This week we look at some of the other key messages from the participants in the programme in terms of breeding and herd health.

Improvements in breeding and herd health have been centre-stage in both the first and second phases of the BETTER farm programme.

The breeding section was chaired by Catherine Egan and focused on a discussion with Ger Dineen, Co Cork, Tom Halpin, Co Meath, and Marty Lenehan, Co Sligo.

Catherine told the crowd how each had a strong focus on increasing maternal traits in their cow herds for several years and how they are currently going about maintaining and improving the maternal element of the herds even further.

Lessons on herd health

In the health section, we get some details from Heinz Eggert, Co Kildare, James Strain, Co Donegal, and Patrick Grennan, Co Wexford, on what the key issues have been on their farms since they joined the BETTER farm programme.

The majority of farmers in the programme have increased stocking rates on the farms.

With this comes increased pressure on herd health. The farmers talked through some of the key issues they have come up against in the past few years.

Tom Halpin, Co Meath

How did you achieve a tight calving interval?

I suppose that is the benefit of calving cows in June and July. I have a split calving system. Those that calve in June and July are much easier to get back in calf. There is always plenty of grass and they go back in calf before being housed. Tightening the calving spread did not happen overnight and it was actually much slower than we thought it would be. We brought in more maternal traits to the herd. We had a Limousin bull out of a Ronick Hawk sire, which we used for replacements, and have recently purchased a maternal Simmental bull.

Why operate a split-calving herd?

We increased cow numbers significantly on the farm. Because of this and limitations of housing, it was decided to focus on a split-calving herd.

Do you let cows slip from the autumn to spring herd?

No. We realised the importance of being ruthless and the need to keep the calving pattern tight. We scan cows six weeks after breeding finishes and what is not in calf is culled. The same is done for the spring herd.

Why use stock bulls over AI?

I would say the simple reason for this is because we are not set up for AI.

Marty Lenehan, Co Sligo

How do the diets of the spring and autumn herd vary?

The autumn cows are restricted to manage body condition score. Top-quality 70+DMD silage is fed to the autumn herd during the winter, while the dry spring calvers are fed poorer-quality silage to control BCS during the dry period. They are then increased on to ad-lib good-quality silage once calved. I don’t feed any concentrates to the autumn- or spring-calving herds, bar first-calved heifers or thin cows.

What stock bulls do you use and what do you look for in a bull?

I have both a maternal and terminal bull. The Simmental bull is from maternal breeding and the Charolais is a terminal. I operate 24-month calving and try to breed from within the herd. The maternal bull is out of Bawny T-Rex and has a replacement value of €136. The terminal bull is out of Prime Roberto and has a terminal value of €141.

What is your ideal cow type?

One that has milk and will calve every year. I am not married to the cow; if she doesn’t calve within the period, she will be culled. I think you should breed from within the herd, because you will know more about it. People buying in have no information on the animal.

Ger Dineen, Co Cork

Why are you using all AI on the farm?

I like to make work for myself! It started when I had a stock bull and he hurt himself during the breeding season. I had to use some AI and from that, I completed a course. This year, I have used 12 to 15 different bulls, which offers me a lot more flexibility.

How have you got the calving pattern so compact?

I separate the cows and calves during the day, which helps to bring cows in heat more quickly. The difficult job is getting it compact in the first place. Once it is compact, it is more straightforward to keep it compact.

How are you placed to meet BDGP targets?

I have been breeding for maternal traits for the past 15 years, so I have no issue. All I want is to get more milk into the herd.

What is your ideal cow type?

My best cows are dual- purpose breeds and I am going back there again. I want to get bulls to 500kg off grass. I am trying to use some dual-purpose sires again. I am putting them on the larger, square cows to create a cow that is not too beefy and is a little smaller, with plenty of milk.

Heinz Eggert, Co Kildare

What are the key health issues on the farm in the past few years?

In phase one of the programme, we looked at BVD and were part of a pilot programme. We took blood samples from the whole herd and highlighted an issue with BVD. We then culled all PIs. We also had issues with pneumonia in sheds over the years.

How did you tackle the issues?

The BVD PIs were culled and a vaccination programme implemented. Since then, we have only turned up with one PI calf as part of the BVD eradication programme. There does not seem to be any issue with the disease on the farm now. With pneumonia, we started vaccinating for IBR after we diagnosed an issue on the farm. We are also vaccinating for RSV and Pi3. We then looked at improving ventilation in sheds. We raised sheets in roofs to allow for increased ventilation and sheeted some sides to stop draughts.

What tips would you have for other farmers experiencing a problem?

Investigate the issue, send any dead animals to the lab and complete testing to identify the issue. Implement a vaccination programme where necessary.

James Strain, Co Donegal

What has been the main herd health issue on the farm in recent years?

There has been the odd issue with calf scour over the past few years, but the main issue that has had an impact on the farm was salmonella. In 2012, we lost seven calves out of 35 and could not find the cause. We had some losses again in 2013 and, in 2014, lost a stock bull to salmonella. It was at that stage that we realised what the main issue was.

How did you tackle the issue?

We blooded all the cows and had them tested for salmonella; one cow was removed as a result. We then implemented a vaccination programme for the herd.

Did it have an impact on vet call-outs and the herd health bill?

There was increased use of medicine to treat animals; veterinary call-outs have not increased much. I suppose the main cost has been to lost animals. Including the loss of the bull and a few calves, it is substantial, as we only had the bull two years.

What tips do you have for other farmers?

Bring dead calves to the lab. I am now bringing all dead calves and aborted calves to the lab. I will also try to bring the placenta if it is possible. A good vaccination programme has been essential.

Patrick Grennan, Co Wexford

What have been the main disease issues on the farm?

I suppose the first issue that we came across on the farm was a pneumonia issue with the calves. I noticed there was a lot of coughing starting in the sheds. I talked to neighbours who had similar issues and tried to pick their brains as to the best method of treatment. The second issue was scour, which hit the calves in 2014.

How did you treat the issues?

We introduced a vaccination programme for the entire herd against IBR, RSV and Pi3. The calves are vaccinated at two weeks of age intranasally and the cows are injected twice a year for IBR. The calves are vaccinated for RSV and Pi3 in March, with a booster given a month later. We also started vaccinating against Rotavirus and Coronavirus and that has had a beneficial impact.

What tips would you give to other farmers?

As the stocking rate increases, vaccinations become a necessity on the farm. I think that the vaccinatation programme, although expensive, is very worthwhile in reducing the risk of an outbreak and time-consuming treatments. I suppose it is always worth talking to your neighbours and vet.