I came down the stairs. It was just after 7am. Something wasn’t right. There was a constant humming noise above the stillness of the morning. Was it in my head? I’d have to investigate. I pulled back the sliding door. The noise became louder. I stepped out. I walked to the end of the house where I can see around the trees and over to the yard. Eureka. There, with its body hoisted high in the air, was a Dairygold truck blowing a mixture of soya hulls and barley into the shiny meal bin. It was a new noise for me.

During the summer, we installed two new bulk meal bins; a small one to be able to buy the meal in bulk for calves, and so get a better rate, and the other for the cows. We built the farmyard in 2000 and have not fed meal in the parlour for 17 years.

At the time, Tim didn’t want feeders in the parlour because the cows were getting a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) through the diet feeder. Nor did he want the pushing and other consequences that go on when cows are fed in the parlour. Within a few years, the diet feeder was parked because of the cost of growing maize, the decision to cross-breed the cows and go for a lower cost grass-based system. But the space for feeders was left in the parlour.

Colm has been home farming now for four years. We have expanded and things change.

Before now, if the cows needed their diet supplemented with meal; it was fed out by bucketing or shovelling from the loader. Tim used it partly as a cost-control measure. He would never stay feeding meal too long when there was manual labour involved. But things change.

Colm wanted more control to be able to add ration and withdraw it quickly. He was also conscious of the toll on human backs. So the arguments were made, the figures done and two bins were erected during the summer.

In a few hours the landscape changed and two exclamation marks were added to the picture. I hadn’t been around the first time the bin was filled. And I haven’t milked the cows since. On different busy days I have volunteered my services, but I’ve been told it’s too difficult for the moment. The cows are back pushing, and all three men Tim, Colm and Diarmuid, have come home looking a lot greener and the washing machine is working harder. No doubt the cows will settle down. Cows react to stress factors in their environment and individual cows react differently.

Sometimes we don’t realise just how much.

SCANNING

It’s two weeks since we scanned the cows. Leo Healy, who has been scanning our cows for years, arrived looking like a spaceman in his white suit. He set to work in the milking parlour quietly and as gently as possible.

A good portion of the cows were scanned on the outside. Leo would spray on the gel and rub the scanner along, just above the udder, and give the verdict. He had to insert the scanner into the cows more often than usual. He explained that cows, in general, are in better condition on farms after a good grass growing summer.

“Fellas” are feeding more meal due to a good milk price and wanting to keep production up. With cows fatter, it made scanning a bit more difficult.

We have a small cow called Rosie. She was born late in the season and got sick, and remained miserable when all the other calves were thriving. We kept her in the front paddock by the house and I nursed her; keeping her on milk when all the others were weaned.

The TLC worked and she has paid back our efforts in spades, being a good producer and calving down early each year. There’s always one that will disprove research findings. The result is that Rosie is everyone’s pet. She’s easily recognised because she’s small, sturdy and brown, with a red tinge, and she loves apples. This time of year she’s watching closely.

There are loads of windfalls about and Colm often takes a few with him when going for the cows. There are several cows who love the treat. If Colm puts a hand into his pocket, Rosie is quick to present herself. She comes into the parlour first to be in position to collect and she’s often rewarded.

So while Leo was scanning, Colm was bringing them in and Tim and I had the breeding charts divided between us marking them off. Rosie came in first and walked up to the front. Colm got an apple for her. She stared ahead and kept her jaws clenched. It was a clear example of how cows get stressed easily and anything outside of routine can upset them. We must keep this in mind when handling them and be as gentle as possible.

The results revealed 17% empty in the cows and 4% in the heifers. We were a bit disappointed with the cows, but it is only a nine-week breeding season, as we see little value in April-calving cows. There are plenty of cows in calf. The empties and some in-calf cows and heifers will be sold. We have scope for selective culling which is good.

The swallows are gathering along the telephone wires to make the trip south. Grass growth is massive and beech mast and ash keys are showing promise of autumn colour. Leaf drop is only just around the corner. It is time to wash the wellies for the Ploughing Championships. CL