In the fourth episode of Agriland’s latest limited podcast series ‘The Dairy Trail’, technical dairy journalist, Hugh Harney takes a trip to Hanbidge’s dairy farm in Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow.

Linda Hanbidge is farming in partnership with her brother Gordon, her mother, Rosemary, and her father, Alan, where they all work together seamlessly.

The Hanbidges are aiming to milk 130 Montbeliarde cows at peak this year, which will be the most cows they have ever run on the farm.

Gordon and Linda Hanbidge with their two dogs and herd of Montbeliarde cows

The 130 cows are set to test their grass management skills this year as their ground is extremely dry and can struggle in drier summer conditions.

Linda talked about how Montbeliarde cows deliver the goods on the farm, with the family milking purebred Montbeliardes since 1993.

Linda talks about the autumn calving season and how it is managed and how that system suits everyone on the farm.

In the episode, Linda also explains how herself and the family have been managing the calving season from colostrum feeding to the dietary requirements of their cows.

Linda talks in depth about recent investments they have made on the farm, from a new milking parlour, to a new cubicle shed, and the luxury of an automatic calf feeder.

The Hanbidge’s herd of Montbeliardes out grazing

This limited podcast series ‘The Dairy Trail’ takes listeners inside the yard of dairy farms across the country to hear what is happening on the ground.

The four-part series covers everything from calving down cows, managing calves, herd nutrient requirements, getting cows out to grazing, and spreading slurry and fertiliser.

The Dairy Trail podcast will be available on all podcast platforms and on Agriland. Please do rate, review and share with anyone who might be interested.

This is the final episode of season one of the The Dairy Trail podcast. Stay tuned to find out when we will be returning for season two.

Agriland Podcasts

The Farming Week

AgriFocus

The Dairy Trail

The Farm Safety Survivor Series

The Farm Finance Podcast