In the fourth and final episode of season two of Agriland's limited series 'The Dairy Trail', technical dairy journalist, Hugh Harney takes a trip to dairy farmer Joe Healy's farm in Athboy, Co. Meath.

Joe Healy is milking 97 pedigree Holstein Friesian cows, where the use of American Holstein genetics, embryo transfers and intensive breeding selection is driving his herd towards 700kg of milk solids/cow.

Joe is hugely enthusiastic about breeding and genetics as he started off milking cows with a strong base of Economic Breeding Index in 2020, and is now driving towards more type, more milk and cows that he enjoys milking twice a day.

Joe keeps his three children involved on the farm as they are proud members of the Irish Holstein Friesian Association young members association and Joe's long term goal is to make the farm more attractive for the next generation.

Joe also talks about current cow performance, managing rapid grass growth rates and improving his farm business through genetics, infrastructure and lifestyle.

Mike Clohessy is milking 75 black and white cows in Fedamore, Co. Limerick where one Lely A4 robot and a strict breeding routine is paving the way for high solids and good work/life balance.

Mike also has a full-time job off farm as the director of the genetic company, Bullwise CRV and is able to manage dairy farming with his job with the help of the robot.

Mike talks about his breeding programme and how he wants to breed a cow with good capacity, with an ability to intake large quantities of grass and can convert this to 600kg of milk solids a year.

The Limerick man discusses the grassland management on the farm through an ABC robotic grazing system, time-off, plans for the future and a potential increase in cow numbers and robots.

In the second episode of season two of Agriland's limited series 'The Dairy Trail', technical dairy journalist, Hugh Harney takes a trip to dairy farmer Sam and Henry Dudley's farm in Co. Tipperary.

Sam Dudley is a third year agricultural science student in UCC, currently doing his work placement in Dovea Genetics and working away on the farm with his father Henry at every chance he gets.

The father and son duo are milking 82 pedigree British Friesian cows, known as the Dekeana herd across a 20ha milking platform with the rest of the land being fragmented into six blocks for silage, heifer rearing, and the pedigree Angus and Shorthorn cattle.

In this podcast, Sam talks about how the pure British Friesian herd are pumping out solids for them, his love for genetics and breeding, his future plans and future investments as well as growth rates and grazing management.