2020 and 2019 Updates - Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority

2021

Week start	Litres / Cow	Fat %	Protein %	SCC	Milk solids Day/Kg	Meal Kg Cow/day	Average Farm cover	Cover per LU	Pre grazing yield Kg DM	Demand Kg DM/ha	Growth Kg DM/ha
November 22nd	11.5	5.7	4.41	170	1.2	2	700				12
Comment	Grazing season has come to an end this week, we grew 13 tonnes to date and achieved just over 7 grazing's average per paddock and over 300 days at grass. Cows have received 775kg of meal per cow and sold 520kg of milk solids, very happy with performance this year but have to improve on fertility next season with 14% empty this year. Remaining milking cows will stay out by day on kale and on bale silage inside at night. Half the herd is now dry. Weanlings and cattle will be housed this week with dry cows and incalf heifers staying out on grass and kale for another 2 weeks.
November 8th	13.5	5.27	4.33	110	1.3		1000	390	2000	40	20
Comment	All cows still milking, plan to take out 3 rows for drying a week up to 10th December. Plan to graze full time up to 20th November and finish grass. Then will house by night and give kale by day. Freeze branding of heifer calves done this week. Put in 12 extra cubicles to help during the winter.
October 18th	16	5	4.15	110	1.5	2	1300	540	2300	30	29
Comment	Cell count starting to creep up. Will milk record this week and make plan for high cell count cows. Grazing going well with only 4 very heavy covers left and cows performing well, protein behind last year but overall milk solids are up on same period last year. 45% of the farm now closed for the spring and most of this is after receiving watery slurry with trailing shoe.
September 13th	20.5	4.6	3.81	86	1.77	2	1200	465	2100	50	63
Comment	A lot of grass on the platform and pre grazing too high for stocking rate so if weather permits will try cut out one paddock and bring extra stock back to help lower AFC. SCC starting to clim so will give garlic blouses to the 5 highest cell count cows from last milk recording. Scanned heifers last week 2 out of 42 empty, one of them has an embryo loss and the other has been cycling every 3 weeks, 78% conception to 1st service.
August 30th	20.1	4.44	3.78	43	1.7	2	1100	400	2100	43	62
Comment	Grass growth still holding well with a lot of grass in front of the cows and cattle, cattle and excellent conditions for grazing. Fertiliser finished this week. Scanning planned for this week. Sprayed some paddocks with clover safe spray for docks.
August 23rd	21.42	4.21	3.74	46	1.75	2.0	971	351	1700	48	101
Comment	Plan to take out one paddock for bales to manage surge in growth. 3 cows seen bulling this week that were served in early May, disappointing but happens every year and probably due to heat stress in July. Winter feed budget done and happy with quantity of feed available.
August 16th	21.4	4.41	3.64	55	1.78	2	825	295	1550	48	65
Comment	Grass quality and growth going very well and farm was well cleaned off during a dry spell so quality should hold into Autumn. Spreading 25 units of fertiliser after the cows and plan to spread 1.5 rounds before closed period.
August 9th	22.80	4.12	3.65	48	1.82	2.0	684	247	1500	48	64
Comment	Grass growth is recovering well after a growth of 25kg/DM/day, 10 days ago. Following cows with 25 units of nitrogen to slowly start building covers for the Autumn. 3rd Grazing of multi species over the weekend, cows seem to enjoy it.
July 26th	24.7	3.97	3.59	48	1.92	2	715	260	1450	47	59
Comment	Growth better than expected with the high temperature last week, took out two paddocks last week. Baled the 2nd cut silage yielded 5.5 bales to the acre and quality was excellent. Set some redstart for grazing in the Winter time.
July 19th	23.9	4.10	3.54	55	1.88	2	689	250	1550	47	80
Comment	Excellent growth last week, would like to take out a couple of paddocks but with the dry weather we will hold off and graze them and take out paddocks later. Cows under pressure with the heat so keeping them in sheltered padocks and near the water wells so tanks always full. Setting 6 acres of redstart this week for grazing over the winter.
July 12th	25.40	4.19	3.62	45	2.05	2.0	590	202	1400	51	58
Comment	No big surpluses of grass on the farm yet plan to keep cows in covers of 1400 to try hold milk solids. Following grazing with 15 units. Breeding finished on the 5th of July.
July 5th	23.9	4.06	3.66	36	2.10	2.0	624	211	1300	49	58
Comment	Had 28mls of rain over the weekend, which was badly needed, as growth was very poor up until last Saturday. Bulls still with the cows but nothing bulling for the 6 days. 290kg/MS per cow sold and 450 kgs of meal fed. Grazed the new multi species over the weekend and the cows cleaned them out very well.
June 21st	26.7	4.05	3.53	33	2.03	2	561	189	1450	50	70
Comment	Grzed reseed this week at a cover of 900kg DM/ha and will try graze again in 14 days. Calves recieved wormer this week and seem to be thriving well on heavier covers and 1kg of meal. Cows treated for flys to make milking easier and help cows relax. Spreading 15 units of protected urea after each grazing also spreading watery slurry on paddocks taken out for bales with trailing shoe.
