The use of a tailored total mixed ration (TMR) is helping drive the levels of cow performance achieved by Richard Coalter and his father Alan on the family’s dairy farm, near Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh. Herd performance is currently averaging 9,050L on a rolling basis at 4.68% butterfat and 3.8% protein on twice a day milking. […]
Category: Nutrition
A family farm in Castlerock: Focus on production and fertility
Background David and Jayne Conn robotically milk 100 cows along with their four children at Ardina farm, close to Castlerock in Co Londonderry. This is a new business, established on a green field site just three years ago. The Ardina herd is currently averaging 10,500L on a rolling basis at 4.5% fat and 3.55% protein. […]
New Calf Milk Replacer Exceeds Expectations
Exceeding customer expectation will always be a fundamental driver for any new product that comes to market. And where United Feeds’ Advance Fortified calf milk replacer is concerned, this has been the strong view consistently expressed by milk producers across Northern Ireland over the past 12 months. Driving this recognition has been the capacity of […]
Are your cows ready to maximise Autumn/Winter milk bonuses?
With an ever-greater focus from milk processors to flatten their milk profile through additional bonuses for autumn & winter milk the effective management of cows calving in the weeks ahead has never been more important. The over-arching objective is to get cows achieving optimal milk output as soon as possible after calving whilst maintaining high […]
Maximise milk solids all year round with CreamMaker technology
For many years United Feeds have been to the forefront of bringing world class nutritional solutions to farmers here in Ireland. And, when it comes to maximising cow performance on farm there is a clear market leading range of dairy feeds on offer. CreamMaker encapsulates a wide range of the scientific breakthroughs that have characterised […]
More milk from grazed grass – it’s not just a pipe dream
The potential to improve the utilisation of grazed grass within most milk production systems is immense. This was one of the key, take-home messages that emanated from a recent ‘grazing advisory workshop’, hosted by United Feeds’ for their team of advisors. The other overarching theme coming out of the event was the need for dairy […]
Growing your future
Due to the cost of milk replacer versus starter feed it’s not unreasonable to assume that feeding more milk replacer is expensive. However, if you consider cost per weight gained, then pre-weaning is in fact the cheapest period to obtain growth. The first 12 weeks of a calf’s life is also the period of highest […]
The 2022 grass year starts now
Grass remains the farming sector’s greatest resource. Our ability to produce significant quantities of milk, beef and lamb from grazed grass and silage sets us apart from the rest of the world. So much for the good news: the even better news is that local farmers are becoming better grassland farmers. This is a point […]
Robotic milking creates a host of new opportunities on a Fermanagh dairy farm
Approximately 30% of cows across Europe are now milked robotically. And there is every prospect of this figure rising exponentially during the period ahead. Here in Northern Ireland, approximately 40 farmers switched to dairy from another enterprise within the last 12 months with around 50% of these new entrants having committed to robotic milk production. […]
Maximising the value of your milk this winter – Healthy rumen, Healthy Cow
Optimising your herds diet this winter to improve milk quality provides the opportunity to not only increase the value of your milk but also have a positive effect on animal health and fertility. A complete balanced diet approach is key to ensuring high levels of milk quality can be achieved while still maximising milk yields. […]
Pre-calver technical notes
Managing the dry period correctly lays a strong foundation for a successful lactation. Follow our traffic light system for management and feeding tips depending on when your cows are due to calve. For more information read our Pre-Calver guide or contact your local adviser
Mycotoxins
This winter, we have witnessed many issues caused by mycotoxins, but with a notable surge in recent weeks, it’s a hot topic on dairy, beef and sheep farms. What are mycotoxins? Mycotoxins are natural substances produced by moulds and fungi. They are invisible, tasteless and toxic. More than 500 different mycotoxins have been identified […]