Specialist Nutrition

Specialist Nutrition Ireland’s expert partner in moist feed & on-farm nutrition. Specialist Nutrition offers bespoke Nutritional advice and products to Ireland leading farmers.

Supporting dairy, beef & pig farmers with scientifically-backed solutions to boost herd performance. 🌾 Established in 1999, Specialist Nutrition is the market leader in by-product management to Ireland’s growing drinks industry. Our products include moist feeds & liquid feeds as well as a wide selection of nutrition products, which combined with our technical expertise means we can offer complete

bespoke nutrition solutions to dairy & beef farmers across Ireland. Our growing product range reflects the increasing requirement for high performance nutrition products, which the changing needs of our market requires. We will continue to meet the demands of our customers, with a particular focus on efficient expansion of their farming enterprise.

16/04/2026

Water is often the forgotten nutrient on farm.

Before turnout, it’s worth testing what your cows are actually drinking. Using a handheld tester, you can quickly measure water quality in the trough.

A reading between 0–50 RLUs indicates good quality water. Anything above that means it’s time to clean.

In this case, a reading of 520 RLUs clearly shows the need to empty, scrub, and remove any debris or algae before cows go back out.

Simple checks like this can make a real difference to intakes and performance.

Every farm is different — if you want tailored advice, get in touch with our team.
📞 +353 43 333 0077
🌐 specialistnutrition.ie

13/04/2026

Grass might be the focus right now, but water quality shouldn’t be overlooked.

Troughs have often been sitting idle all winter, allowing debris and algae to build up. Before cows head out, it’s important to check and clean them properly.

Poor water quality can reduce intakes, impact rumen function, and ultimately affect performance.

A quick check now can prevent bigger issues later.

If you want to make sure everything is right before turnout, have a chat with our team.
📞 +353 43 333 0077
🌐 specialistnutrition.ie

06/04/2026

Spring is here and with most cows calved, the focus shifts to getting cows up to peak milk and back in calf. One of the biggest challenges now is reducing time spent in negative energy balance. 🐄✨

A good quality TMR is key — strong silage, the right starch balance, and in some cases adding sugar can help. Sugar is highly palatable and energy-dense, helping drive intakes while supporting rumen function and better utilisation of fibre and starch.

It also allows you to pack more energy into a smaller feed volume, leaving room for grass as cows transition out.

For more advice on your feeding strategy this spring, get in touch with the Specialist Nutrition team.

📞 +353 43 333 0077
🌐 specialistnutrition.ie

24/03/2026

James Goodman from Co. Monaghan started using AuraCalf around three years ago after running into repeated issues with scours and rotavirus.👇🐄

Like many farmers, he tried different products, but nothing was solving the problem. Money going out, with little to show for it.

Since switching to AuraCalf, things have settled. Calf health improved, disease pressure reduced, and the system became far more consistent. No chopping and changing since.

And the results don’t stop at calf stage.

Comparing year on year, his weanling heifers came in 30kg heavier. Same system, same farm — the difference came down to what was going into the meal.

That’s performance you see at sale time.
And when beef price is strong, that extra weight goes straight to profit.

Healthier calves. Better weight gain. Stronger returns.

Talk to the Specialist Nutrition team today on +353 (0) 51 833071 or visit specialistnutrition.ie to see how AuraCalf can support performance on your farm.

19/03/2026

Up here in Co. Monaghan, James Goodman is running a pedigree Holstein herd alongside his father — and like most busy spring systems, everything comes down to keeping calves healthy from day one. 👇🐄

No complicated setup. Just a system that works.

AuraCalf is fed through whole milk on an ad lib system — 10g per calf, once a day, mixed into the morning feed. Alongside that, regular disinfection of the calf and maternity sheds twice weekly to keep bacteria levels down, especially during peak calving.

Simple, consistent, repeatable.

And most importantly — it’s delivering.

Calves are thriving. Fewer health issues. A smoother rearing period when pressure is at its highest.

If you’re dealing with calf health challenges this season, it’s worth a look.

Talk to the Specialist Nutrition team today on +353 (0) 51 833071 or visit specialistnutrition.ie to see how AuraCalf can fit into your system.

11/03/2026

📏 How do you know if your calves are on track?

One of the simplest ways is to measure their growth.

Using a weigh band gives a quick and practical estimate of calf weight — and helps track whether your calves are hitting their targets.

