The dairy unit at CAFRE Greenmount is to host open days for farmers on 24 and 25 January 2018. The event will focus on heifer rearing, dry cow management, calving management, feed efficiency and the performance of Greenmount’s 200-cow dairy herd.

Listen to "Greenmount college dairy open day" on Spreaker.

Average yield is currently 8,777 litres/cow/year from 2.7t of concentrates. The herd is split into three groups, with the freshly calved and high-yielder groups fed first and second-cut silage, plus maize silage and dairy blend. Late-lactation cows are fed second-cut silage and all cows receive in-parlour concentrates on a feed-to-yield basis.

The £2.5m dairy unit opened in 2014 and has cubicle space for 178 cows, a 16-unit double-up parlour, a handling unit and a straw-bedded maternity wing.

The tour will have six stops and will last two hours. The first tour will start at 10.30am each day and groups will leave every 20 minutes, with the last tour starting at 1.30pm. A light lunch will be served after each tour.

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