Inputs: Prices for the biggest inputs on dairy farms, feed and fertiliser, are rising. In general, fertiliser prices are still lower than this time last year but have gone up compared to last autumn.

The market signals are for further price increases over the coming months so the advice is to buy now if you can.

It pays to shop around as some suppliers, particularly in Munster, have bought stocks cheaper and so can sell them that bit cheaper.

When negotiating a price, look for interest-free credit until such time that cashflow allows for the fertiliser to be paid. Alternatively, look for a discount if you can pay up-front. Another way of managing rising inputs is to buy less of them. Slurry should replace nitrogen in early spring and autumn. Farmers who have good soil fertility and who reduce the amount of chemical nitrogen they spread find that grass growth doesn’t suffer. The same applies to fields with good clover content. On many farms there is scope to reduce chemical nitrogen without reducing grass growth.

Meal prices are rising also, up about €20/t to €30/t in recent months. There is too much meal being fed on most dairy farms. I would estimate that in herds feeding more than 600kg/cow over the year, meal can be reduced by 20% without affecting production or fertility. And even if production does drop the farm will probably still make more profit. High yield does not equal high profit and it never has. A maximum of 3kg to 4kg of meal per cow per day should be the target for most herds this spring.

Calving: Calving is kicking off around the country this week. A couple of reminders around colostrum. The target is to feed 3l/calf of first-milking colostrum within the first two hours of birth. This contains valuable antibodies that help the calf to fight off infection. Factors that influence colostrum quality are:

  • Timing after calving – the earlier the cow is milked the better. This could have implications for those milking once a day in spring, perhaps milk freshly calved cows separately.
  • Higher yielding cows tend to have lower-quality colostrum.
  • Frozen colostrum will last for a year without affecting its quality. Chilled colostrum (in a fridge) will last for 48 hours before bacteria start multiplying.
  • High-bacteria colostrum reduces the amount of antibodies the calf can absorb.
  • Thaw, or heat up colostrum in water that is below 50°C.
  • Storing colostrum in zip-lock freezer bags or milk cartons will speed up the time taken to thaw or heat up colostrum.

    • Some farmers are asking about feeding oats/soya to cows pre-calving. Where the protein level of the diet is low (less than 12%), feeding extra protein will help the cow, the calf and the quality of the colostrum. But where the protein in the silage is OK (more than 12%), which is typical on the vast majority of dairy farms, then feeding more protein will not be necessary and could actually do more harm than good. Excess protein in the diet uses up energy and also increases the nitrogen content in the urine.