Heat Stress in your Herd — The Quick Guide
Spot it early, act fast. A summer one-pager for farms across Donegal, the northwest and Northern Ireland. What it is Heat stress isn’t just about heat — it’s heat and humidity together. On a close, muggy day a cow can’t shed her own body heat, so she eats less, stands more, and milk quietly slips, […]
Grass Quality Report – Lifford, 2nd July 2026
Grass Quality Supporting 14–15 Litres of Milk Fresh grass analysis carried out in Lifford on 2nd July 2026 highlights the current feeding value of grazing conditions. The results are typical for July in the west of Ireland, where frequent rainfall leads to grass with a lower dry matter content. As the grass contains more water, […]
Maintain Performance at Grass this Season.
Dry matter intake is the key driver to maintaining performance at grass and can fluctuate dramatically due to a multitude of factors. Dry Matter Ranges from 12% – 20%. The higher the dry matter percentage, the more a cow can eat. If there is a lot of water in the grass for example, grass with […]
Spring Turnout Tips for a Productive Grazing Season
Transitioning cows from winter diets to fresh spring grass offers an opportunity to increase milk production from forage, reduce concentrate feed costs and improve farm profitability. However, successful grazing management is essential to maintain performance levels and maximise these economic benefits. The aim: The main objectives of spring grazing management are to gradually increase the […]
Optimising Flock Performance with Vitamin-Rich Ewe Diets
Why is it so important to have high levels of Vitamin E in Ewe diets? All Smyths Daleside Feeds Ewe diets have at least 150 iu/kg of Vitamin E. Good Body Condition is important from mating through to the first month of lactation post lambing. Feeding correctly and having the Ewe in the correct body […]
Preparation for Mid-Season Lambing is Well Underway!
To maximise lamb survival and reduce mortality, particular emphasis should be placed on the following: 1. Body Condition of Ewes Ensuring ewes have a Body Condition Score of 3 to 3.25 at lambing is critical. Good body condition from mating through to the first month of lactation affects embryonic mortality, lamb size, vigour, survival, subsequent […]
Maximising Value From Your Silage: Smarter Budgeting for Winter Feed
With winter feeding well underway on most farms, now is the ideal time to assess your silage stocks and identify whether you will be in surplus or deficit by turnout or when first cut is harvested next year. Although 2025 has been a favourable year for grass growth on many farms, it remains essential to […]
Smyths Daleside Continue Balmoral Show Sponsorship
Smyths Daleside, a leading animal feed manufacturer from the North-West of Ireland is looking forward to continuing its partnership with RUAS and Balmoral Show. This will see the Donegal agri business into its second year as sponsor of major categories including the Holstein and Hereford sections, plus a variety of Champion sheep classes including Hampshire […]
Smyths Daleside Launch Mmore Fibre Range
Leading animal feed manufacturer, Smyths Daleside, who have a track record of feeding champions, are proud to introduce their new high fibre feed range, ‘MmoreFibre’. This new range has currently four dedicated products covering lambs, baby calves, weanling and show animals. Containing a balanced combination of cooked products, pulps, cereals and high quality proteins, essential […]
Smyths Daleside Announce Balmoral Show Sponsorship
Smyths Daleside, a leading animal feed manufacturer in the North-West of Ireland is excited to commence a new partnership with Balmoral Show, seeing them sponsor the Holstein and Hereford sections plus the Hampshire Down and Charolais sheep sections. Smyths Daleside have developed a renowned reputation in both the North and South of Ireland for manufacturing the […]
Ewe Feeding
Why is it so important to have high levels of Vitamin E in Ewe diets? All Smyths Daleside Feeds Ewe diets have at least 150 iu/kg of Vitamin E. Good Body Condition is important from mating through to the first month of lactation post lambing. Feeding correctly and having the Ewe in the correct body […]
Lice Management for Livestock
With the increased housing of animals, lice will start becoming more of a problem on farms. There are two types of lice:1. Biting lice – these primarily eat dead skin and scabs and are mostly found on the neck, shoulders, back and rump. They bite into the skin and cause greater irritation than sucking lice. […]