Nearing the 9% milk solids target
Breeding a 550kg cow, capable of producing 9% milk solids, and returning back in calf every year - that’s the central focus of David Dolan’s dairy replacement breeding policy. Ronan Mulligan, Teagasc Claremorris, and Brendan Garry, Teagasc Ballinrobe, recently visited David’s farm to find out more.
Farming with his father Louis outside Claremorris, Co. Mayo, the Dolan’s herd performed very well in 2024, selling over 530kg of milk solids per cow to Aurivo. As discussed in the video below, herd protein averaged 3.84% and butterfat was 5.02%, giving a combined milk solids percentage of 8.86% last year. This is very close to the farm target of 9% milk solids produced from a 550kg, grass-based crossbred cow.
For insights into David Dolan’s breeding policy, watch the below video:
Breeding criteria
Focused on breeding a cow that is resilient and goes in calf each year, David outlined his criteria for bull selection. The bull team must have:
- A Predicted Difference (PD) of at least 0.17% for Protein and 0.27% for Butterfat,
- In excess of €100 on the Fertility sub-index and €20 on the maintenance sub-index,
- And positive Health sub-index values to avoid problems in the future.
Along with sire selection, the Dolans pay heed to the dams from which the next generation of cows will be bred. With a view to breeding 30 replacement heifers, 60 sexed semen dairy AI straws will be used this May. Only cows meeting certain breeding and calving criteria will be served with sexed semen to ensure the highest conception rates as possible.
Once these dairy straws have been used, the farm switches to using beef sires with bulls selected from the Dairy Beef Index (DBI). These high DBI bulls help bred high quality beef animals from the dairy herd that are more saleable as calves and valuable at slaughter time to beef farmers.
Further information on the Dairy Beef Index can be got from your local Teagasc Advisory office, the Teagasc website or the ICBF website.
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