Advertise on podcast: The Dairy Edge

Teagasc economist, Trevor Donnellan, joins James Dunne to discuss the latest National Farm Survey results for 2025, focusing on the Irish dairy enterprise.  Trevor explains why Teagasc conducts the National Farm Survey, outlines the key figures for farm income and production costs, while also exploring the changing structure of Irish dairy farming.  Plus he highlights the main differences in high vs low margin farms. Finally we discuss how 2026 will look significantly different to 2025. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions that need to be done, including: Prioritise grazing residualsUpdate autumn grass budgetApply lime while ground conditions are suitable Read more from the latest Grass10 newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Grass10-13thOct For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions that need to be done, including: Prioritising grazing residuals as we head into the final rotationFarms should begin the final rotation early-mid October Updating autumn grass budgetGrass growth will be between 40-50 kg DM/ha/day over the next weeksAs closing begins on farm set the farm up to graze 60% by early November Read more from the latest Grass10 newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Grass10-6thOct For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

As we head into the final grazing rotation of the year, there’s plenty for farmers to be thinking about in terms of grazing the final round - the grass budget, closing paddocks and getting the farm set up correctly for next spring.  So, to talk us through where things are at and what farmers should be focusing on over the coming weeks, James Dunne is joined by Teagasc grassland researcher Mike Egan. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Dr. Margaret Kelleher, Genetics Operation Manager at ICBF, joins Stuart Childs to discuss the most recent update in September and to learn more about the COW index that farmers should be using more in their herd to identify the cows that require career changes! Margaret explains that September evaluations were relatively stable, as they tend to be at this time of year in the seasonal system that we have here in Ireland, but ICBF continues to receive and update large volumes of data, including milk records, calving records, factory data, mart data and genotypes on a daily basis that they then gather together and add to the existing information to update the details of the animals on the database. This is a job that takes about 2 months to do and as soon as an update is published, ICBF start on the process for the next update almost immediately.   We then moved to the main core of today’s conversation, the COW (Cow’s Own Worth) Index which Margaret outlined as a live herd-specific tool that ranks cows using current performance, predicted future performance and replacement cost. Where good data is entered, this index can be used by farmers to identify the bottom 10–15%  to be considered for culling. It has the advantage of pulling milk performance, calving date and future potential together to help cut through the noise when trying to make culling decisions.   For the tool to be most effective, accurate recording of information is essential. Milk recording, fertility and scanning data have a major impact, while recording mastitis, lameness and temperament would make the Cow Index more accurate and useful for the individual farmer. EBI is the tool to use to identify the most profitable cows to breed from, COW is for culling decisions. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions that need to be done, including: Prioritise grazing residualsMonitor growth rates and update grass budget Read more from the latest Grass10 newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Grass10-29thSeptember For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions that need to be done, including: Assess farm cover and growth ratesDo grass budget to plan supplementationMake the best use of organic nutrientsRead more from the latest Grass10 newsletter at: https://pasturebase.teagasc.ie/Grass10%20Weekly.pdf?=20260924  For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Cash flow is always an important part of running a dairy farm, but in a year like 2026, keeping a close eye on the money coming in and going out has become even more important. While milk price remains behind the levels experienced in recent years, farmers are also facing significant increases in costs due to both geopolitical issues in the Middle East and also the prolonged dry spell.   So, how should farmers be looking at their cash flow, what are the warning signs that a cash deficit could be developing, and what practical steps can be taken before it becomes a bigger problem? Patrick Gowing, Teagasc dairy specialist who has a particular focus on farm financial management joins James Dunne to look at cash flow on dairy farms in 2026, how farmers can identify potential pressure points, and what options are available to manage them. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions that need to be done:  Set a 35 day rotation lengthDo grass budget - phase out silage supplementationMake the best use of watery slurry Read more from the latest Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at: https://bit.ly/Grass10-15thSepthttps://bit.ly/Grass10-18thSeptember  For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

