Clonakilty Agricultural College
College Farm
The College farm has 140 hectares of rolling lowland; facing south it is ideal for growing early grass.
Soil type varies from mostly light loam to gley soil along the Southern and Eastern boundaries. Elevation ranges from 25 to 70m above sea level.
The farm units give students a hands-on approach to learning. The farm is run to maximise profit and to reflect the practices adopted on commercial farms as well as utilising up-to-date Teagasc research and advice.
The Dairy Enterprise has a 20 unit sequential bailing milking parlour, drafting facilities and a 160 cow modern wintering unit. The 160 cow College herd is moving from a 60:40 Spring: Autumn calving to 100% Spring calving. In conjunction with Teagasc Moorpark Research Centre the college is at present examining the implications for introducing Norwegian Reds and Jersey breed to the overall profitability of the dairy herd
The suckler herd has 30 adult female breeding stock. The majority of cows are continental cross breeds. All progeny are finished as Beef. A mixed grazing system is practiced with this suckler herd and a 120-ewe flock.
The calves from the Dairy Herd are incorporated into this system. The breed is mainly Friesian with some dairy beef crosses
The ewe flock is divided in to 40-ewe flock for early lamb production and 80-ewe flock for mid season production. Texel, Charolais and Suffolk cross ewes are the predominant ewe breeds. The rams used are Suffolk, Texel, Belclare, Rouge and Charolais. A leader follower system of grazing is practised. The suckler finishing cattle and the finishing lamb graze ahead of suckler cows/calves and dry sheep.
The tillage enterprise is essentially a facility for students to learn about cereal crops and acquire practical experience in the basic operations of tillage farming such as ploughing, seedbed preparation, fertiliser spreading and spraying. Each year students select varieties, measure out plots, plough harrow, sow and carry out all operations associated with growing cereals. One Ha plots Winter and spring Wheat, Oats and Barley are grown by the students.
Latest…
Growth Rate Nov 13th was 13.6 kgs @ 11.5 % Dry Matter
Dairy enterprise
- Cows were housed on 18th Nov. and also the 22 spring heifers that initially we were aiming to out winter were housed on 25th Nov.
- Current AFC: 773
- Growth rate since last walk on 10th Nov is 8; drier fields were >15
- There was 7.6 Ha of wet ground were left, to be grazed by dry cows or maiden heifers when the weather dries up AFC 1500 – 2000,
- Have used sheep to tidy up some paddocks
- Currently milking 78 cows (29 autumn and 48 spring)
- Spring Cows are on 3 Kg ration and ad-lib 1st cut, been dried off when 2 mts off calving, BCS 3
- Autumn cows on 7Kgs ration; 50:50 whole crop wheat and 1st cut grass silage
- Current spring milk yield 12Kgs (autumn cows 26 Kgs).
- Tank (which is 43% milk from the spring calving cows):
P% 3.31 Fat % 3.78 L % 4.64 SCC 225 TBC 11 - Jan and Feb cows have been vaccinated for Rotavirus
- Some 5 year performance figures for the college herd
Drystock enterprise 5th November
- Days Grazing Ahead: 15
- Grazing Stocking Rate (kg LW per ha): 1366
- Current Target Days Ahead: 30
- Util. Cover / Ha. (kg DM/Ha): 429
- Target Pre-Grazing Cover (Util./ha.): 879
- Grass Growth (kg DM/Ha/Day): 11
- Est. Days Ahead in: 7
- Growth to Meet Herd Demand: 29 (Kg/Ha/Day)
- 10 cows weaned on 3rd the rest from the 10th.
- All calves/weanlings were linear scored.
- Average weight is 310 kg, which is >1 kg/d growth since birth
- Finishers were weighed too average weight 542 kg (circa 0.8 kg/day)
- They are getting ration from now on, beginning at 1 kg/hd/day and increasing up to 6-7 kg/hd/day. Weaned cows are in the shed but will go out onto rape when fully weaned.
- If weather gets really bad, this plan may alter and the heifers will go out instead to minimise damage.
Crops enterprise 17th December
After the wettest November on record field operations were at a standstill. We’ve not been able to spray for aphids until this week; however with the inclement weather aphid populations should be low.
Students have selected the Winter Wheat variety Lion for growing this year for whole crop wheat.
Sown in ideal conditions at 180 Kg \Ha on the 7th Oct 2009
| Dec 1st | GS 13 | Good emergence and growth |
| Dec 17th | GS 21 – 22 | Good colour in spite of the wet conditions. |
Contact
John Mulhern,
Principal,
Teagasc,
Clonakilty Agricultural College,
Darrara,
Clonakilty,
Co. Cork
Phone: 023 8832500
Fax: 023 8834449
Email: office@clonakilty.teagasc.ie
