April 2016 - Issue 4
Co-Op
NEWSLETTER
Meet our Development Farmers on the Milk for Profit
Programme
The five development farmers are:
• John Dowd, Kilconly, Tuam, Co Galway
• Charlie Whiriskey, Kiltullagh, Athenry, Co. Galway
• Seamus and Brian Molamphy, Castlelough, Portroe, Co.
Tipperary
• Pat and Eddie Kennedy, Ballingarry, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary
• Trevor and Steven Cole, Aghancon, Co. Offaly
plan that incorporates the recently bought land, additional
cows and the additional facilities.
This spring John started calving on the 29th of January and
calved 74 cows in 6 weeks, his maiden heifers were weighed
in early March and were all on target, average weight of 328kg.
John has spread on average 60 units of Nitrogen per acre on
the milking platform and 46 units on the silage ground – 3500
gallons/acre of slurry has been applied to the silage ground
From now on, we will document each farmer’s performance also. The cows have been out day and night since the 10th of
in the newsletter with more regular updates on Twitter - March but due to bad weather have been rehoused partially
@Milk4profit. Over the course of the next three years we in the last week.
hope to see improvements in areas such as financial
management, EBI and fertility, grassland management, herd
health, milk quality and composition on each farm. Adoption
of best practice in each of these areas will improve the
profitability and sustainability of the farms. For the next five
months we will introduce you to each of the farmers
beginning this month with John Dowd.
John Dowd farms outside Tuam, Co. Galway. This year he is
milking 96 spring calving cows (an increase from 80 cows last
year) and hopes to milk 105 in 2017. He recently purchased
land beside the milking platform which will cater for the
increased herd size (3.0 LU/ha on the milking platform). In
2015 cows produced 517 kg of milk solids (MS) (6,670L,
3.51% protein, 4.01% fat, 1200 kg MS/ha) and consumed about
1.2 tonnes of meal. Grass growth on the farm is quite good
“John Dowd showing his son Ryan his 2016 calves”
standing at 12-12.5 tonnes in 2015 but John hopes to increase
grass growth and utilisation in the
coming years and reduce the amount
of meals bought in. His main focus at
the moment is low soil fertility and
increasing the number of lactations
per cow. Most of soils are low in pH
and index 1 or 2 for P and K and the
majority of cows culled last year had
three lactations or less (Fertility sub
index = €66). Therefore over the
course of the programme he would
like to see improvements in these
areas.
Due to increased stock numbers
John is short of cubicle space and
plans to build accommodation for
approximately 70 cows. John is in the
process of developing a new business
NEWS
Hygiene Bonus
As already advised please note the Hygiene Bonus as you know it will
be paid only to Bord Bia approved farms from June 1st 2016.
If you are Bord Bia approved we have the details and your bonus will
continue, if you are not approved the first step is to lodge your
application and then when you are ready undergo an audit.
Time is running out, you need to get the process underway without
delay or you will be at the loss of this bonus which is 1c/litre.
Animal Health Certificate
Animal Health Certificates will be distributed to all suppliers
by their milk haulier in the coming days.When you receive your
certificate please keep it safely until it is signed by your Vet and
then return it to Arrabawn Co-op. A certificate signed by your
Vet in 2016 enables milk to be collected in 2017.
TEMPORARY LEASING SCHEME
Getting cows back in calf - the next trick!
With most of the cows calved at this stage , the next big trick
is to get cows back in calf again so that they will calve within
365 days and hopefully bring a few of the late calvers forward
by a few weeks.
Fertility performance is hugely influenced by the cow’s body
condition – if she is too thin or losing condition, it may be
difficult to detect her in heat and to get her to conceive. At this
time of year, with poor growth and varying availability of grass,
cows can be short of feed. It is easy enough to overestimate
the amount of grass available and as a result make the decision
to cut concentrate feeding. Couple this with harsh weather
and difficult grazing conditions, cows can easily become short
of enough energy to be certain of going in calf.
