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On many of the Dairylink project farms, herd expansion is an option to increase farm output and ultimately farm profit.
There is renewed interest in expansion as stable milk prices so far this year have built confidence on these farms.
However, strategic planning for such expansion – large or small – is critical to fully capitalise on the increased output.
Rationale for expansion
I spoke to some of the project farmers on the rationale for expansion on their farms, and what management issues they consider important as they are actively increasing the herd.
An increase in herd size automatically increases pressure on all resources including land, labour and existing facilities.
A detailed plan is needed highlighting how the farm will cope with more cows in terms of additional land and forage requirements, more replacement stock and calves on farm, additional slurry storage capacity, and a greater labour requirement.
If these areas are not well planned before expansion, the benefit of more cows on any farm can be counterproductive and ultimately lead to lower returns.
Dairylink farmers have focused on improving existing herd performance before considering the option of expansion.
All the farms are now three years in the project and as you will read below, much of the expansion is from improved performance from the existing mix of resources available on farm.
I have started to dry cows off this month, with 161 cows due to calve from September to January 2018.
There is a group of 30 replacement heifers due in September and October, with a further 22 Jersey cross heifers due in February 2018.
The Jersey cross heifers were purchased 12 months ago to help improve milk components within the herd.
The investment in to the grazing block includes new roadways, water drinkers and a significant push to improve soil fertility.
Coupled with better grazing management, this has resulted in more grass available on the farm.
More cows on the grazing block
Effectively I can carry more cows on the grazing block, allowing me to capitalise on the investment.
Silage stocks are good and it’s an excellent year for grass, with the grazing platform growing 0.3tDM/ha ahead of last year.
Outlying land has also performed better, with new reseeds increasing production.
Improved grazing management has also pushed butterfat and protein for the herd with an additional 0.15% protein and the Jersey heifers will increase this further next year.
The improved performance from the grass has allowed me to consider more cows. I have earmarked 15 cows which can be sold and culled, cows which are falling out of the calving profile.
Nitrates
From a nitrates viewpoint, I could carry an additional 25/30 cows which would take the total organic nitrogen loading to 230kg/ha.
Factoring in the additional cows, my overall stocking rate would be 2.5LU/ha. This will include the 50 zero- to one-year heifers and a further 50 one- to two-year group.
Breeding
We used 356 AI straws during the last breeding season, which works out at 1.8 straws/head.
A stock bull was used for late cows.
An AI technician is used for all AI breeding in cows and heifers, which works well. Sires used include Mastro, Wizard, Cheesemaker, Lucky Whistler, and Stevie.
If I can source the additional stock the herd could expand to 195 cows which would increase milk output by 11%.
I would have an increase in variable cost in terms of veterinary and concentrate. However, overhead cost would remain unchanged with the additional cows purchased either through cashflow or the cost spread over a five-year period.
I switched from suckler beef farming into dairy farming six years ago. The original 80 suckler cows changed into black and white dairy stock at the beginning.
Over the six-year period, the herd has grown from 80 cows to 165 today.
The growth has come from replacement and purchased stock. Building replacement numbers takes time with this year the first we have got significant numbers on the ground.
We have 56 zero- to one-year heifers due to be bred this December and will come into production September 2018.
However, there is a shortfall in replacement stock between now and then, with only 24 heifers coming into the herd this autumn, only just covering culls.
Reseeding and stocking rate
With the facilities I have, the farm could milk 180 cows. Recent stock purchases increase numbers by seven, with another 13 needed.
We have reseeded 70 acres this year, which has effectively taken this land out of production for 2.5 months.
However, I am confident the improved production from the reseeds will compensate for the lost grazing during the reseed.
Stocking rate is the key limiting factor on this farm, followed by sourcing stock which fall into the autumn calving profile on the farm.
We have nearly 80% of the new farm now reseeded, with a real push this year to increase soil fertility on both the home farm and the new farm.
I am starting to see the benefits of this work with improved production and higher-quality grass.
The grazing management has improved with the herd now in the seventh rotation on the grazing block. This is giving me the confidence to grow the herd.
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