According to the latest data from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) on milk recording 1,055,932 cows, from 9,031 herds, have been milk recorded so far this year.
For the same period in 2021, the total amount of cows recorded stood at 947,224.
As farmers navigate a world with new antibiotic regulations and an increased use of selective dry cow therapy, milk recording uptake has increased. Based on the latest figures from the ICBF, there has been a 11.5% increase in 2022 compared to 2021.
Compared to the same period in 2021, some 108,708 extra cows have been recorded this year.
Milk recording
Milk recording plays a vital role on farms for a number of reasons, most noticeably the information it offers to dairy farmers.
Ahead of the drying-off of spring-calving cows later this year, this information will play a vital role.
The data will allow farmers to determine which cows do and do not require antibiotics at drying-off.
In the case of milk recording, the more information available to farmers the better.
The more information that farmers have available, the more decisive you they can be with decisions, thus – hopefully – maximising results.
When using the data, it is important to look at each individual recording along with the recording as a whole.
It is also important to take in to account that mastitis cases may have occurred in between recordings.