Time for a different milk production approach from 'On High'

Fewer high-yielding cows, producing more milk per head, would allow for lower cow numbers, less pressure on land price and, more importantly, less pressure on the farmer, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

Fewer high-yielding cows, producing more milk per head, would allow for lower cow numbers, less pressure on land price and, more importantly, less pressure on the farmer, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.

There is no doubt that Prime Time Investigates was a hard watch on the treatment and welfare of bull calves off the Irish dairy herd. 

I know we have all heard the mantra of it only being a few bad eggs, and 100% that is true. However, the quandary still exists for the industry going forward on how to deal with the bigger issue - the surplus of dairy-bred bull calves.