A cow producing 28 litres milk and eating 12 kg grass dry
matter will require 7-8 kg concentrate in order to maintain
body condition going into the breeding season.While this might
look expensive, a missed heat and a cow not going in calf will
cost € 250 in milk value next year – not to mention the fact
that she will drift later and later. So if you’re planning on
starting your breeding season in early May, ensure that your
cows are eating enough energy in the weeks before.
BreederMax Dairy Feed from Dan O’Connor Feeds–
specially formulated for the high producing cow, containing
fertility minerals, protected fat and protein and de-odorase
to control surplus nitrogen/urea in the cow.This high energy
concentrate is perfect for your cows in the run up to and
during the breeding season. BreederMax is a combination
of the very best ingredients and the most up to date
nutritional science to get the best performance from your
cow.
Introducing the Dockbox
A simple solution to a difficult problem
Provide excellent control of:
DOCKS
MAJOR GRASSLAND WEEDS
e.g., nettles, chickweed, thistles, buttercup, dandelions etc…
Pack treats 1 hectare
For short term control or where weeds are not
well established, pack can treat 2 hectares
Contact your local branch of
Arrabawn Co-op for details
For any further information or advice on any subjects
or products mentioned in this newsletter
Please ring 087 669 70 10
E: [email protected]
Check out our website: www.arrabawn.ie
Co-Op
Cleaning up Pastures!
QUALITY AND QUANTITY – THE
UNBEATABLE RESEED COMBINATION
Ragwort – spray 2,4-D ( 1 lt D-50/ ac ) + MCPA(1 lt M50/ac)
between November and April , before the plant starts to get
bigger . This spray will also control dandelions and daisies, as well
as some control of thistles and seedling docks. For better
performance add Torpedo or Presto ( 1 lt / 10 acres) to the tank.
Docks – where clover is not important
DoxstarPro, Pastor – contains brushwood killer to kill roots.
Will kill clover. spray 4 weeks before silage or 1 week before
grazing.
DockBox – cheaper than DoxstarPro and would be a good
follow-up spray for dock regrowth.
Docks – with clover
Prospect – spray one week pre-cut or pre-graze. Will only kill
broadleaved docks. Must be grazed or cut after 7 days.
Eagle – spray one week pre-graze or three weeks pre-cut. Will
control both broadleaf and curled dock. May require respraying.
Nettles and Briars and Furze Bushes
Grazon Pro – this contains high levels of brushwood killer and
Grazon Pro has the advantage of being able to kill thistles also –
this can be an advantage when spraying under electric fences ,
where briars and thistles can be a problem.
NETTLE BAN , SCRUBKILLER AND BANDOCK –
convenient 1lt pack for spot treatments once sufficient leaf is
available.
Thistles and Rushes – MCPA/D50 – spray when the thistles
have a flower bud and the rushes are about 24cm high and
growing. Will also control creeping buttercup(crowfoot). Excellent
value. Use with Presto for improved performance.
For further information contact your local branch of Arrabawn
Co-op or Tom Starr (087 -669 70 10)
New reseeds will produce up to 20% better performance from your
livestock in years after establishing the new pasture. New pastures
will deliver
• Higher yields
• Higher intake
• Denser sward
• Opportunity to get rid of weeds
• Earlier spring growth and later autumn growth
Silage Mineral results & Fertility
Garden products
Great value!!
As the breeding season gets under way, it might be a good idea to
look at areas which affect fertility and conception. A random
survey of silage mineral status revealed some alarming results:
• Selenium - 89% low to very low( calving/ fertility)
• Iodine
- 100% low ( calf vitality / heat detection)
• Copper
- 81% low to very low ( fertility)
• Phosphorus – 92% low to very low ( growth )
• Cation Anion – 92% high to v. High(calving problems)
Some of these results might ring a bell with you - maybe your
cows were slow to calve, retained afterbirth, got milk fever or
were late calving. There are steps you can take to improve the
situation.
