Donnacha Kelliher uses the strand in Dingle as a pathway for his 80 strong Holstein herd to get to a grazing paddock.
Kelliher told the Irish Farmers Journal that it is the most practical solution to get the herd to the six acre field.
“Where that field is located, it is about a mile and a half from the yard by road. Whereas it is only a few hundred yards by water,” he explained.
The six acre paddock is grazed between six and seven times a year, with the dairy cattle spending three days on the paddock during each grazing.
The cattle swim to milking and back in the morning and repeat the process for the evening milking, providing the tide is right.
“If the tide is low enough they will walk back and forth for morning and evening milking. We keep a close eye on the tide, if it is too high we will keep them there until it is low enough to walk back,” he explained.
cows going through the strand last week on the way for milking dingle Co kerry pic.twitter.com/KUfOA7FvXX
— Dingle Holsteins (@DingleHolsteins) August 26, 2017
“That picture [the tweeted video] is as high as the tide goes usually”, Kelliher said.
“The cattle know the route by now so they can do it on their own.”
Reaction
The tweet has been well received on social media.
“My neighbour Ronan put the video up on Twitter and he reckons the reaction has been mad. He told me he had to put the phone on silent.”
Watch: hoping for heifers in Thomastown
Watch: Dramatic moments as cattle moved through floodwaters in Texas
SHARING OPTIONS