Approximately 60 farmers attended the farm walk on a welcomed dry and windy day in Tyrone organised by Thompson Feeds. A range of speakers discussed issues affecting cow fertility, predominantly in high-input dairy systems that are typical in Northern Ireland.

James Black from Thompsons and Jonathan Huxtable from Zinpro said in their presentation that a range of elements come into play when optimising the performance of a cow yielding 40 litres.

Water needs

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Although adequate water supply is not an issue in the northwest, James and Jonathan pointed out that a cow generally needs a gallon of water for every litre of milk she produces.

Half of the water intake happens an hour after milking, so it is essential that cows have adequate trough space of around two inches per cow and water pressure is strong enough to keep troughs filled during this high demand period.

A large focus of the event was supplying enough energy and protein to meet the large demand from a high-yielding cow. The energy consumed by a cow is used in maintenance, milk yield, body condition and milk composition. “A thin cow gives thin milk,” James said.

Listen to an interview with event speaker Professor John Fetrow from the University of Minnesota below:

Further reports from the event will feature in this week’s print edition of the Irish Farmers Journal and on www.farmersjournal.ie