AHI Conference: At the Animal Health Ireland (AHI) dairy herd health conference in Fermoy last week, there were a number of timely messages for dairy farmers as we approach the end of lactation. Teagasc milk quality specialist Don Crowley spoke extensively on the proper drying off procedure (for more go to page 32). His message was to be prepared and comfortable before starting and not to rush the job, because it is far too important to risk any infection getting into the udder. Buy a head light if necessary, because it is dark in a lot of milking parlours at this time of the year. He said to dry off cows after milking and not during milking. Ensure tails are clipped and don’t take on too many cows to dry off at the one time – aim for 10/day if tubing and sealing. Some farmers don’t use teat sealers and they get on fine without them, once cows are kept clean and managed well in the dry period. Some farmers will teat seal cows that leak a lot once they are dried off. Research shows that for seven days post drying off, up to 50% of teats can still be open and 23% can be open after 42 days. The danger is that teat sealers look very similar in appearance to dry cow tubes and sealers are not supposed to be massaged up into the udder. You need to leave the seal at the end of the teat. If possible, try and keep leaking cows separate from other cows that are dried off.

Dairy Know-How: On page 32 this week we carry the first in a series of dairy know-how articles. The objective of the initiative is to deliver an innovative, easy to understand and practical message to Irish dairy farmers. In light of expanding herd sizes, new entrants to milk and more employed farm staff working on Irish dairy farms, there is a need to get back to basics on the skills that make dairying possible and profitable. This week, we focus on drying off. Whether you are an existing dairy farmer, a new entrant to milk, or maybe considering converting to milk, these technical messages should benefit your business in making the job easier.

Young stock: Emer Kennedy from Moorepark spoke at the AHI conference about calf weights. She said that at this time of the year, spring-born black and white calves need to be 200-210kg as they approach their first winter inside. Jersey crossbreds can be about 20kg lighter as their mature weight is lower. Depending on silage quality, these heifers may need 1kg to 2kg of meal/head to ensure they hit growth rates. For dairy farmers feeding autumn-born calves at this time of the year, Emer said many farmers are not feeding enough milk to young calves. The tradition on a lot of farms is to feed four litres per calf, but ideally six litres (15% of bodyweight) is a better target to aim for good growth. Dairy farmer Jim White also spoke at the conference and his message was that feeding cows silage during the night will ensure 80% of cows calve during the day and that is the first step to ensuring healthy calves because you will have time to attend to the calves. He puts out the silage blocks into the feed passage each afternoon in the spring and then pushes it into the cows at 7pm. He’s had great success with his method, with very few cows calving at night-time.