bull […]
Read MoreScanning cows in Dromore, Co. Down, where a client informed me that a dairy farmer purchased a Holstein heifer calf for 45,000 pound sterling. This was the second highest price index in Europe, being paid for such stock. What makes this story extraordinary was the price achieved.
Read MoreScanning a batch of Holstein cows in Dromore, Co. Down. The batch of 1st calving Holstein cows had extremely difficult calvings, this was associated with a stock bull running with the herd. The stock bull was unsuitable for use with the maiden heifers. Unfortunately this will result with an increased infertile rate and calving to […]
Read MoreVisited a Charolais breeder in Co. Limerick where we scanned a batch of heifers for an embryo transfer programme. 4 out of 10 of the potential recipients were on heat last Thursday and Friday, based on scanning. We have validated the use of scanning to determine the days since last heat to within 1 day […]
Read MoreOn a farm visit in Co. Antrim a client was installing new cubicles. A welder was in use to complete the operation. A pen of 20 bulls were watching the welding process, I have previously encountered this procedure resulting in blindness in cattle. Therefore the blind animals were previously exposed to the welding.
Read MoreOn a farm visit outside Portlaoise, Co. Laois, we visited a suckler farmer who presented a cow which had been used as a recipient in an embryo transfer programme. The Limousin cow used for superovulation had produced 20 unfertilized eggs and 2 poor embryos. The technician decided to transfer both embryos into the 1 recipient. […]
Read MoreArticle written by Dr. Dan Ryan in The Farming Independent November 20,2012. Cows are now indoors on a fulltime basis on most farms. Many farmers have started to dry off cows calving in January and February. Indeed on some farms that I visit the entire herd has been dried off for a number of reasons. […]
Read MoreOn farm visits in North Kerry, clients want to identify empty cows so that they do not have to administer flukicides associated with withdrawal periods prior to sale. I was informed that 1 of the creameries outside Listowel has purchased 25,000 bales of silage. This is to assist farmers who are faced with feed shortages […]
Read MoreI scanned a herd of Pedigree Limousin and Shorthorn cows in County Clare. 1 of the cows scanned pregnant resulted in the client claiming that the cow could not be pregnant. I explained to him that she was the only cow left in the group and that she was 150 days pregnant carrying a heifer […]
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