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We have just finished our first three weeks serving cows. Generally, we’re happy with our 95% submission rate to artificial insemination (AI), with virtually no intervention (only four CIDRs used).
The non-return rate over the first days of the second round appear to be suggesting 65-70%.
The remaining 5% not served have been injected with Receptal. Any cows that don’t come in heat will get prostaglandin (PG) in five days. After that they are on their own.
Each day the heifers in heat were served in the morning and turned out with the bulls in the afternoon
The regime for heifers is to serve on observed heat (tailpaint rubbed off) for the first six days, all with sexed semen, and then inject the rest with PG. All except three out of 193 were served by day eight.
Each day the heifers in heat were served in the morning and turned out with the bulls in the afternoon. Therefore, we had an ever-diminishing batch to deal with every day.
Production
Milk production has been very good all season, peaking at 2.15kg milk solids (MS) per cow.
The aim is to rejuvenate old pastures that haven’t been touched yet since we arrived here
However, it has fallen back somewhat this week to 1.91kg MS, possibly because the dry matter of the grass has fallen, combined with a growth spurt after several weeks of dry weather.
We have also embarked on approximately 60 acres of reseeding. The aim is to rejuvenate old pastures that haven’t been touched yet since we arrived here.
In addition, the whole farm has received its annual dose of lime at half a tonne per acre. The exception to this is the reseeded ground, which received 2t/ac.
Price
The milk price seems to be fairly static at the moment, though some upward movement may be forthcoming, as the UK heads towards a more normal production output; and with world markets and demand going strong.
However, the industry here seems hell bent on paying for litres rather than milk solids.
With ever-increasing energy costs, it just makes zero sense to haul vast amounts of water around the country. Changes to milk contracts in some cases seem to be going backwards on this subject, not forward.
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