Brian McDonnell

Brian McDonnell Profile Picture

Brian McDonnell is from Raheny, Co. Dublin. He has an honours degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Dundalk IT. He has worked on dairy and beef farms in both Ireland and the UK, including Teagasc Grange and a large-scale 650-cow dairy farm which also had a 1,200 animal youngstock-rearing farm in Scotland. He has a keen interest in agriculture and particularly the dairy sector and in his spare time is active in local rugby and golf.

How to obtain the best nitrogen use efficiency
How to obtain the best nitrogen use efficiency

High chemical-fertiliser prices have placed a focus on obtaining the best nitrogen use efficiency on dairy farms. Although fertiliser prices...

Mastitis control: 90% of farmers using SDCT
Mastitis control: 90% of farmers using SDCT

Mastitis is an inflammation of the cow's mammary gland, which is usually caused by bacteria entering the teat canal. Mastitis...

Breeding season: Generating replacement heifers
Breeding season: Generating replacement heifers

In recent years, due to expansion and the end of quotas, herd size on farms has stabilised. Because of this,...

Dairy sales: Strong demand among northern buyers
Dairy sales: Strong demand among northern buyers

Spring dairy sales have kicked off at marts in recent weeks. To obtain some insight into how the trade has...

Are you wasting a third of the chemical fertiliser you spread?
Are you wasting a third of the chemical fertiliser you spread?

Chemical fertiliser is a hot topic at the minute in the agricultural sector, with concern over pricing in 2022 and...

Lively trade at Taaffe Auctions’ first spring sales
Lively trade at Taaffe Auctions’ first spring sales

Taaffe Auctions kicked off its spring dairy sales last week in Carnaross on Wednesday (January 19) and Dungannon on Thursday...

Dairy advice: Weaning autumn-born calves
Dairy advice: Weaning autumn-born calves

Spring is just around the corner and now is a good time to begin the weaning of autumn-born calves, to...

Controlling digital dermatitis during the housed period
Controlling digital dermatitis during the housed period

Digital dermatitis - also known as Mortellaro's disease - often rears its head on farms during the housed period, when...

Why didn’t my vaccinations programme work?
Why didn’t my vaccinations programme work?

The use of vaccinations in livestock will become increasingly more important with the rules around the use of antibiotics due...

Dungannon dairy sale: Atrium daughter makes top price
Dungannon dairy sale: Atrium daughter makes top price

Taaffe auctions held its final sale of the year recently, at Dungannon Mart, Co. Tyrone, and had 105 lots on...

Parlour training your in-calf heifers, have you started yet?
Parlour training your in-calf heifers, have you started yet?

The milking production season has ended on many spring-calving dairy farms for 2021, and now is a good opportunity for...

In pictures: Taaffe Auctions December dairy sale
In pictures: Taaffe Auctions December dairy sale

On Wednesday (December 8) as the tail end of storm Barra passed over the country, Agriland made the trip to...

8,500gns achieved by Kerry breeders at Black and White sale
8,500gns achieved by Kerry breeders at Black and White sale

The 2021 Black and White dairy sale took place on Saturday, December 3, at Borderway Mart in Carlisle. There was...

Maintaining silage quality during the winter period
Maintaining silage quality during the winter period

The housed period has begun on farms, with silage pits now being opened to feed stock for the winter ahead,...

Quality stock remain in demand at autumn dairy sales
Quality stock remain in demand at autumn dairy sales

The autumn dairy sales have seen the demand for high quality stock continue from the spring sales and even 2020...

Arla Foods develops ‘revolutionary’ milk separation technology
Arla Foods develops ‘revolutionary’ milk separation technology

Arla Foods has unveiled what it describes as "revolutionary" technology that allows the company to separate milk into different protein...

Autumn calving: Managing freshly calved cows
Autumn calving: Managing freshly calved cows

Autumn-calving cows are now in the period between calving and breeding, so good management of them at this time of...

Getting maximum benefit from footbathing your cows
Getting maximum benefit from footbathing your cows

The footbathing of cows is an important management tool to prevent issues like lameness. But to ensure you get the...