The systems herd at the UCD Lyons Farm is on track to deliver on its target of 625kg MS/cow in 2021.
The 60-cow herd was established in 2016 and is run next to the 140-cow research herd at the Lyons research farm in Co Kildare.
The systems herd was set up to demonstrate profitable and sustainable high-output grass-based spring milk production. Initial funding for the project was secured through industry and the project is now funded through the dairy levy.
In terms of performance, 2021 will be the best year yet with the herd hitting and even exceeding most of the targets set out for it at the outset of the project.
Fertility performance is excellent and has been for the last four years.
The submission rate this year was 95%, the first-service conception rate was 72%, a staggering 87% of the cows went in calf inside the first six weeks of the breeding season and the overall empty rate was 7%, but two of the four cows empty were not bred.
While these figures are similar to previous years, dairy technician Niall Walsh says a higher proportion of the herd went in calf earlier in the first six weeks compared to previous years so calving will be more compact next season.
Calving started on 30 January last year and 90% of the herd calved in the first six weeks.
The breeding season started on 1 May and lasted for 10 weeks.
These French drains are placed to the depth of the impermeable layer and collect the water running off the soil and direct it to the flumes for analysis.
The EBI of the herd is in the top 1% at €204 on average. This is broken down into €69 for milk sub-index and €81 for fertility sub-index. The milk sub-index is in the top 1% nationally, while the fertility sub-index is in the top 5% nationally.
The herd is all Holstein Friesian and for the last four years has been breeding its own replacements. The herd was established in 2015 from all heifers purchased from high-EBI herds.
Karina Pierce and Finbar Mulligan are leading the project and they say that the predicted transmitting ability (PTA) for kilos of milk is an important figure for them as higher PTA for milk improves the response to concentrate.
As the herd was fed just under 1.5t of meal per cow in 2021, response to concentrate is an important metric for the Lyons system.
Cows being milked through the rotary at UCD Lyons.
The herd’s PTA for milk is 152kg with a PTA of 0.11% for fat and 0.08% for protein.
The EBI of the nine genomically selected Holstein Friesian bulls used in 2021 was €208, with milk at €116, fertility at €108 and maintenance at €4.
Their PTA for milk is 360kg, while PTA for fat is 0.13% and 0.09% for protein. This indicates that the increase in milk solids kilos in their progeny will be driven primarily from increased volume, as opposed to increased milk solids percentages.
There are 17.43ha on the milking platform with a further 7ha away that is used for a three-cut silage system with red clover and perennial ryegrass. The stocking rates on the milking platform is 3.27 cows/ha while the overall stocking rate is 2.33 cows/ha.
Heifers are reared elsewhere, as would happen in a contract rearing scenario.
As the herd produces close to 7,700kg of milk annually, it will be in the top band under the new Nitrates Action Programme.
This means the organic nitrogen level for the cows in the systems herd will increase from 89kg to 106kg, capping the overall stocking rate at 2.35 cows/ha.
“It just means that we will be capped at 57 cows, which is in or around what we have been milking for the last number of years. Our stocking rate will be 2.33 cows/ha, we will be compliant and still be very profitable,” Finbar says.
Part of the study in 2021 looked at the impact of including native grains on the diet and the protein concentration of the meal fed.
Outside of the first and last grazing rotation, cows were split and fed a 14% and 12% crude protein ration.
One of the 12% rations was only produced through native grains grown in Co Kildare.
There was no difference in performance between the rations but the carbon footprint of the milk produced from native grains is substantially less than that produced from imported grain, particularly where soya is included.
UCD researchers Zoe McKay, Nicholas Ryan, Alan Fahey and Michael Wallace are also working on the Systems Herd project.
Multispecies trials
Professors Helen Sheridan and Tommy Boland are doing various research on multispecies swards at UCD.
One such study is taking place in the long-term grassland experiment at UCD Lyons.
This 24ha area, which was previously in long-term tillage, was purchased by the university in 2017 and has since been developed into a farmlet study where all run-off and leaching will be collected and analysed.
This is made possible by a natural impermeable layer of soil at 180cm deep and the construction of French drains around each plot, which collect water from the impermeable layer right up to surface level.
Cattle eating multi-species silage at UCD Lyons.
All the run-off and leaching from each farmlet is gathered to one point and while not currently in place, the plan is to be able to test this water using in-field automated laboratories.
There are three treatments in this study, with two replicates of each.
One treatment is perennial ryegrass, one treatment is perennial ryegrass and white clover and the third treatment is multispecies.
During the main grazing season, there are 40 male Hereford dairy cross animals grazing each treatment, made up of 20 newborn to one year olds and 20 one- to two-year-olds.
The study is just completing its second year and the indications are that animal performance is much higher on the ryegrass and clover and multispecies swards compared to the ryegrass only swards.
Animals stay on each treatment during the grazing season and only eat silage produced from the treatment during the winter months.
