Farmer Focus Series in association with IHFA
Family farming has been the heart of rural Ireland for generations and it continues to this day through family farms such as the Pentony family in Co. Louth and the Brennans in Co. Kilkenny.
Far from the US-style large-scale industrial farms seen and vilified in the media, the average Irish dairy herd numbers 103 cows, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The Brennan farm
Paudie runs a herd of 110 spring-calving cows in Co. Kilkenny supplying Tirlán co-op under the Suttonsrath Herd prefix.
His son Sean studied Agricultural Science in University College DUblin (UCD), graduating in 2019 when he joined Tirlán (formerly Glanbia). Sean finished his time at Tirlán this year and is settling into full-time farming alongside Paudie.
Also helping out at the farm in Jenkinstown are sons Donal and Stephen and wife Dymphna. This is a family enterprise through and through.
Sean is very involved in selecting bulls for the farm and also keeps a close eye on fertiliser and slurry application, his time in UCD and Tirlán helping him keep up to date with agricultural advances and new technology.
Averaging 6,380L/cow with solids tipping 530kg this is a balanced herd that is consistently delivering in terms of components, classifications and strong economic breeding index (EBI) value (herd average €222).
Paudie would use all high-EBI bulls on his farm, but he believes good conformation scores and classifications of dams is very important in producing a good calf and future milking cow for the herd. This focus on EBI plus classification has resulted in an impressively uniform herd of medium size cows with udders that will last the test of time.
Fertility is very high on the farm with a 90% six week calving rate and only 10 weeks of artificial insemination (AI) every spring. And cows repeating outside this will be picked up by the stockbull.
There is no sexed semen used on the Brennan farm at present and Paudie is happy to keep it this way as conventional semen is providing him with more than enough high-quality female replacements to maintain the herd.
Smart investments have been made on the farm in recent years to increase cubicles and install a new 16-unit swing over parlour which they started milking in during the spring of 2021. The changes have made a great difference to both the cows and Paudie and his family in running the farm.
Retirement
The Brennans are in a better position than most in having a succession plan for the farm once Paudie retires, knowing that his sons will be around to farm in the future Paudie has no qualms about investing in the farm and hopes that it will make life easier for future generations.
It’s hugely important that dairy farming is seen as an attractive career and future for young people, having functional farms with good infrastructure is key to this, as is maintaining a good work/life balance.
The new parlour offered all of this for the Brennans as well as making it easier to feed zero-grazed grass to the herd when needed, as the grazing platform around the parlour is somewhat limited.
Sean had done his research before the new parlour was put in place.
“In my job I visit a lot of farms so I had great conversations with farmers about what machines and set ups worked well for them, we heard great things about Pearsons so we were very happy to have them install the parlour,” he said.
“With ACRs (automatic cluster removers), the ability to feed individually to cows, a dump line and cluster flush it has made milking so much faster for us.
“I’m particularly happy with the cluster flush system as it has really helped reduce the SCC, minimise cases of mastitis and overall helped with our herd health which is important to me.”
The Pentony farm
Patrick Pentony operates a split-calving herd of 80 cows under the Gallrua Herd Prefix in Drogheda, Co. Louth. Patrick’s wife Aisling and son Ronan help on the farm, Ronan is also currently studying agriculture at Ballyhaise.
“I have helped Dad on the farm for as long as I can remember so it was always part of the plan to go on and study agriculture in college,” Ronan said.
Ronan is going into his second year of the Dairy Management course in Ballyhaise which will incorporate 16 weeks of work placement. After he is finished his course Ronan will decide if he will work off farm for a few years or come home to farm full time.
“I’m looking into the young farmer grants for when I finish, they can be a big help if you want to make changes or upgrades on a farm,” he said.
Grazing challenges
2023 was a difficult year for grazing in Drogheda, the herd didn’t get out to graze full time until the end of May. The farm has always been wet with difficult soils and so Patrick is well versed in selectively grazing at the beginning of the season to preserve ground conditions, while still meeting the herds nutritional demands.
The herds calving pattern is also designed to not overburden the land with demand for grass in the spring – 50 cows calve in the spring time and 30 more in the autumn, usually out at grass. This also helps Patrick mange his calf rearing as the batches of calves are more spread out throughout the year.
Patrick is a fantastic example of how grading up can lead to a stellar pedigree herd. He began milk recording in 1990 and engaged the Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) services to grade up the herd over time.
The Margaret family which are numerous in the herd today trace back to the original herd. Patrick purchased a number of pedigree stock from the Moneymore (Seamus Kelly) and Honeylands (Maurice Kellett) herds to compliment the grade up of the original herd in the 1990’s.
Both prominent herds in the North Eastern club it was only a matter of time before Patrick also became involved in the club and it is something that he has really enjoyed and benefitted from over the years.
Social life
Patrick enjoys the social aspect of the club, visiting other herds and taking part in field evenings and the herds competition. Ronan has attended many of these events with his father over the years and they both see the value in being able to attend together.
Patrick has been very successful in the herds competitions over the years which brings a great sense of achievement, pride and satisfaction for Patrick. When asked about the benefits of pedigree registration, Patrick highlights how much information it provides.
“The level of detail available on pedigree animals was the deciding factor for me when taking the decision to invest in pedigree stock in the early 90s,” he said.
“It gave me the best chance at making the right choices for my herd and definitely helped me to get to where I am today.
“We classify twice a year, this is such a valuable impartial service. The classifiers have a wealth of knowledge and can help identify both the strong and weaker aspects of your herd to work on.
“I have learnt a lot from them and always enjoy the interaction and discussion we have on classification day – I see a strong correlation between classification and the quality and functionality of my stock.”
Patrick’s careful breeding and management have produced a herd averaging 6,300L with 500kg solids to match. Overall, Patrick looks for a balanced cow that is easy to manage and productive.
AI bull selection helps with this, Patrick would aim for bulls around +200kg milk, positive for fat and protein and with good fertility. He would also place emphasis on linear traits – chest width, rump angle and teat position in particular.
Patrick is a firm believer in the importance of dam Classification if using young bulls, ideally dams should be VG or higher he feels, otherwise you don’t know what you are getting in terms of functionality of the cow.
The breeding policy is always evolving on the farm, of late emphasis on stature and angularity has diminished. Patricks attention to detail in his breeding has produced a robust, uniform herd with good overall fertility and health.
IHFA Young Members Association
The Young Members Association (YMA) is another facet of IHFA that gives young people the chance to get involved in pedigree dairy animals.
It is is open to all young people under the age of 26 whether they come from a farming background or not.
With 12 regional clubs around the country, the YMA offers children the chance to see how to show and judge dairy livestock, as well as teaching them general animal husbandry and farm management skills.
The organisation holds regular workshops, shows and fun events for members where lifelong friends are made. Senior club members have acted as excellent mentors for the young members over the years and fostered an excellent environment for learning, growth, sportsmanship and passion for dairy.
If you or your child would like to know more about YMA and get involved with their local club contact YMA Executive Georgia Grennan at [email protected] or contact the IHFA office on; 023 883 3443.
You can hear directly from Pat and Paudie at the upcoming IHFA open day on September 15, Clonaslee, Co. Laois, all welcome.