With milk supply down on many farms, dairy farmers must focus on maintaining good cow performance over the next couple of months, according to dairy specialist for Teagasc, Martina Gormley.
Recently released data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have showed a decline in both the volume of milk and its contained protein delivered to processors and co-ops over the month of March.
The decline in milk volumes and its protein component may be a result of “challenging grazing conditions” on farms, over the month of March.
Heavy rain and water logged soils resulted in many dairy cows being retained indoors for longer on silage and concentrate diets, reducing the opportunities to graze spring grass.
The dairy specialist has suggested two options to help maintain good cow performance.
Option one:
- 40ha milking block/120 cows = three livestock units (lu)/ha;
- At an allocation of 20kg/DM of grass/cow, that’s a demand of 60kg/ha;
- For 60kg demand/ha, most dairy farms would be comfortable and have opportunities to take out surplus bales as required.
Option two:
- Short on silage and decide to close up a 8ha on milking block for silage and reseed 2ha;
- 30ha/120 cows= 4lu/ha;
- At an allocation of 20kg/DM of grass/cow = 80kg/ha of a demand.
The Teagasc advice stated that very few farmers will achieve to grow 80kg+ for May/June/July, which often means farmers will run into grass quality/quantity issues.
This means that cows will not have good performance due to more fibre in the sward. The cows “will not milk well” if the growth rates are not at 80kg/ha consistently.
She suggested that reducing the area closed to around 5ha would be a safer option.
Gormley said that the main disadvantage in option one is that farmers might have to call on a contractor a few times over the summer for a lower number of bales.
According to dairy specialist, some farmers are working around this challenge by mowing the paddocks themselves and making more than 30 bales at a time.
She added that if this will not work for your farm, then a comprise is to reduce the closed up area to 5ha, which will leave stocking rate at 3.4lu/ha and demand at 68kg/ha.
Gormley advised that the main priority on the milking block should be that the cow is fed well with good quality grass for as long as possible.
The Teagasc advice stated that a fodder budget should be completed to work out if there is a deficit, when silage from out-farms are taken into account and a plan should be put in place to reduce deficit.