By early December 2021, all the steers in the clover and multispecies treatments were slaughtered with the steers in the ryegrass treatment only slaughtered in early January.
The bullocks on the clover-based swards weighed 628kg before slaughter on 2 December, while those on the multispecies weighed 622kg before slaughter on 25 November.
On 2 December, the bullocks on the ryegrass-only swards weighed 568kg.
On 2 December, the current crop of animals, born in spring 2021, weighed 271kg for those on ryegrass/clover, 280kg for those on multispecies and 264kg for those on ryegrass only.
The ryegrass-only swards receive 205kgN/ha, while the other two swards receive 90kgN/ha each.
The multispecies swards grew almost 1tDM/ha more pasture than the other two swards in 2020 at approximately 11t DM/ha.
There is a huge difference in animal performance between the three treatments, with the clover and multispecies swards significantly outperforming the ryegrass only swards.
When the Irish Farmers Journal visited the trial site last month, the ryegrass-only swards were visibly yellow and hungry-looking compared to the clover-based swards, despite having received an additional 115kgN/ha during the year.
One area of concern for Helen is the decline in the proportion of herbs in the sward.
Drains from each farmlet are all directed to water flumes, like the one photographed where water flow can be measured and isolated samples taken.
When established in 2019, there was 50% herbs (chicory and plantain) in the sward and this has since declined to 11% and within that there seems to be much more plantain than chicory. However, clover content is very good throughout.
The researchers’ next step is to oversow herbs into the existing swards, which is something they have not done before as the previous times multispecies was established it was with a full reseed using glyphosate.
Helen says soil temperature is critical when sowing multispecies and says May and June are the best months for sowing.
In terms of management of the multispecies at Lyons, post-grazing residuals are 6cm compared to 4cm for the ryegrass and ryegrass and clover swards.
Niall says that, in his experience, if grazing multispecies on a 21-day round length the residuals should be at 6cm, but if grazing to 4cm, the round length should be increased to 28 days.
The systems herd at UCD Lyons continues to perform well with 625kg of milk solids produced per cow in 2021 from 1.5t of meal per cow.Fertility performance is excellent, with 87% in-calf in the first six weeks and just 7% empty including cows not bred. A new long-term grassland study is taking place at Lyons looking at the impact of multispecies on animal performance and, in time, water quality. Hereford cattle grazing either ryegrass and white clover or multispecies outperform those grazing ryegrass only swards.
The systems herd at the UCD Lyons Farm is on track to deliver on its target of 625kg MS/cow in 2021.
The 60-cow herd was established in 2016 and is run next to the 140-cow research herd at the Lyons research farm in Co Kildare.
The systems herd was set up to demonstrate profitable and sustainable high-output grass-based spring milk production. Initial funding for the project was secured through industry and the project is now funded through the dairy levy.
In terms of performance, 2021 will be the best year yet with the herd hitting and even exceeding most of the targets set out for it at the outset of the project.
Fertility performance is excellent and has been for the last four years.
The submission rate this year was 95%, the first-service conception rate was 72%, a staggering 87% of the cows went in calf inside the first six weeks of the breeding season and the overall empty rate was 7%, but two of the four cows empty were not bred.
While these figures are similar to previous years, dairy technician Niall Walsh says a higher proportion of the herd went in calf earlier in the first six weeks compared to previous years so calving will be more compact next season.
Calving started on 30 January last year and 90% of the herd calved in the first six weeks.
The breeding season started on 1 May and lasted for 10 weeks.
These French drains are placed to the depth of the impermeable layer and collect the water running off the soil and direct it to the flumes for analysis.
The EBI of the herd is in the top 1% at €204 on average. This is broken down into €69 for milk sub-index and €81 for fertility sub-index. The milk sub-index is in the top 1% nationally, while the fertility sub-index is in the top 5% nationally.
The herd is all Holstein Friesian and for the last four years has been breeding its own replacements. The herd was established in 2015 from all heifers purchased from high-EBI herds.
Karina Pierce and Finbar Mulligan are leading the project and they say that the predicted transmitting ability (PTA) for kilos of milk is an important figure for them as higher PTA for milk improves the response to concentrate.
As the herd was fed just under 1.5t of meal per cow in 2021, response to concentrate is an important metric for the Lyons system.
Cows being milked through the rotary at UCD Lyons.
The herd’s PTA for milk is 152kg with a PTA of 0.11% for fat and 0.08% for protein.
The EBI of the nine genomically selected Holstein Friesian bulls used in 2021 was €208, with milk at €116, fertility at €108 and maintenance at €4.
Their PTA for milk is 360kg, while PTA for fat is 0.13% and 0.09% for protein. This indicates that the increase in milk solids kilos in their progeny will be driven primarily from increased volume, as opposed to increased milk solids percentages.
