Final year Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture students from Greenmount Campus, CAFRE travelled to Kildalton College in Co Kilkenny recently to participate in a four day study tour accompanied by their Course Manager, Dr Kate Semple and Year Manager, Fergus Miskelly.
According to Dr Semple, On arrival 90 freshly calved cows out of the Kildalton College herd of 110 cows were out at grass. The cows at Kildalton College are Holstein, Jersey and Norwegian Reds and are very different in appearance to both the Future herd and CREAM herd at Greenmount Campus.
She noted: “They are much smaller in stature with a cow weight of 450 to 500 kg being fairly typical. Cow colouring is also very different and varying degrees of Jersey could also be observed in the overall cow type.”
Dr Semple also said: “As well as going on a number of farm visits to discuss the merits of the low input milk from grass system, students also participated in lively discussions with Kildalton dairy lecturers and Teagasc dairy specialists.”
“With most of the Greenmount dairy students present operating higher input and output type systems, utilising Holstein genetics, the debates and discussions during the study tour could have went on till the cows came home!”
“All the Greenmount participants spent a thoroughly enjoyable four days at Kildalton College,” she added.