Milk supply is holding well in Kilkenny as feeding continues. Growth rates are not allowing any surplus grass to be cut as the rain just came too late for this farm. Growth rate for the last week was 47kg/day and the last farm cover was recorded at 807kg/ha (343kg/cow). The highest pre-grazing covers are around 1,400kg. The last of the bag nitrogen is spread and should allow growth rates kick on for the next three weeks.

What a year of extremes and what a challenge for farm staff and for all farmers

To this date last year (2017), the herd had about 341kg of milk solids sold per cow (1,024/ha). This year, that figure is closer to 305kg per cow (835kg/ha). Between the jigs and the reels it means there will probably be about 350kg of milk solids sold per cow in 2018 by end of lactation, which will be about 50kg of milk solids per cow back on the average for the last four years. Meal fed per cow is likely to be close to 1,000kg, which is about 600kg ahead of the average of the last four years.

Year of extremes

What a year of extremes and what a challenge for farm staff and for all farmers. The east was hit particularly badly hit in March with snow and in summer with the drought. Grass grown to date is about 9.2 t DM/ha, which is 4t/ha back on the same time in 2017. This is 480t of a feed deficit compared with last year. Among other things, farm manager David Fogarty is busy securing winter forage as he continues to feed out what was conserved on the farm with purchased concentrate.

The last milk test (26 September) shows a result of about 1.7kg of milk solids per cow for the 278 milking cows (17.5 kg per cow at 4.33% protein and 5.32% fat). Cell count is at 12 SCC, 4 TBC and 4.7% lactose.

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Nitrogen out for final growth push in Greenfield