I farm: “115 hectares in Ballywilliam, Kilcormac. We keep both dairy and beef enterprises on the farm, with the plan of phasing out the beef over the next two years. I farm full-time with my father John and mother Gertrude.”

Dairy: “After completing a degree in agricultural science in UCD and an eight-month work experience on a dairy farm in New Zealand, I managed to secure a dairy entrant’s quota of 200,000 litres. I always had a keen interest in dairy despite being raised on a beef enterprise. I joined the West Offaly Discussion Group and find it very useful to keep up-to-date with new technologies and establish contacts.”

Calving: “We have 45 in-calf Friesian heifers with the first due to calve on 3 February and finish by the end of February. All cattle are vaccinated for BVD, Lepto, Salmonella and IBR. We have an average EBI of 176, milk sub index 48 and fertility sub index 95. We plan to let a 10-month-old vasectomised bull out with the heifers.”

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Market: “We plan to sell all the bull calves immediately and keep all heifer calves as replacements. At the moment, we’re going through a transition phase as we have 24 11-month-old Hereford cross Angus heifers in a straw-bedded house and 20 Limousin and Charolais stores on the slats. We keep these on the 40 hectare out-farm.”

Feed/Tillage: “We buy in all our straw from a local tillage farmer across the road. It’s very handy as we don’t incur any travel costs bringing it home. This year it worked out at €12 per bale. We make all our own pit silage and make round bales from any surplus grass that we have.”

Family: “My mother Gertrude and father John work full-time on the farm. I am the youngest of seven children – I have five sisters and one brother. I have a keen interest in hurling, but find it hard to commit myself due to commitments on the farm.”

Quotable Quote: “With the removal of milk quotas, price is definitely going to be more volatile. I feel it is more about being efficient than increasing cow numbers. If you can keep costs at a minimum, you have a good chance of surviving and doing well in this system of farming.”