The attention to detail of the O’Dwyer farm is clear the minute you drive in the lane towards the new milking parlour that has been developed in the hub of the farmyard.

There is a ‘can-do’ attitude from both John and Denis to every challenge and this father and son combination seems to be working well to deliver top-quality product.

The grazing block is about 40ha adjusted and in total 100ha are farmed, with cows calving from February onwards. In 2015, 97 cows were milked and this year 111 cows are going through the parlour.

In terms of teat preparation, cows will be sprayed, drawn and wiped with paper towel in the morning. Following milking the cows are sprayed with Deosan teat foam. Like a lot of the contestants, the O’Dwyers are big fans of the CMT paddle, especially at the start of lactation.

The plant washing routine has been automated since the new parlour and dairy were built. The dairy is particularly impressive, with lots of space around the bulk tank for washing and sterilising equipment. The detergent wash is followed by two auto rinses every morning and evening. About 1.3 litres of detergent are used per milking to wash the 16-unit plant, with a hot wash used at every

milking.

A new drafting gate has been installed recently and again this works well in terms of managing cows coming out of the parlour and selecting cows for AI or for whatever reason.

John and Denis are big on grassland management and getting the best from what land they have around the parlour. Reseeding has played a big part in the development of the farm but also they have made good strategic moves with farm buildings.

Milking cows are at grass for over 10 months and about 200kg of nitrogen is applied as well as slurry. About 80% of the slurry is applied in the spring, with the balance after silage.

Factfile

  • Farming System: in 2015 the O’Dwyer business milked 97 cows delivering 542,113 litres to Tipperary Co-op in a spring calving production system. In total the O’Dwyer family are farming 100ha (240 acres). Milk fat averaged 4.02% and protein percentage averaged 3.51% in 2015.
  • Parlour: 16-unit herringbone.
  • SCC Results: average 115000 for 2015.
  • TBC Results: average 11,000 for 2015.
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