This is a subscriber-only article
The usual spring challenges with plenty of work, wet weather grazing, and the odd sick cow persist but overall for mid-March the farm is in a better place than it has been compared with previous years.
Calving rate has improved considerably over the years. I remember being on the farm for Paddy’s day in the first couple of years and there were 70 odd cows left to calve from a smaller herd. Today, there are just 45 cows left to calve (12%).
Somatic cell count is going well overall. At times, farm manager Tom Lyng wishes the parlour had a dump line because at the moment any cow that is being treated with antibiotics is being collected in the individual buckets. Yes, attaching dump buckets is time consuming, but this separation issue can be managed to an extent with the second herd and a dump line has positives as well as negatives.
Tom has problem cows in the second herd and this herd includes cows that are freshly calved, with mastitis, lameness, or being treated for any other issues. At the moment, there are about 40 cows in this second herd that are grazed separately but Tom will aim to bring this down to less than 30 in the coming weeks so it’s only one row in the parlour. The first milk recording was carried out last week and the results came back within seven days thankfully. The heifers and young cows among the high cell count cows are being treated this week. Each other high SCC case is treated on an individual basis. If there are very freshly calved cows in that batch the result can often be high but the cow might not have any infection.
Once Tom gets the results, he’s out with his CMT paddle to identify the quarter and treat accordingly. The bulk tank SCC reading came back at 140, so there is no big herd issue.
There are about 10 to 15 lame cows, which really is good for this time of the year. In previous years, they had a lot more lame cows as cows get back into the walking routine. Right now, Tom and James Keegan are treating any cow as it appears and this combined with mobility scoring is making lameness treatment much more effective.
In previous years, we were waiting and putting a batch of cows together.
Foot bath
Tom is also going to construct a foot bath along the lines described in the article on lameness last week – built at the same level as the exit race, wide enough to allow two cows pass side by side and 2m in length. Farmer experience and the view from the professionals suggests the one built previously was not the right design – too narrow, too small, and cows had to step down into it (see video).
The herd is back on twice-a-day milking after spending the first few weeks of lactation on once-a-day while the cows were calving.
This is the second year going once-a-day for the first few weeks of February and when you are very compact calving it pays back. While Glanbia might not be too happy as supply is reduced or delayed for on-farm operation, it reaps dividends.
Tom said: “It gives us a chance to manage the cows that have already calved. If you are getting 15 cows calving per day you need to look after calves and get biestings from the freshly calved cows.”
Another one of the big changes this year was hiring a night watch person. That person was responsible for calving from 7pm to 6am. Any cows that calved would be milked, calves fed and tagged and all paperwork completed. Any movement of stock would be completed and any feeding or sick cows and calves treated.
It allowed Tom finish the day’s work and not feel pressurised or frustrated and consequently make better decisions. There is a cost and at €500 per week for six weeks its €3,000 in total so it needs to show a return but in review Tom is very pleased with how it has worked out.
This week, the maiden heifers and cows will get BVD and lepto vaccines. The heifers need two shots before breeding start so Tom will complete stage one this week and come back mid-April with the booster shot. That means the course will be completed two weeks in advance of breeding start date.
Four cows that were identified high in Johne’s from a blood sample were dung-sampled and these results came back low, so no further action is necessary. They were isolated at calving and calves only got milk only from their mother. These cows were not and never will be used as a source of milk for calf feeding.
The 80 heifer calves are gone to the contract rearing unit. The youngest calf gone was born 17 February so there are no excuses on age for poor performance.
The second round of bulk nitrogen is due to be spread this week. On Monday this week, 20 units/acre of nitrogen went on. Another bulk spread is due in early April and after that spreading will revert to following the paddocks grazed weekly.
Breeding
While the last of the cows have still to calve, breeding for 2017 is back on the workload agenda. After Saint Patrick’s weekend, all cows will be tail-painted and then after 25 days of marking cows off on a calendar, any cow not seen bulling will be scanned to see what the story is. Some will be treated if necessary.
Vasectomised bulls will be purchased soon. Ideally any vasectomised bulls should be vasectomised around now to give them plenty of time to get right before they are needed. Between six to eight bulls will be selected, brought to the farm and isolated. At that stage, they will be vaccinated for BVD, IBR and lepto.
Remember these bulls won’t be introduced to the herd before mid-June but it is as well to get them landed as soon as possible and get them used to the farm.
On clean-up bulls we have a team of bull calves kept last year and these will be strong enough to clean up the heifers after AI. The plan (the same as last year) is the lads will continue with AI in the main herd – the vasectomised bulls pick cows in heat out and will have them well marked.
In terms of development, a plan is being drawn up to build some topless cubicles on the site of the woodchip stand-off pad. This would reduce the dependency on woodchip and allow for an increase in slurry storage. We have been challenged in storing water during periods of high rainfall, like the winter period two years ago. Topless cubicles would allow us divert clean water off a large area until we had cows housed in December.
A new pipe will divert clean water off another area and exisiting geoline lining can be increased to allow for more capacity over the whole tank.
There is also a plan to reseed 20 acres near the parlour that has never gone well since it was sown. It will be sprayed soon, reseeded in early April and hopefully be back into the rotation by June. Similar to the rest of the farm, single varieties with clover will be sown.
The main silage pit has more or less come to an end. There are about 350 high-quality round bales in stock and these have been earmarked for the hole in the grass wedge that usually happens between 25 March and 10 April. These will be fed out during that period if necessary.
Given the fact we have used a good bit of Jersey over the last number of years and with daughters of the best Jersey sires in the herd, we will probably use a good bit of Gene Ireland Jersey semen this year. We are awaiting updated proofs and will make decisions then.
I’ve had a good bit of feedback on the financial performance piece since last published. The one-line summary from the last article was the business broke even last year after all costs were paid. The farmers who made contact were suggesting that any dairy business that paid €100,000 in labour, €80,000 to the bank and €60,000 in land rent (all round figs) was doing OK in 2016.
The bigger picture of the business is also worth reflecting on in that the €850,000 borrowed at the start is now down to €530,000. There is €125,000 in a deposit account, there is another €80,000 floating in the business in terms of working capital or overdraft and there are no major creditors outstanding. In summary, if the business folded this week after seven years in existence, the stock would be sold and that would repay any existing debt with ease and all development including stock purchase, etc, would have been paid for.
SHARING OPTIONS: