Today’s Back In Focus is how former suckler farmer Edmond Ryan, from Newport in Tipperary, converted over to dairy farming using existing sheds on his farm.
The Tipperary native along with his father, Thomas, used to run a suckler herd comprising 30 cows.
However, since coming home from abroad, Edmond, who is also a fully trained electrician, was trying to come up with how he could make the farm more viable going forward.
Both Edmond and his father said that the sucklers “paid the bills” and that they “had a bit out of them” – but Edmond felt he could get more out of the farm and saw dairy as a way of making the farm more profitable.
Speaking to Agriland, Edmond said: “I’ve been planning for this change for about three or four years now. I’ve reseeded a lot of land and put in a new water system to serve the grazing platform.
“I was looking at what we were doing with the sucklers and although we were doing okay, I felt for me, in the long run, it wasn’t for me.
“I saw dairy as being a much more viable system to be involved in. I’m not coming from any dairy experience, and I’m under no illusion about how tough it’s going to be, but it’s something I’ve been working towards the past few years and I’m looking forward to my first year milking coming.”
Making use of an existing hayshed to house the new milking parlour
Looking back to four years ago, when his first thoughts of dairying came to mind, Edmond spoke to friends and sought advice on what would be the way forward to make his dream a reality.
Edmond said he asked anyone who came into the yard at the time if they could see him make the move to dairy farming with what sheds were on the farm, without having to complete any major building work.
They all came to the same conclusion: no, it couldn’t be done. But four years on, Edmond, who was the only one who thought it could be done, was proven right.
Edmond made use of an existing hayshed – which before was used to store peat and house some weanlings.
Now it is home to the new milking parlour, bulk tank and plant room.
A full layout of the converted farmyard can be seen (below) and was designed by Aidan Kelly of Agri Design and Planning Services (ADPS).
Looking at the parlour, the Tipperary man opted to go with a 14-unit DeLaval parlour – supplied by Brett Dairy Services – with automatic clusters removers (ACRs), an auto-wash system, feed mangers and batch feeders.
Over the last few weeks, Edmond said he has been training the heifers into the parlour and added that they have taken to it seamlessly.
With regards to what building work needed to be carried out to fit a parlour into this existing hayshed, all that was required was to dig out a pit for the parlour and lay down concrete and stand two precast walls – one for each side of the shed.
The concrete laid at the entrance and exit of the parlour was grooved to prevent any cows from slipping and due to there being a rise from the slats up to the level of the parlour, it could possibly have been a risk to have not grooved the concrete.
To the front of the hayshed, the 6,000L bulk tank can be found along with a plant room.
Furthermore, an 8t meal bin and two water tanks can be found at one side of the hayshed. The water tanks were installed so as not to be pulling water from the water system installed throughout the grazing platform.
This water will be used for the auto-wash system in the parlour and to wash down the parlour itself.
Converting a 5-bay suckler shed into 56-cubicles
Moving to the back of the hayshed, you will find the feeding area and collecting yard – which are all one – which then leads into the 5-bay slatted unit which has been converted into cubicles, with a solid lieback area behind this for calving cows.
Again, Edmond not only looked to make use of what buildings were in the yard, but he also went about connecting them up to allow for ease of management and overall, better efficiency.
The main grazing platform cows will graze for the foreseeable future is located behind the converted slatted unit.
The plan is to bring cows in from the grazing block through the lieback area of the shed, around into the slatted area where they will wait to be milked in the multipurpose feeding and holding area.
In terms of slurry storage capacity, Edmond laid down an L-shaped slatted tank that has enough storage for 105 cows.
Looking at work completed within the old slatted unit, all that was done was the laying of cubicle beds – which in total are 56.
All that was removed to facilitate the incorporation of the cubicles was the old feeding barriers that span across the five bays.
At the back of the shed is a lieback area which was left untouched. It will serve the same purpose it did when the sucklers were on the farm, and that is to act as a calving area.
‘Under no illusions’ about dairy farming
Edmond said he is under no illusion at to how difficult it is going to be for him transitioning from sucklers to dairy with no major experience in the latter behind him.
However, he’s looking forward to the challenge ahead and has turned to other dairy farmers for advice to prepare him for what’s ahead.
Edmond added: “I’m well aware it’s going to be a big change from what we were doing here before, but I’m looking forward to it.
“I was told by many that I wouldn’t be able to build/construct what I have here today in the yard, but yet I did.
“It’s going to be tough, especially the first few years getting started, but I’m prepared to take the challenge head on.
“I’ve been getting advice from dairy farmers I know; they’re probably sick of me ringing them all the time asking questions, but they have been great for me and have helped me along so far and with what is facing me ahead.”
Cost of converting to dairy
Only for being eligible for a grant under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II), Edmond said it would have been near impossible to justify making the switch that he did and the money that he spent.
The price of converting for Edmond is standing to him at €150,000. This figures excludes VAT reclaimed and the value of the grant.
Speaking about how he justified convertinng over to dairy, Edmond said: “Only for the TAMS, I couldn’t justify what I did.
“The only other way I could have seen myself getting into milk was probably going with a second hand parlour and going from there.
“Most of the milk cheques will be going back into the farm at first, but I’m looking forward to having some stability, through those monthly pay cheques going forward in years to come rather than relying on a good beef price,” Edmond concluded.