A year can be a long time when things are not going well but the past 12 months have been the quickest in my farming career.
This time last year we were under pressure to have all the various building projects completed on time for calving to begin in early February. Twelve months on, we have finished our first year in dairy farming with all our first lactation herd dried off in early November to give the cows and myself a well-earned rest.
As we all know, farming goes in cycles, and we were lucky to start off in a good year. Weather was kind in the spring, which allowed us to get first-calvers out to grass full-time as they calved. From an animal health point of view, it was a great help, we got off on the right foot with milk production and cell count. A figure that I am most proud of is my somatic cell count for the year, at 55.
Hopefully, if they continue their progression, they would do 500kg of milk solids when mature which would be close to their bodyweight
Milk production was also satisfactory, clocking in at 3.8% protein, 4.65% fat and 360kg/MS on a moderate 550kg of bought-in concentrates. Hopefully, if they continue their progression, they would do 500kg of milk solids when mature which would be close to their bodyweight.
It was a very busy year as, aside from calving down 100 heifers, we also lambed 150 ewes in the break between calving and breeding. By the time early July came around and the bulls went out to mop up after 10 weeks of AI, I was fairly well exhausted. It wasn’t a mistake to lamb the ewes as the lamb sales are a nice boost to cashflow with a lower milk output in our first year. Ultimately, though, it is too much work at the wrong time of the year.
With casual labour less available these days, we must put all our efforts in to the enterprise that gives the greater financial return
We have since decided to exit sheep farming fully, which is a huge change. But time moves on and things change. With casual labour less available these days, we must put all our efforts in to the enterprise that gives the greater financial return.
I found that the biggest challenge over the summer months was evening milking and hurling clashing, but we worked around this.
New skills
Adjusting to the new skills associated with grass-based dairy farming was a very enjoyable and sometimes challenging journey. Two of the most important skills are heat detection and grass management. I found the grass management a lot easier than when we were sheep and beef farming as we used to be managing up to eight groups of stock. Now it is down to three or four groups.
For heat detection we used scratch cards, tail paint and vasectomised bulls. I will try to have a bit more help around for the first three weeks of May as it can often be as busy as the first few weeks of February.
Some will begrudge, some encourage but at the end of the day if you have a strong enough business plan and a farm suitable it can be a good move
When you announce to your neighbours or peers that you want to switch enterprises, borrow money, invest in your farm and go dairy farming, you get a mix of responses depending on who the person is. Some will begrudge, some encourage but at the end of the day if you have a strong enough business plan and a farm suitable it can be a good move. I have yet to meet a new entrant that regrets switching enterprises. Joining discussion groups and my participation with a Focus Farm Programme run by Aurivo, which I supply, have been of immeasurable assistance to me.
All animals are housed by now so the work is concentrated inside the farm gate.
We are calving down 155 animals in the spring so I have no problem with taking as much time off as I wish at this time of the year
We converted our old sheep shed over the summer months and have 180 cubicles available now. We are calving down 155 animals in the spring so I have no problem with taking as much time off as I wish at this time of the year.
I would like to wish all readers a happy Christmas, prosperous new year and safe farming for 2020.
Read more
Long read: the Galway farmer saying goodbye to sheep for a life in dairy
Farmer writes: workload involved with a dairy conversion is constant
Farmer Writes: construction work a welcome distraction from the drought
A year can be a long time when things are not going well but the past 12 months have been the quickest in my farming career.
This time last year we were under pressure to have all the various building projects completed on time for calving to begin in early February. Twelve months on, we have finished our first year in dairy farming with all our first lactation herd dried off in early November to give the cows and myself a well-earned rest.
As we all know, farming goes in cycles, and we were lucky to start off in a good year. Weather was kind in the spring, which allowed us to get first-calvers out to grass full-time as they calved. From an animal health point of view, it was a great help, we got off on the right foot with milk production and cell count. A figure that I am most proud of is my somatic cell count for the year, at 55.
Hopefully, if they continue their progression, they would do 500kg of milk solids when mature which would be close to their bodyweight
Milk production was also satisfactory, clocking in at 3.8% protein, 4.65% fat and 360kg/MS on a moderate 550kg of bought-in concentrates. Hopefully, if they continue their progression, they would do 500kg of milk solids when mature which would be close to their bodyweight.
It was a very busy year as, aside from calving down 100 heifers, we also lambed 150 ewes in the break between calving and breeding. By the time early July came around and the bulls went out to mop up after 10 weeks of AI, I was fairly well exhausted. It wasn’t a mistake to lamb the ewes as the lamb sales are a nice boost to cashflow with a lower milk output in our first year. Ultimately, though, it is too much work at the wrong time of the year.
With casual labour less available these days, we must put all our efforts in to the enterprise that gives the greater financial return
We have since decided to exit sheep farming fully, which is a huge change. But time moves on and things change. With casual labour less available these days, we must put all our efforts in to the enterprise that gives the greater financial return.
I found that the biggest challenge over the summer months was evening milking and hurling clashing, but we worked around this.
New skills
Adjusting to the new skills associated with grass-based dairy farming was a very enjoyable and sometimes challenging journey. Two of the most important skills are heat detection and grass management. I found the grass management a lot easier than when we were sheep and beef farming as we used to be managing up to eight groups of stock. Now it is down to three or four groups.
For heat detection we used scratch cards, tail paint and vasectomised bulls. I will try to have a bit more help around for the first three weeks of May as it can often be as busy as the first few weeks of February.
Some will begrudge, some encourage but at the end of the day if you have a strong enough business plan and a farm suitable it can be a good move
When you announce to your neighbours or peers that you want to switch enterprises, borrow money, invest in your farm and go dairy farming, you get a mix of responses depending on who the person is. Some will begrudge, some encourage but at the end of the day if you have a strong enough business plan and a farm suitable it can be a good move. I have yet to meet a new entrant that regrets switching enterprises. Joining discussion groups and my participation with a Focus Farm Programme run by Aurivo, which I supply, have been of immeasurable assistance to me.
All animals are housed by now so the work is concentrated inside the farm gate.
We are calving down 155 animals in the spring so I have no problem with taking as much time off as I wish at this time of the year
We converted our old sheep shed over the summer months and have 180 cubicles available now. We are calving down 155 animals in the spring so I have no problem with taking as much time off as I wish at this time of the year.
I would like to wish all readers a happy Christmas, prosperous new year and safe farming for 2020.
Read more
Long read: the Galway farmer saying goodbye to sheep for a life in dairy
Farmer writes: workload involved with a dairy conversion is constant
Farmer Writes: construction work a welcome distraction from the drought
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