Farmers are being encouraged to be “proactive” as freezing temperatures loom for most parts of the country, according to latest warnings issued by Met Éireann today (Thursday, January 2).
A Status Yellow weather warning has been issued by Met Éireann with low temperatures and ice forecast as temperatures overnight expected to drop to -3℃ in some parts.
The weather over the last day or two has turned to freezing temperatures which makes things a little more difficult around the milking parlour and around the yard.
Cold weather can make every little job more challenging, from opening a bale of silage, to thawing water pipes and troughs and most importantly, making sure the parlour does not freeze overnight.
Farmers also need to clear tracks around the farm to prevent slipping and falling and put down de-icing salt which is available from co-ops for around €200/tonne or €5-€6 per 25 kg bag.
Freezing temperatures
Although many of these tips may seem obvious, it is no harm reiterate the best practices to deal with this cold snap of weather to ensure there are no delays and no extra hardship to the milking process.
Although many herds in the country are dried off at this stage, many winter milk herds are milking away and they should make sure that all the doors of the parlour are kept closed over night.
According to Teagasc “proactive measures” are now needed at farm level to reduce the impact of the cold spell.
In the first instance it has urged farmers before going outdoors to “take time to select and wear suitable warm clothing”.
It is also advising farmers to consider providing extra silage and feeding to reduce the number of times you need to feed during periods of very cold weather.
“This is very important for out-wintered stock. It will help minimise machinery operation during cold weather and will help to reduce the risk of accidents,” it said.
Something that may not be common practice is installing a thermostat-controlled heater in the plant room, which should cut in when temperatures fall below 1℃ and items such as the power washer should be kept in here to prevent the pump from freezing.
Water should be drained from all the low points once the wash is finished to make sure all the excess water is removed from the plant.
All cluster should be removed from the jetters and should be left to hang down to remove any water in them.
A salt solution should be circulated through the parlour once the final rinse is washed through making sure all detergent is well rinsed out.
A kg of salt per 20L will be sufficient and will drop the freezing point of water. Give the parlour a rinse before the next milking to get rid of any salt residues.
Diaphragm milk pumps can be a problem and so a farmer should open the locking nuts to allow any excess water to escape or place an infra-red light over it.
Where sealing the parlour is a problem, a few sheets of plastic or insulated blankets should be used to reduce the amount of freezing air getting in.
Water
The freezing temperatures should not restrict animals from drinking their required amount of water, in particular dairy cows who are on high concentrate diets.
A cow producing 30L of milk and being fed a silage-based diet will require 75-90L of water per day and so a plan must be put in place to stop water pipes from freezing.
An on-farm supply from a deep well, the submersible pump should not freeze but pipes and fitting coming from the pump to the sheds should be kept free from ice.
Again, a thermostatically-controlled fan heater might be a good idea in the pump house along with all pipes going to the shed being underground or insulated if exposed.
Where there pipes are exposed and prone to freezing, an option is to fit a tap onto the pipe and leave the tap trickling water to keep water flowing.
If water to animals has been restricted and suddenly made available, over-drinking or water toxicity can cause health problems and even fatalities in extreme cases and so a gradual feed of water should be supplied when animals are thirsty.