When the suckler to beef operation wasn’t returning an income to maintain the farm business, Nigel Daunt decided dairy farming was the way to go. Nigel completed a dairy business degree in University College Dublin and then set about converting the farm just outside Innishannon, Co Cork, into paddocks for dairy cows. Work experience in New Zealand during the degree course was his first-time milking cows and Nigel loved it.
Nigel Daunt.
In 2014 he graduated and in 2015 started farming full-time in a partnership with his parents Robert and Dorothy. In 2017 the farm was converted from a suckler to a dairy farm. One of the first goals was to source high-quality, high-EBI stock with a very good disease status. In-calf heifers were purchased when the sucklers started to go in 2016.
In 2017, 30 heifers were purchased because it was May 2017 (just three years ago) before the parlour was up and going as planning delayed the project.
The Daunt parlour.
Another batch of heifers brought cow numbers to 50 in 2018, last year in 2019 there were 65 cows milking and this year Nigel is up to 80 cows. There are 25 heifers coming in for 2021 so Nigel hopes to milk near the 100 cows in 2021. Nigel’s parents are actively involved in helping out on the farm.
Outside the parlour.
Total area farmed is 66ha, with 43ha available to the cows.
The farm is still developing as the milk flows. The eight-unit parlour was built with room to move to a 20-unit parlour and that has happened. There were no feeders in the parlour when we visited but Nigel had IDS feeders purchased and was hoping to install them shortly.
During the winter, cows are still housed in the old suckler sheds that had slatted tanks out front by the feed face and a deep straw-bedded lying area at the back. A lot of straw is used in the winter with about three round bales per day rolled out to keep the cows right.
Straw stored in the shed.
Again in time Nigel will look to develop cubicle housing and is looking at all options to use existing sheds or move out on a greenfield site near the parlour. Using the existing sheds reduced the initial outlay and allowed Nigel invest more in quality stock that was going to be quicker giving the farm a better financial return.
Total bacterial count (TBC) and somatic cell counts (SCC) are excellent all year with weighted average TBC at 3 and SCC averaging 45.
Nigel Daunt with his herd.
Key stats
Cow numbers 2019: 66Herd EBI: €156Total milk delivered (2019): 321,896Total milk solids (2019): 26,031Fat % average: 4.20%Protein % average: 3.66%Milking parlour: 20-unit herringboneWeighted TBC average (2019): 3 Weighted SCC average (2019): 45Detergent used in parlour: Multisan CFDetergent used in bulk tank: Multisan CFProportion of herd using selective dry cow therapy (SDCT): 6%Nitrogen used (kg/ha): 173Proportion protected urea: 63%Measure grass: yes
When the suckler to beef operation wasn’t returning an income to maintain the farm business, Nigel Daunt decided dairy farming was the way to go. Nigel completed a dairy business degree in University College Dublin and then set about converting the farm just outside Innishannon, Co Cork, into paddocks for dairy cows. Work experience in New Zealand during the degree course was his first-time milking cows and Nigel loved it.
Nigel Daunt.
In 2014 he graduated and in 2015 started farming full-time in a partnership with his parents Robert and Dorothy. In 2017 the farm was converted from a suckler to a dairy farm. One of the first goals was to source high-quality, high-EBI stock with a very good disease status. In-calf heifers were purchased when the sucklers started to go in 2016.
In 2017, 30 heifers were purchased because it was May 2017 (just three years ago) before the parlour was up and going as planning delayed the project.
The Daunt parlour.
Another batch of heifers brought cow numbers to 50 in 2018, last year in 2019 there were 65 cows milking and this year Nigel is up to 80 cows. There are 25 heifers coming in for 2021 so Nigel hopes to milk near the 100 cows in 2021. Nigel’s parents are actively involved in helping out on the farm.
Outside the parlour.
Total area farmed is 66ha, with 43ha available to the cows.
The farm is still developing as the milk flows. The eight-unit parlour was built with room to move to a 20-unit parlour and that has happened. There were no feeders in the parlour when we visited but Nigel had IDS feeders purchased and was hoping to install them shortly.
During the winter, cows are still housed in the old suckler sheds that had slatted tanks out front by the feed face and a deep straw-bedded lying area at the back. A lot of straw is used in the winter with about three round bales per day rolled out to keep the cows right.
Straw stored in the shed.
Again in time Nigel will look to develop cubicle housing and is looking at all options to use existing sheds or move out on a greenfield site near the parlour. Using the existing sheds reduced the initial outlay and allowed Nigel invest more in quality stock that was going to be quicker giving the farm a better financial return.
Total bacterial count (TBC) and somatic cell counts (SCC) are excellent all year with weighted average TBC at 3 and SCC averaging 45.
Nigel Daunt with his herd.
Key stats
Cow numbers 2019: 66Herd EBI: €156Total milk delivered (2019): 321,896Total milk solids (2019): 26,031Fat % average: 4.20%Protein % average: 3.66%Milking parlour: 20-unit herringboneWeighted TBC average (2019): 3 Weighted SCC average (2019): 45Detergent used in parlour: Multisan CFDetergent used in bulk tank: Multisan CFProportion of herd using selective dry cow therapy (SDCT): 6%Nitrogen used (kg/ha): 173Proportion protected urea: 63%Measure grass: yes
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