This Christmas season, Agriland is looking back on some of the standout 'Dairy Focus’ articles from 2025, in a ‘Dairy Throwback‘ series.

In part one of the Dairy Throwback series, Agriland looks back on Co. Wexford dairy farmer, Sean Tracey.

Sean is milking 66 Holstein Friesian cows in Paradise, Tomhaggard, alongside his daughter Amelia.

All calves are kept on the farm as replacements and fatteners, Sean is also farming approximately 60ac of tillage alongside his dairy system.

When Agriland visited the Traceys in June, Amelia was finishing up sixth class in primary school, and gearing up for secondary school in September.

However she made it clear that her love lies in helping her father before and after school, and every other chance she gets.

Farm system

The farm consists of 210ac, bundled into a 60ac tillage block, a 48ac milking platform, while the rest is used for silage production and rearing heifers and bullocks.

The farm will soon be gearing up for the calving season, with a starting date in mid-January and expected to run through to the end of March.

Sean uses artificial insemination (AI) on selected stock for the first couple of weeks aiming to have about 10 Friesen heifer replacements, while the other 50 calves will come from Aberdeen Angus stock bulls.

Sean usually fattens and sells the heifers to about 19-months-of-age and the bullocks to about 26-months-of-age.

The Traceys put hard work into delivering high quality milk, which has being recognised through winning the Tirlan East Region Award for their history of consistent quality, as Sean produces milk to the highest of standards while keeping hygiene to the fore.

The Co. Wexford farmer takes pride in producing top quality milk through a primarily grass-fed diet and makes top quality silage.

This involves creating high quality fodder, with this year's silage reading in or around 77% dry matter digestibility.

Sean fed about 1.5t/cow in 2024, which he said is above 500kg/cow more than usual due to the bad grass growing year and the difficult wet spring.

The herd's average production in 2024 was 15.71 L/cow at 4.32% fat and 3.57% protein, which accumulates to 443kg of milk solids.

The Traceys also managed to keep their somatic cell count (SCC) for the year at a low 88,000 cells/ml, by "doing the basics right".

Sean carries out a boiling hot wash every day, keeps up-to-date with changing liners, and uses his milk recording data to pick out the problem cows, which will be culled.

Himself and Amelia put the time and efforts into cleaning the parlour, as well as upkeeping hygiene around the grazing infrastructure, roadways, and sheds.

He also carries out hoof trimming every two or three months and foot bathing every three weeks to stay on top of lameness.

Sean and Amelia

Sean said he is adamant in constantly "trying to show her (Amelia) the ropes just as we were shown it when we were small".

Amelia insisted:"I just always had an interest in farming since I was little.

"When I was only a few months old, I was sitting in the wheelbarrow when my dad was working".

With generation renewal being a key threat to the Irish agriculture sector, Sean is trying to show Amelia that there is a future and a career in farming.

It does not seem like he has much to worry about, however, with Amelia stating: "I've always had interest in farming and I want to do it when I'm older."

However, Sean interrupted her to remind her about going to college first.

Sean has been teaching Amelia the farm ways since she was young, stating: "She's been out with me since day one."

Amelia added that her favourite jobs include moving cattle and calves, washing down the yard, and silage harvesting, highlighting her enthusiasm for farming.