Dairy Newsletter - May 2022

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In this month's edition:

• Don’t delay first-cut silage
  On first-cut silage, delaying the cutting date will have a negative effect on quality and quantity. Management decisions around first-cut silage yield should be made on the basis of meeting DMD targets and improving annual grass tonnage per hectare, rather than focusing solely on the bulk of an individual cut.
• Are you taking on the clover challenge?
  Given the interest in establishing clover on farms to reduce chemical nitrogen (N) use (potential savings of 100kg N/ha) and increase milk yield (+20-30kg milk solids (MS) per cow), April saw the roll out of Teagasc Clover Farm Walks across Ireland to support farmers incorporating clover into existing grass swards.
• Research Update - Milking efficiency of dairy farms
  John Upton of Teagasc Moorepark looks at some interesting results from a Teagasc milking study.
  Milking occurs on twice-a-day herds anywhere from 600 to 730 times each year. We know that over one-third of the total hours required to run a dairy farm is spent milking cows. Therefore, milking efficiency is important to all dairy farmers.
• Health & Safety - May is a high-risk month
  May is the month when silage making commences. It is a high-risk month when safety planning is needed. There is a lot of machinery movement, both in the farmyards and on public roads, so knock-down, roll-over and crushing accidents are possible