Maiden heifers: all farms that used a synchronisation programme on heifers need to be on high alert for repeats, three weeks after they were synchronised.
In most cases, heifers are served and then let run with a bull or more than one bull. As the majority of the heifers that didn’t hold to first service will be repeating at the one time, the risk is that there won’t be enough bull-power in the field to get all of the repeats. This is especially true when it comes to heifers that were on fixed-time AI protocols.
The hope is that 65% to 75% of heifers hold to that service, but in reality the common range is 40% to 70%. This means that, potentially, up to 60% of the heifers could come bulling in the space of four or five days. For a group of 30 heifers, that’s four or five heifers bulling per day.
While a mature bull is capable of serving up to eight animals in a day, best practice is for a bull to serve no more than three animals every two days. Therefore, at least three bulls will be required for 30 heifers. The alternative option and one which is sometimes more practical is to put on scratch cards or tail paint and inseminate repeats. The key point being, don’t let a lack of bull power compound the problems caused by a poor conception rate to fixed-time AI.
Silage: with fine weather forecast for next week, it looks like more farmers will be looking to cut silage. There is no real clarity on what price farmers will be paying for silage this year, with most contractors not ready to offer a settled price until closer to the time the silage is cut, given the volatility in the price of fuel.
As ever, liquidity is king and when it comes to negotiating a price per acre, prompt payment can be more important to some contractors than the rate charged. Contractors provide a hugely important service to farmers and we need to ensure that these businesses survive the current turmoil in the sector.
The practice of waiting months to pay for a valued service is not fit for purpose in this day and age. As the saying goes, you don’t think about water until the well runs dry.
Milk prices: on this week’s Inside Dairy podcast we interview Ciarán Aylward, market analyst with Ornua, on what is happening in the global dairy market. Ciaran says that in the EU, countries like France, the Netherlands and Germany are up 5.7%, 5.8% and 6.9% respectively between January and March 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
He says that supply growth in France has since stalled and it has slowed in Germany, but is still up on last year. On the outlook for milk price, his prediction is for not much change over the coming months. Pat Murphy, the CEO of Kinisla – the new name for Kerry Dairy Ireland – also speaks on the podcast which is available by searching Inside Dairy on Apple or Spotify, or on the Irish Farmers Journal website and app. Existing subscribers to the Irish Farmers Journal can link their Apple or Spotify accounts through the Irish Farmers Journal website to listen to the podcast as part of their subscription.
Maiden heifers: all farms that used a synchronisation programme on heifers need to be on high alert for repeats, three weeks after they were synchronised.
In most cases, heifers are served and then let run with a bull or more than one bull. As the majority of the heifers that didn’t hold to first service will be repeating at the one time, the risk is that there won’t be enough bull-power in the field to get all of the repeats. This is especially true when it comes to heifers that were on fixed-time AI protocols.
The hope is that 65% to 75% of heifers hold to that service, but in reality the common range is 40% to 70%. This means that, potentially, up to 60% of the heifers could come bulling in the space of four or five days. For a group of 30 heifers, that’s four or five heifers bulling per day.
While a mature bull is capable of serving up to eight animals in a day, best practice is for a bull to serve no more than three animals every two days. Therefore, at least three bulls will be required for 30 heifers. The alternative option and one which is sometimes more practical is to put on scratch cards or tail paint and inseminate repeats. The key point being, don’t let a lack of bull power compound the problems caused by a poor conception rate to fixed-time AI.
Silage: with fine weather forecast for next week, it looks like more farmers will be looking to cut silage. There is no real clarity on what price farmers will be paying for silage this year, with most contractors not ready to offer a settled price until closer to the time the silage is cut, given the volatility in the price of fuel.
As ever, liquidity is king and when it comes to negotiating a price per acre, prompt payment can be more important to some contractors than the rate charged. Contractors provide a hugely important service to farmers and we need to ensure that these businesses survive the current turmoil in the sector.
The practice of waiting months to pay for a valued service is not fit for purpose in this day and age. As the saying goes, you don’t think about water until the well runs dry.
Milk prices: on this week’s Inside Dairy podcast we interview Ciarán Aylward, market analyst with Ornua, on what is happening in the global dairy market. Ciaran says that in the EU, countries like France, the Netherlands and Germany are up 5.7%, 5.8% and 6.9% respectively between January and March 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
He says that supply growth in France has since stalled and it has slowed in Germany, but is still up on last year. On the outlook for milk price, his prediction is for not much change over the coming months. Pat Murphy, the CEO of Kinisla – the new name for Kerry Dairy Ireland – also speaks on the podcast which is available by searching Inside Dairy on Apple or Spotify, or on the Irish Farmers Journal website and app. Existing subscribers to the Irish Farmers Journal can link their Apple or Spotify accounts through the Irish Farmers Journal website to listen to the podcast as part of their subscription.
SHARING OPTIONS