June 16th	25.75	4.35	3.60	51	2.04	2.0	517	149	1550	57	76
Comment	Taking out paddocks for bales and topping with the last week to get grass back on track, hopefully this will improve quality. Pit silage in with the wetter conditions of last week was hard to get it in perfect but its glad its done with a very heavy crop. Sprayed reseeds and hope to graze at a cover of 800kg dm/ha at the weekend.
May 31st	28.30	4.10	3.60	42	2.18	2.0	750	226	1600	54	56
Comment:	Cows are finally getting some sun on their backs, it has been a difficult few weeks on them and yield and solids back on last year. Too much grass on the farm so plan to stop some of the paddocks that were badly gazzed in the wet weather and bake them in 3 weeks. Used trailing shoe in 25 acres of grazzed ground and plan to spread most of the platform this year with the trailing shoe. Grass quality will be a priority for the next two week's.
May 18th	28.6	4.23	3.52	53	2.21	2.0	655	188	1400	57	56
Comment:	Milder weather is very welcome to help grass to get growing and back up where it should be for the time of year. 66% after 15days of breeding, 3 cows not after showing any heat since calving so will get these checked over the next week. Sprayed 5 acres off and plan to bale this week and sow mixed species on this ground as a trial to help reduce nitrogen on the Farm.
May 10th	30.9	4.12	3.57	41	2.3	2.5	624	170	3.6	60	35
Comment:	Last week's weather set growth back and hoping for a good recovery after the rain. Have a few paddocks taken out for bales will graze the lighter ones if growth is slow to recover. Breeding started on 1st May all cows and heifers and cows on track to do over 90% in 3 weeks. Following cows with 20units of protected urea with slupher.
April 26th	29.8	4	3.40	42	2.2	2	739	209		58	45
Comment:	Meal down to 2kg and getting cows to graze tightly for this roynd to ensure clean swards for the Summer. Increased stocking rate by taking out paddocks for bales and 5 acres for reseeding. Growth of 45 last week that will be higher this week with an increase of temperature. First 45 calves weaned and treated for Coccidiosis eating 1.2kg meal.
April 19th	29.5	3.85	3.43	40	2.2	3.5	690	250		36	36
Comment:	Grass dry matter is between 20-22%. Cold weather is having an impact on the appearance of the farm. a lot of paddocks and yellow burnt looking, only got 3ml of rain over the weekend. The cows are very content considering its the second rotation grass and dry matter is helping this. Big drop off in butterfat, lack of fibre and time of year causing this.
April 12th	30	4.07	3.46	51	2.25	3	600	231		35	36
Comment:	Started the 2nd rotation 5th of April, grazed two days of the cattle ground to insure we did not start too early with the cold weather and average growth rates. Calving finished on the 4th, all cows have plenty of time to be submitted in first 3 weeks of breeding. Cows tail painted for pre breeding, red or not seen bulling and blue once heat observed. 70% of cows cycling planned breeding will start the 1st of May. Reseeding complete this week in super conditions.
29th March	31.6	4.13	3.36	75	2.30	4	650	266	1400	29	30
Comment:	Planned start of the second round is Monday the 5th with the 950 on the first paddock to be grazed, a lot of paddocks between 700 and 800. Silage ground is now grazed and will get 24-2.5-10+ sulpher this week, rate will depend on what level of slurry it has received.
March 22nd	31.7	4.52	3.32	70	2.4	4	714	291	2000	29	26
Comment:	Growth picking up and closing in on demand, 2nd of fertiliser going out this week, 35 units of protected urea on ground that has got slurry and 30 units of 18-6-12 on ground that has had no slurry. 2 Cows with ketosis this week vet treated them and are recovering, due to being turned out on full grass and meal too close after calving. 18 acres sprayed off for reseeding when weather picks up. Maiden heifers weighed average weight 290kgs and showing good heats.
March 15th	29.5	4.65	3.36	61	2.3	3.5	720	325	800-1600	27	12
Comment:	Growth disapointing but due to the cold weather and heavy rain it was expected. Cows were housed by night for 5 nights last week on good bales, this helped hold farm cover. Maiden heifer back on grass full time and lighter cattle grazing silage ground. Cows have 65% grazed and will hold them on 3.5 acres a day to bring us up to April 5th.
March 8th	28	4.82	3.34	68	2.2	3	780	341	1200	28	17
Comment:	With 90% of cows calved the demand for grass is high and are dropping the average farm cover faster than we would like, we will assess it at the end of the week. Whole farm received 35units of fertiliser to the acer last week. Cows out full time eating 13kg grass and 3kg meal.
March 1st	22	4.76	3.48	84	1.81	4	850		900	22	6
Comment:	Cows out full time while weather allows us to get area grazed. Whole farm received 35 units protected urea this week. 80% calved. Calves on milk replacer. Replacement heifers and lighest cattle out on silage ground.