Industry Insights & News

With cows now housed, many farmers across Northern Ireland are keen to maximise silage within their milk production systems to help ad herd performance during the coming months. Fane Valley Feeds Sales team have been proactively testing forages throughout the year, with results demonstrating forage quality lower than normal, especially in second cut silages. Subsequently…

Fertility is one of the key performance indicators (KPI) on dairy farms to ensure a constant milk supply. Dr David Johnston evaluates some of the cornerstones of a productive and fertile herd, and how the Fane Valley Feeds Dairy range is tailored to suit every system. The Pre Breeding Period, normally within the first 50-100…

Improving efficiency on dairy farms is the key message from Fane Valley Feeds this winter ensuring that every step of production on your farm is effective to withstand current market pressure from increased commodities. Dr David Johnston, Ruminant Nutritionist with Fane Valley Feeds gives an overview of the transition period and getting fresh cows off…

With the majority of cows housed in recent weeks due to a change in weather conditions, many farmers across Northern Ireland are keen to utilise silage within their milk production systems to help maximise herd performance during the coming months. Fane Valley Feeds Technical team have been proactively testing forages throughout the year, with results…

Correct dry cow nutrition especially during the close-up period, is essential for optimum performance in the next lactation, both in terms of milk yield and fertility, and to reduce the incidence of metabolic disease during the fresh period. The Role of Calcium There are many aspects of dry cow nutrition that need to be considered,…

Reducing the age of first calving (AFC) to 24 months is now the target on most dairy farms, given the associated benefits of reduced rearing costs, higher lifetime yield and increased longevity. This is still a challenge on many farms as NMR’s most recent key performance indicators show that the average AFC is 26.5 months….

Dry matter intake is the key driver to maintaining performance at grass and can fluctuate dramatically due to a multitude of factors. It is essential to take a flexible approach when considering potential ‘litres from grass,’ considering grass quality on the farm and variable weather conditions. Under optimum grazing conditions, cows have the potential to…

Fane Valley will once again continue its sponsorship partnership with Balmoral Show and is set to support the Holstein and Hereford sections plus the Hampshire Down and Charolais sheep sections. Speaking at the sponsorship launch, Matthew Armstrong – Technical Support Manager at Fane Valley Feeds said, “Sponsoring Balmoral Show is another way for us to give…

William and David Irvine farm the Halftown Holstein herd at Mountnorris in County Armagh. A strong emphasis has always been placed on making and conserving high quality forage. A key element to producing high quality forage is using PIONEER® forage additives.William explains, “We have used PIONEER® additives on this farm for at least the last…

As the cost of milk and meat production has increased dramatically in recent times, it has become ever more important to get the most from our home grown forages this spring. Given the weather conditions we encountered in early March, it has been difficult to get cattle turned out to grass. Conditions have improved in…