There are 17.43ha on the milking platform with a further 7ha away that is used for a three-cut silage system with red clover and perennial ryegrass. The stocking rates on the milking platform is 3.27 cows/ha while the overall stocking rate is 2.33 cows/ha.
Heifers are reared elsewhere, as would happen in a contract rearing scenario.
As the herd produces close to 7,700kg of milk annually, it will be in the top band under the new Nitrates Action Programme.
This means the organic nitrogen level for the cows in the systems herd will increase from 89kg to 106kg, capping the overall stocking rate at 2.35 cows/ha.
“It just means that we will be capped at 57 cows, which is in or around what we have been milking for the last number of years. Our stocking rate will be 2.33 cows/ha, we will be compliant and still be very profitable,” Finbar says.
Part of the study in 2021 looked at the impact of including native grains on the diet and the protein concentration of the meal fed.
Outside of the first and last grazing rotation, cows were split and fed a 14% and 12% crude protein ration.
One of the 12% rations was only produced through native grains grown in Co Kildare.
There was no difference in performance between the rations but the carbon footprint of the milk produced from native grains is substantially less than that produced from imported grain, particularly where soya is included.
UCD researchers Zoe McKay, Nicholas Ryan, Alan Fahey and Michael Wallace are also working on the Systems Herd project.
Multispecies trials
Professors Helen Sheridan and Tommy Boland are doing various research on multispecies swards at UCD.
One such study is taking place in the long-term grassland experiment at UCD Lyons.
This 24ha area, which was previously in long-term tillage, was purchased by the university in 2017 and has since been developed into a farmlet study where all run-off and leaching will be collected and analysed.
This is made possible by a natural impermeable layer of soil at 180cm deep and the construction of French drains around each plot, which collect water from the impermeable layer right up to surface level.
Cattle eating multi-species silage at UCD Lyons.
All the run-off and leaching from each farmlet is gathered to one point and while not currently in place, the plan is to be able to test this water using in-field automated laboratories.
There are three treatments in this study, with two replicates of each.
One treatment is perennial ryegrass, one treatment is perennial ryegrass and white clover and the third treatment is multispecies.
During the main grazing season, there are 40 male Hereford dairy cross animals grazing each treatment, made up of 20 newborn to one year olds and 20 one- to two-year-olds.
The study is just completing its second year and the indications are that animal performance is much higher on the ryegrass and clover and multispecies swards compared to the ryegrass only swards.
Animals stay on each treatment during the grazing season and only eat silage produced from the treatment during the winter months.
By early December 2021, all the steers in the clover and multispecies treatments were slaughtered with the steers in the ryegrass treatment only slaughtered in early January.
The bullocks on the clover-based swards weighed 628kg before slaughter on 2 December, while those on the multispecies weighed 622kg before slaughter on 25 November.
On 2 December, the bullocks on the ryegrass-only swards weighed 568kg.
On 2 December, the current crop of animals, born in spring 2021, weighed 271kg for those on ryegrass/clover, 280kg for those on multispecies and 264kg for those on ryegrass only.
The ryegrass-only swards receive 205kgN/ha, while the other two swards receive 90kgN/ha each.
The multispecies swards grew almost 1tDM/ha more pasture than the other two swards in 2020 at approximately 11t DM/ha.
There is a huge difference in animal performance between the three treatments, with the clover and multispecies swards significantly outperforming the ryegrass only swards.
When the Irish Farmers Journal visited the trial site last month, the ryegrass-only swards were visibly yellow and hungry-looking compared to the clover-based swards, despite having received an additional 115kgN/ha during the year.
One area of concern for Helen is the decline in the proportion of herbs in the sward.
Drains from each farmlet are all directed to water flumes, like the one photographed where water flow can be measured and isolated samples taken.
When established in 2019, there was 50% herbs (chicory and plantain) in the sward and this has since declined to 11% and within that there seems to be much more plantain than chicory. However, clover content is very good throughout.
The researchers’ next step is to oversow herbs into the existing swards, which is something they have not done before as the previous times multispecies was established it was with a full reseed using glyphosate.
Helen says soil temperature is critical when sowing multispecies and says May and June are the best months for sowing.
In terms of management of the multispecies at Lyons, post-grazing residuals are 6cm compared to 4cm for the ryegrass and ryegrass and clover swards.
Niall says that, in his experience, if grazing multispecies on a 21-day round length the residuals should be at 6cm, but if grazing to 4cm, the round length should be increased to 28 days.
The systems herd at UCD Lyons continues to perform well with 625kg of milk solids produced per cow in 2021 from 1.5t of meal per cow.Fertility performance is excellent, with 87% in-calf in the first six weeks and just 7% empty including cows not bred. A new long-term grassland study is taking place at Lyons looking at the impact of multispecies on animal performance and, in time, water quality. Hereford cattle grazing either ryegrass and white clover or multispecies outperform those grazing ryegrass only swards. 
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