John McCabe, Seamus Kearney and Sean Callan, Advisors on the Teagasc Aurivo, Teagasc Tirlán and Teagasc Lakeland joint programmes, join Stuart Childs to give a more countrywide feel for the situation on farms around Ireland currently following the recovery in grass growth in the last few weeks. The impact of the drought varied significantly by region with the west generally less affected, while parts of the Lakelands, due to the geography of the catchment, and especially the south and east experienced major reductions in grass growth and farm cover which in turn led to substantial supplementary feeding. Seamus explains that the winter fodder shortages are the main concern and that although grass growth and farm covers have recovered, many farms in the Tirlán catchment have used large quantities of silage and meal during the summer.  Fodder budgets have identified shortages of approximately two bales per cow on the lighthouse farms, making early feed purchasing and planning essential. Meanwhile, some of farms on the Lakeland programme have significant surplus but with wet starts and ends to the year more common, it may well be needed in the future. The key message is to quantify and act early.  Farmers should complete fodder budgets, manage the final grazing rotation carefully, assess grazing infrastructure and improve if possible or plan to improve in the future to maximise opportunities to get cows to grass even in challenging conditions.  Where deficits have been identified, consider options such as buying fodder, using meal to stretch existing supplies, and/or removing underperforming/empty cows earlier to protect winter feed stocks. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions to be done:  Set a 35 day rotation lengthDo a grass budget to reduce supplementationConsider liming Read more from this week’s Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at: https://bit.ly/Grass10-8thSeptember  For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Teagasc ruminant nutritionist, Aisling Claffey, joins James Dunne to discuss managing dairy cow nutrition as we move out of the drought conditions.  With many cows having been fed increased levels of silage and concentrate, the return to grass needs to be managed carefully.  We’ll discuss how farmers can make decisions around reducing silage and concentrate, what to monitor in cow performance, and also what to look out for with young stock grazing outside blocks. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions to be done for this week:  Set a 30-35 day rotation lengthMake a farm specific fertiliser/slurry planDo a fodder available budget  Read more from this week’s Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at: https://bit.ly/Grass10-1stSeptember   For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

Dr. David Wall, Enterprise Leader of the farms and estate at Teagasc’s Environment Research Centre in Johnstown Castle, joins Stuart Childs to discuss the timing of fertiliser applications over the coming weeks to maximise the return from nutrients applied while minimising the risk to water quality. This is particularly important in drought-affected areas, where low grass growth and reduced nutrient uptake have increased the risk of nutrient losses. David first addresses the concept of calendar farming, explaining that fertiliser deadlines are driven by declining nutrient uptake rather than soil trafficability. As daylight levels fall, grass growth and nutrient demand naturally decrease. Applying additional nitrogen above crop requirements will not generate extra growth and, particularly from mid-October onwards, will instead increase the risk of nutrient losses. Following the recent drought, David says farmers should make the most of natural soil mineralisation over the coming weeks. With moisture returning while soils remain warm, mineralisation can supply approximately 1 kg N/ha per day, potentially supporting around 35 kg DM/ha per day of grass growth. Lime also has an important role to play. Correcting soil acidity can improve nutrient availability and help release significant quantities of soil nitrogen over time, which can then support further grass growth. Despite the temptation to apply heavily now that the drought has broken, David advises farmers to use fertiliser and slurry sparingly and avoid over-application. In drought-affected areas where growth has resumed, applications of around 20–25 kg N/ha from fertiliser or slurry can provide additional growth on top of what soil mineralisation is already supplying. Slurry should also be prioritised where appropriate, particularly where tanks need to be emptied before October. David recommends applying slurry regularly over the coming month ahead of the closing period commencing on October 1st. This approach will help maximise the return from the nutrients applied, reduce the risk of losses to water and also help spread contractor workloads over the coming weeks. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher highlights the top actions to be done for this week:  Do a fodder available budget If fodder reserves are below target, take actionAssess paddocks individually for grass growth Read more from this week’s Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at: https://bit.ly/Grass10-25thAugust   For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/   The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com