#Farming Columnist - Brian Reidy

Herd Management

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Aerial View of Tractor, Preparing the Potato Field For The New Season
When is the best time to apply lime?
Nitrogen usage will increase soil acidity; for example each 1kg of N applied will require approximately 2Kg of lime, advises independent farm advisor Brian Reidy.

Wed, 25 Sep, 2024

Cows being fed fodder housed in winter, Roscommon, Ireland.
Setting up your indoor beef finishing plan
Beef finishers should always aim to keep production costs under control to optimise profits, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Fri, 13 Sep, 2024

Silage being prepared in a round bale wrapper
Brian Reidy: 2024 silage quality — poor feed value is all too common
I would really encourage beef and dairy producers to get silage tested early this year

Mon, 09 Sep, 2024

Dairy Cattle under a Summer Sky.
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 09 Sep, 2024

Cows in a meadow at sunrise
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 02 Sep, 2024

Cattle feeding indoors in winter
Brian Reidy: Feed budget plans - how realistic are your projections?
There is little point in hoping for a four-month winter after our recent experiences. We must be realistic with any planning, advises independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Sun, 01 Sep, 2024

Dairy Farm Milking Station
Brian Reidy: Milk quality vs quantity as we head into September
One of the key topics covered at the group meeting was how feeding and management can influence milk quality and how long it takes to influence it.

Wed, 28 Aug, 2024

Black and white young calves in a green field
Weaning suckler calves to reduce stress and optimise value
Early Spring-born suckler calves will be weaned over the coming weeks and months.

Wed, 21 Aug, 2024

Panoramic of Dairy Cows
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Monday, August 5 - Sunday, August 11 Dairy & Sucklers pre & post calving Calving is getting closer, and some calves are already on the ground.

Wed, 07 Aug, 2024

Aerial Photo of Fall Harvest
How to buy and harvest a standing wholecrop
It is fair that there is a mixed bag available out there for livestock farmers when it comes to crops up for sale, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Wed, 07 Aug, 2024

Several cows are eating grass. Cattle on a livestock farm. Agricultural landscape. Organic Irish farm. Black and white cow on gr
Brian Reidy: Grass growth improves but cow performance issues in the dairy herd remain
Any dramatic drops in milk yield, protein, butter fat, lactose and urea are indications your herd is not receiving and/or digesting sufficient nutrients to maintain performance

Wed, 31 Jul, 2024

Combine Harvester in Barley Field during Harvest
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 22 Jul, 2024

Hereford Cow Giving Birth/Calving
Getting ready for autumn calving dairy and suckler herds
A cow in the dry period is like an athlete in pre-season, and you must prepare the system for the season ahead, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Thu, 18 Jul, 2024

Golden ears of barley
Forage and feed plan essential as feed may be tight
It is time to start doing feed budgets for clients for the coming winter. It may only be July, and hopefully, we will all make plenty of silage before the year is out, but plans for winter feeding need to be put in place now.

Mon, 15 Jul, 2024

Lifting Silage Bales
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 15 Jul, 2024

Calf three quarters born
Brian Reidy: Autumn calving, drying off and getting going again
Almost all sucklers will calve outdoors in the autumn, but make sure that you have everything ready indoors just in case you need to assist any difficult births, advises ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Thu, 04 Jul, 2024

Soybean husks pouring from threshing machine in farm storage area
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 01 Jul, 2024

An Obedient Herd of Cows
Brian Reidy: Getting your beef herd's summer management strategy right
2024 has so far been one of the most challenging grass-growing years in recent memory, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Sun, 30 Jun, 2024

Heifer-rearing for the future of beef and dairy herds
Heifer-rearing for the future of beef and dairy herds
Animals need to be regularly monitored throughout the rearing period to ensure targets are achieved, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Tue, 18 Jun, 2024

Herd of Friesian cattle
Grass supplies remain tight and quality is poor as farmers wait for heat
The bank holiday weekend is forecast to have much more normal temperatures for the time of year and with that, hopefully growth will improve rapidly, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy

Wed, 29 May, 2024

Pedigree Limousin cattle
Herd notes: Finishing cattle off grass this summer
At this time of year, finishing cattle off grass quickly has many advantages, in terms of stocking rate, profitability and workload, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Mon, 20 May, 2024

Freshly processed milk
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 20 May, 2024

Harvesting of silage
Preparing your pit - the last preparations for first-cut
Grass samples tested last week showed low sugar levels, advises ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Tue, 14 May, 2024

Newborn calf on hay in a farmhouse
Learnings from this year's calving season
It might not be long since the last calf was born on your farm, if you are finished calving already. Perhaps now is a good time to review what happened and make plans for next year, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Wed, 08 May, 2024

Close up image of hands holding animal feed at a stock yard
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every week on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Tue, 07 May, 2024

three Holstein cows look at the camera in a muddy field, behind them is another group of cows.
The milk production system promoted in Ireland must be revisited
Why are producers being pushed to get grazing when it is plain to see that in current conditions, this is damaging fields significantly, asks ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Mon, 15 Apr, 2024

cow lick salt
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 01 Apr, 2024

Close-up of young sugar beet sprouts grow in the field. Cultivation of sugar beet plants. Small green sugar beet plants
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 01 Apr, 2024

We eat the best to give you the best
Feeding for fertility when we're all stuck indoors
Many farms had banked on early turnout to grass before all their cows had calved, writes independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Sat, 30 Mar, 2024

Closeup of machine spreading fertilizer
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 25 Mar, 2024

Hay Making
Plan now for an early start for first-cut
The ground is still delicate after all the rain, but planning must start now to get first-cut off to an early start, writes Brian Reidy.

Mon, 25 Mar, 2024

The head of a black cow that eats clover on a green meadow, close-up.
The right feed at the right time: Setting your herd up for performance and fertility
With calving heading into the last third in the spring beef and dairy herds, it is now important to implement the correct feeding strategy, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Mon, 18 Mar, 2024

Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 18 Mar, 2024

Red Limousin Bull and Calf
Sucklers and beef herds longing for turn-out
At turn-out, the most important thing to monitor is grass intake and Rumen fill

Mon, 11 Mar, 2024

Black and white dairy cow grazing contentedly relaxed and happy while other cows graze behind. Methane and greenhouse gases a bi
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 04 Mar, 2024

Wheel tracks in wet clay soil
Grazing remains on hold - but it will eventually dry up
A man at a match last Saturday morning put it brilliantly when he described spring grazing as follows: “The first round is for the land, and the second one is for the cows!"

Fri, 01 Mar, 2024

green corn field in agricultural garden waiting to harvest
Planning your feed supply strategy for next winter
Grass silage, per 1,000UFL, has the potential to be as much as 30% more expensive for first cuts vs maize and beet and up to 50% more for second cuts. Is it always the right option?

Mon, 26 Feb, 2024

Calf enjoying the milk
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 26 Feb, 2024

Taking samples of the soil and groundwater, environmental research.
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every week on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Tue, 20 Feb, 2024

Mycotoxins: The signs in the pit indicating a serious issue 
Mycotoxins: The signs in the pit indicating a serious issue 
As dairy cows have been calving over the last few weeks, I have begun to see more and more herds under mycotoxin stress. Many silages of all descriptions made in 2023 are causing a wide variety of issues, and these must not be ignored.

Tue, 20 Feb, 2024

They love their milk
Calf-rearing is managing the future of your herd
Every farm has a different way of rearing calves, but getting the basics right are the same for every producer, independent ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy gives his take.

Tue, 13 Feb, 2024

North Devon Ruby Red beef cattle feeding in a row, Spetisbury, Dorset, England, UK
Should I change my beef finishing diet to optimise returns?
Underperformance and a delayed slaughter are very costly, regardless of the sale price.

Tue, 30 Jan, 2024

Uncooked rolled porridge oats background
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 29 Jan, 2024

Holstein Dairy Cows
Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Your weekly reminder of the things that should be at the top of your farm to-do list. Published every Monday on the Irish Examiner digital Farming hub.

Mon, 22 Jan, 2024

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