For more information on any of the above topics contact your
local branch of Arrabawn Co-op or Tom Starr (087 669 7010).
Bulk Fertiliser Spreading
• Top of range Fertiliser spreader ( Sulky )
- fully GPS controlled
- minimum overlapping
- from 1bag/ acre upwards
• Two spreaders - 7 tonne and 10 tonne
Possible to co-ordinate spreading in Branch areas
Contact your local Arrabawn branch for details
This year Arrabawn Co-op has selected its Grazing Silage Grass seed
mix to include Abergain(T), Kintyre(T), Drumbo and Aberchoice. All
late heading, high performance, easy managed grasses and fortified
with a blend of clover.
• All Top varieties, top two tetraploids, top two diploids, suitable for
grazing or silage
• Excellent PPI(Pasture profit index –similar to EBI in dairy cows) top varieties, top return !
• Early spring Growth, maximum overall yield
• Abergain for excellent spring growth
• 40 % Tetraploid, split between Kintyre and Abergain, both above
average for autumn growth!
• High performance, easy to manage late heading varieties
• Compact heading date – reduced topping !
• Good ground cover - long life, weed free
• Over 14.5 ton DM /Ha vs c. 7- 8 ton/ Ha for old pasture
For more information on alternative mixtures and correct reseeding
procedure, please contact Arrabawn Co-op Branches or ring
087 6697010
• Knapsack sprayers - € 20
• Lawn Feed, Weed and Mosskiller - € 20
• Moss-Buster - 2 for € 35
• MultiPurpose Compost - 2 for € 10
• Onion sets
• Seed potatoes
• Vegetable and flower seeds
• Spring bulbs
• Fruit trees
• Garden accessories
Fencing
• 10 pigtail post € 17
• Gallagher reel c/w wire € 22
• AKO T4 Battery Fencer c/w battery - was € 149 now € 110
At selected branches of Arrabawn Co-op
Cryptosporidium – a major problem on some farms!
Use - Kryptonite-C , from Arrabawn
Helping your calves recover from the effects of
Cryptosporidium – Naturally !
Kryptonite-C, digestive and Immunity support for calves.
Available from your local Arrabawn branch,
Ring 087 6697010 for details
TEAGASC CORNER
April reminders
Number of straws: It takes about 5.5 straws to end up with one heifer milking in
the parlour in 2018. How many heifers do you want entering your herd in 2018? If
you want 25 milking heifers then you must use at least 140 dairy straws across cows
and maiden heifers this season. Be sure to order and use the number of straws that
you need.
Labour saving: How many grazings are you getting from each paddock? Are you
using a 12 hour wire throughout summer? Farmers experience suggests that three
grazings per paddock minimises work with wires and is ideal for grass growth and
animal performance. It is not expensive to modify paddock size, talk to your advisor.
Grass Tetany: Cows should get 30gms of Magnesium (Mg) daily to prevent tetany.
This is equivalent to 60gm of Calmag. Options include a carrier ration (0.5 – 1kg)
containing 60gm of Calmag, dusting pasture, via water by pump/direct addition to
trough or Mg bolus (one bolus releases up to 3gm Mg per day).
Sulphur: 30% of Irish soils require sulphur for optimal growth. Soils most likely to
show deficiency are sandy, free draining soils with low organic matter. When
purchasing Nitrogen in bulk, use a sulphur containing product in high risk areas.
Heat Detection: Over 70% of cows come into heat between 7.00 p.m. and 9.00
a.m. On average each heat lasts for 9 hours (range 3-30 hours). This is a very short
window of opportunity to identify cows. Also, as the number of cows in heat in the
herd decreases, so too does mounting activity. Therefore, after the first three weeks
of breeding, it is critical that you continue to use a heat detection aid.
Grass wedge: Farmers who walk the farm each week and use the grass wedge to
make decisions have full control over the nutrition of their herd. They know for the
next week or 10 days if there is too much feed (grass getting stemmy) or too little
feed on the farm. Neither is good for the cow. Aim for a pre-grazing cover of 1,300
– 1,400 kg DM/Ha
Fertiliser N: It’s been a difficult year to date for fertiliser spreading opportunities.
