Jodie's blog: feeding strategy on Scottish dairy farm
Irish student Jodie McGeever is currently doing work experience on Coopon Carse dairy farm in Palnure, Scotland, helping to look after 530 dairy cows, 470 young stock and 30 young bulls.
Five hundred cows are milked on the unit through a 28-point Westfalia rotary parlour, currently averaging a 305-day yield of 10,100kg.
The farm owner explained to me his strategy of feed reduction and feeding grass, which he started in 2014.
He feeds 35kg of fresh grass.
2kg premix X 480 cows X 178 days = 170t.
0.5kg soda wheat X 480 cows X 154 = 37t.
0.25 molasses X 480 cows X 107 days = 13t.
No mega lac fed.
Premix protein reduction £27.63 fed at 8kg X480 cows X178 days = 683.520t.
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So his cost reductions for feeding grass in 2014 was:
Premix @ £218 X 170t = £37,060.
Soda wheat @ £175 X 37t = £6,475.
Molasses @ £181 X 13t = £2,353.
Mega Lac @ £625 X17.8t = £11,125.
Premix ( less protein) £27.63 X 683.520t = 18,885.
Less sheets and additive = £2,000.
Difference to make extra silage = £11,500.
Total savings on feed costs £89,398.
Jodie McGeever is an animal science student at UCD and travels on the professional work experience programme supported by the Irish Farmers Journal and the Agricultural Science Association.
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Title: Jodie's blog: feeding strategy on Scottish dairy farm
Irish student Jodie McGeever is currently doing work experience on Coopon Carse dairy farm in Palnure, Scotland, helping to look after 530 dairy cows, 470 young stock and 30 young bulls.
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Five hundred cows are milked on the unit through a 28-point Westfalia rotary parlour, currently averaging a 305-day yield of 10,100kg.
The farm owner explained to me his strategy of feed reduction and feeding grass, which he started in 2014.
He feeds 35kg of fresh grass.
2kg premix X 480 cows X 178 days = 170t.
0.5kg soda wheat X 480 cows X 154 = 37t.
0.25 molasses X 480 cows X 107 days = 13t.
No mega lac fed.
Premix protein reduction £27.63 fed at 8kg X480 cows X178 days = 683.520t.
So his cost reductions for feeding grass in 2014 was:
Premix @ £218 X 170t = £37,060.
Soda wheat @ £175 X 37t = £6,475.
Molasses @ £181 X 13t = £2,353.
Mega Lac @ £625 X17.8t = £11,125.
Premix ( less protein) £27.63 X 683.520t = 18,885.
Less sheets and additive = £2,000.
Difference to make extra silage = £11,500.
Total savings on feed costs £89,398.
Jodie McGeever is an animal science student at UCD and travels on the professional work experience programme supported by the Irish Farmers Journal and the Agricultural Science Association.
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