Feirm Journal
Farming Advice
Farming Advice
Mastitis Control Beyond the Parlour: Protecting Udder Health Across the Farm
Mastitis prevention doesn't begin and end in the milking parlour. From the condition of cubicle beds to dry cow management, nutrition and everyday housing hygiene, what happens outside the parlour plays a major role in protecting udder health and controlling somatic cell count (SCC).
Farming Advice
Budget 2026 Ireland: What Does It Mean for Irish Farmers?
Budget 2026 delivered an additional €170 million in funding for Ireland’s agriculture sector, bringing the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s total allocation to over €2.3 billion. But what does this actually mean for farmers on the ground? From increased funding for TB eradication and environmental schemes to support for slurry storage, farm modernisation and livestock farming, Budget 2026 introduced several measures affecting Irish agriculture. At Feirm Supplies, we're breaking down the key announcements and what they mean for dairy, beef, sheep and tillage farmers across Ireland.
Farming Advice
Dry Cow Management: Teat Sealers, Hygiene & Drying Off
Drying off is one of the most important management periods in the dairy calendar. What happens at drying off can affect udder health during the dry period and into the following lactation. Good preparation, careful hygiene, appropriate use of teat sealers and dry cow treatments, and clean housing all play an important role. For Irish dairy farmers, dry cow treatment should now be approached on an individual cow basis, with antibiotic dry cow therapy used where there is evidence that it is required and in consultation with your veterinary practitioner.
Farming Advice
How Much Cubicle Lime Do I Need Per Cow?
Keeping cubicles clean and dry is an important part of winter housing management, particularly for dairy cows. But how much cubicle lime should you actually be using? A useful guideline from Teagasc is 1 tonne of lime for every 20 cows over a five-month winter. This works out at approximately 50kg of cubicle lime per cow for a 150-day housing period.
Farming Advice
Test, Don’t Guess: Faecal Egg Count Testing for Worms & Fluke
Fast, in-house parasite testing for Irish cattle and sheep farmers When was the last time you checked whether your cattle or sheep actually needed a worm dose? For many years, routine dosing at set times throughout the grazing season was common practice. But parasite control is changing.
Farming Advice