Footbath Design and Use - MDC-D-18-04
Duration 3 years
Team and Leader Milk Development Council
Organisations Involved Milk Development Council
Background and Summary
To investigate current footbath and configurations.
To find the design giving most contact between solution and hoof.
To examine the siting of footbaths.
To develop a manual containing the results of research.
Strategies for reducing lameness in Northern Ireland Dairy Herds - D-23-04
Duration 5 years - commencing September 2004
Team and Leader Drs Niamh O'Connell, Alistair Carson, Maurice McCoy and David Logue (SAC)
Organisations Involved ARINI, VSD and SAC Auchincruive.
Background and Summary
Lameness costs Northern Ireland producers approximately £10m per year (£2000 per herd), which equates to 10% of the variable cost of milk production. This cost is due to reduced fertility and milk yield, increased culling rates and treatment costs. Key factors contributing to lameness are difficulties detecting and treating problems at an early stage.
Read more: Strategies for reducing lameness in Northern Ireland Dairy Herds - D-23-04
The effect of protein levels in dairy cow diets on body reserves throughout lactation - D-31-06
Duration 2 years commencing September 2005
Team and Leader Desmond Patterson & Fiona Young
Organisations Involved ARINI & DARDNI
Background and Summary
Optimisation of supplementation of forage with concentrates is essential to improve efficiency and economic sustainability of dairy cow production systems, as well as reducing the environmental impact of intensive dairy farming in Northern Ireland.
Producing a Booklet on `Improving Milk Composition in the Dairy Herd' - D-01-97
Duration
Team and Leader S Mayne
Organisations involved Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland - S Mayne and T Keady
Background and Summary
The survey of Northern Ireland dairy farmers on research priorities highlighted a need for the industry to have more information on how to improve milk composition. While new innovative research programmes can be developed to further progress this area the first need was for farmers to be made fully aware of the considerable amount of information which already existed from previous research.
Read more: Producing a Booklet on `Improving Milk Composition in the Dairy Herd' - D-01-97
Effect of nutritional management during the first 42 days post calving on ‘lactational’ performance, uterine health, and subsequent reproductive performance post partum (D-50-10)
Project title: Effect of nutritional management during the first 42 days post calving on ‘lactational’ performance, uterine health, and subsequent reproductive performance post partum
Project leader and team: Ryan Law and Conrad Ferris
Duration: 12 months commencing September 2009
Organisations involved: AFBI
Background to proposal:
Reproductive failure is the predominant reason for culling high yielding dairy cows, and at an estimated annual cost of £18,000 per 100 cow herd, can severely reduce profitability. Although many factors have contributed to the decline in dairy cow fertility, there is a strong relationship between the increased genetic capacity for milk production and reduced reproductive performance.