👉 A good rule of thumb: aim to double birth weight by weaning.

By weighing calves at birth and again at weaning, farmers can calculate growth rates and quickly see if nutrition and management are delivering the results they should.

Small checks like this can make a big difference to future herd performance.

📞 Want expert advice on calf nutrition and herd performance?
Call the Specialist Nutrition team on +353 (0) 51 833071 or request a farm visit here:
👉 https://specialistnutrition.ie/contact/

26/02/2026

Why should you use the New AuraCalf Bolus?

✔ Give at first feed of beastings
✔ Or use at first sign of setback
✔ Same as 30g of powder
✔ Easy to administer

If crypto pressure is high?
Double the powder rate to 20g per calf per day until calves stabilise.

Convenience matters during busy calving season.
But so does control.

Whether you’re preventing or managing a challenge, AuraCalf gives you both options.

Talk to our nutrition team about what protocol suits your farm.

📞 +353 (0) 51 833071
🌱 specialistnutrition.ie

25/02/2026

“We haven’t had coccidiosis since.”

That’s the difference.

Calves thriving on meal.
Going to grass strong.
No setbacks dragging them back.

AuraCalf isn’t about firefighting problems.
It’s about preventing them before they cost you performance.

Healthy calves → better thrive → stronger beef returns.

If you want calves hitting grass flying instead of recovering, let’s talk.

📞 +353 (0) 51 833071
🔗 specialistnutrition.ie

20/02/2026

Crypto at 5–7 weeks was causing real setbacks on this 100-cow system.

Now in year three using AuraCalf, Don Leane is seeing a different story —
✔ No recurring crypto issues
✔ No infection build-up in pens
✔ No late-weaning setbacks

Simple routine. Consistent results.

If you’ve had recurring calf health challenges, it’s time to tighten the system early.

📞 Call +353 (0) 51 833071
🌱 Or visit www.specialistnutrition.ie

08/02/2026

Stomach tube feeders are a great way to get a known volume of colostrum into a calf, fast. 👍

But it only works when it’s done gently, by trained staff, and with the calf kept calm.
Just as important: clean properly every time with hot water, detergent, then disinfect.

Good technique + good hygiene = better absorption and healthier calves.

👉 Need advice on calf feeding or colostrum management? Call +353 (0) 51 833071 or visit www.specialistnutrition.ie

26/01/2026

Weaning by weight or by intake? 🤔

Ideally, calves should be weaned based on dry matter intake: around 1.5–2kg of dry feed for 3 consecutive days.

But in reality, most farms aren’t weighing calves or closely monitoring intake.
That’s why a practical, consistent weaning plan matters just as much as the target itself.

👉 Need advice on calf feeding or weaning strategies? Call +353 (0) 51 833071 or visit www.specialistnutrition.ie

16/01/2026

A lot of calf setbacks come down to one simple thing: milk mixed at the wrong concentration.

One of the most valuable tools you can have in the calf kitchen is a Brix refractometer 👇

✅ Use it to check colostrum quality
✅ And just as importantly — to check milk / milk replacer concentration once it’s mixed

Whether you’re feeding through a JFC feeder, another automatic feeder, or mixing manually with buckets/teats, this is how you make sure you’re actually delivering what you think you are, 12.5% or 15%, mixed correctly, every time.

Want help setting your feeding routine up properly?
📞 Call +353 (0) 51 833071 or visit www.specialistnutrition.ie

Address

Ballymountain
Waterford

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+35351833071

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Specialist Nutrition posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Specialist Nutrition:

Shortcuts

Share

Unlocking The Potential Of Dairy & Beef Farms

Your farm has untapped potential; your cows, your land and you as a farmer can always achieve more. Perhaps your land is restricting you from growing, or poor silage quality has made achieving a consistent diet difficult, or maybe you need better risk management in your feeding programme. Specialist Nutrition can work with you in these areas and others, in order to unlock the potential of your farm.

We offer a range of unique moist and liquid co-product animal feeds and work with some of the country’s most progressive farmers. Our nutritional experts assess your farming enterprise and then provide bespoke nutritional advice; with a particular focus on helping you to realise the potential that exists within your farm. This expertise, coupled with our co-product and performance products range, enables you to achieve this.

Established in 1999, we are the market leader in co-product management; trusted by some of Ireland’s leading drinks companies to deliver the required solutions to effectively manage their co-product distribution.