Spread nitrogen in April/May according to your stocking rate for the May/ June period.
Preparation for the Breeding Season
Two workshops were held in late March aimed to prepare suppliers for the upcoming
breeding season. If you missed it here are the main messages from the event:
• Increasing your 6 week calving rate from 60 to 90% is worth €8.22 per cow per
percentage unit increase which equates to over €12,000 on a 50 cow herd and over
€24,000 on a 100 cow herd due to increased days in milk, cows lasting longer in the
herd (better survivability) and reduced breeding costs
• Pre breeding heat detection allows you to detect non cycling cows early. Tackling
these problem cows will increase three week submission rate.
• Synchronisation of heifers will improve the six week calving rate, achieve faster
genetic gain and will allow first lactation heifers more time to recover prior to
breeding for the second lactation reducing the chances of them calving late in the
second lactation. Bull to a natural heat for the first six days of breeding, on day 7
inject cows that have not been bred with prostaglandin and bull as they show heat.
The prostaglandin injection induces ovulation.
• Pick bulls with €190+ for fertility, +0.20% for protein and +30kg for fat and protein
kg (+15kg for protein) and no more than -€2 for health
• Cows that lose over 0.5 BCS (20-25 kg) have 50% lower submission rates and 20%
lower conception rates. Check body condition now, only milk thin cows once a day
to recover body condition
• When tail painting apply paint on the tail bone 9 inches up from the rump. Keep the
line narrow (2 inches) to avoid confusion regarding paint removal -even if only 50%
of the paint is removed there is a 70% chance she is bulling
Thanks again to the speakers at the events and our host farmers John and David
Costello and Jerry Moloney.
Don’t delay, start milk recording today!
Many farmers will wait until most, or even all of the herd has calved before doing the first milk
recording of the season……don’t wait! The sooner you start to milk record, the sooner you will
identify infected cows that may not have any clinical signs. Early lactation mastitis is a high risk
and dealing promptly with new infections will give you the best chance of curing them, and
protecting the rest of the herd.
Early milk recording will also give you invaluable information on the success of your dry cow
treatment, and management of your dry cows and in-calf heifers. The CellCheck Farm Summary
Report looks specifically at mastitis control during the dry period and at calving, but it can only
do this for cows that have a milk recording within 60 days of calving. So to get maximum value
from your milk recording, if you haven’t already done a milk recording this season, get started
now!
CellCheck Farm Summary Report:
• looks at cows and heifers separately, so you can see any problems in different ages of animals
calving
• shows how many animals have picked up a new infection either over the dry period or at calving
• calculates the percentage of cows cured over the dry period
• gives both a short-term picture, as well as a running total for mastitis control over the entire
dry period/calving period to date.
You may feel that when milk prices are low, milk recording is a luxury that you can’t afford ……
in fact, that’s exactly when it becomes most valuable. It allows you to react quickly to cows with
high SCC-these cows may have no visible signs of infection, but they will spread infection within
your herd, raise your bulk tank SCC and are losing you money. It is also the best tool you have
to establish which cows are the most productive in terms of fat, protein and milk yields, and are
‘paying their way’.
Over 6,500 Irish herds are now milk recording, generating invaluable data for almost 600,000
cows-don’t delay, get started today! Contact:
• Munster Cattle Breeding Group (023) 43228
• Progressive Genetics
(01) 4502142
• Arrabawn Co-op
( 067 ) 41800
Further information on milk recording is available in Guideline 23 of the CellCheck
Farm Guidelines for Mastitis Control.
Coping with Low Milk Prices in 2016
Come and participate in the Greenfield Dairy Farm Open Day in Kilkenny on the 18-May 2016
Directions - Four miles from Kilkenny on the R712, just before the Gowran exit.
Co-Ordinates 52°38°50° N, 7° 08’ 14’’ W
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