Watch: scanning and getting grazing on track in Down

Improving herd fertility by increasing the number of cows that are eligible for service at the start of breeding is a focus for several farmers on the Dairylink Ireland programme.

In Nigel Corbett’s split 80/20 autumn- and spring-calving herd near Banbridge, there are 15 cows left to calve in the spring group.

Dairylink adviser Conail Keown is recommending that Nigel stops serving cows from mid-March to late April to allow autumn calvers that have repeated several times, as well as cows that are calving between both groups, to be carried over and calve down next February.

This would give Nigel two distinct groups, so that the focus can be to tighten the spread in each individual group further by letting late calvers leave the herd.

In Millisle, there are four cows left to calve down on Bill Brown’s farm. Consideration is being given to selling off some later calvers, as the direction on Bill’s farm is towards a single autumn-calving block.

Grazing

Grazing on most programme farms had a significant setback with last week’s snow and subsequent thaw. Ground conditions have deteriorated since last month’s dry spell, with cows housed on programme farms in Co Tyrone.

Heavy snow in Co Cavan last week meant all cows went back inside and wet conditions this week are holding back grazing.

Grass growth is negligible on programme farms, but the advice is still to get nitrogen on to ground as soon as conditions allow, so that growth rates will pick up as temperatures lift.

Nigel Corbett

Banbridge, Co Down

The snow last week caused some disruption and meant we had to postpone a call from the vet to scan cows. There have been 80 cows served and the first ones that are due to calf in early September have already been scanned, with 22 out of 24 in calf.

Maiden heifers were served in batches, with lighter ones held back to grow out and there are still three out of 26 heifers to AI.

There is also a group of nine lighter heifers from late-calving cows that have not been served yet. We are considering selling these as in-calf heifers and replacing them with bought-in replacements that will be calving down with the autumn herd. The other option is to keep the late heifers and let them join the spring calvers.

Although most of the herd is well into lactation, yields are holding up well at an average of 29 litres/cow/day from 9.5kg/cow/day of concentrates.

The contractor spread slurry on an outfarm last month with an umbilical system, but there has been no slurry or nitrogen fertiliser spread on the grazing platform yet. Snow last week delayed this and the thaw over the weekend has meant ground conditions have been set back.

Most years, we would have cows out from next week, but I can’t see that being the case this year. We have had no stock at grass yet, but fodder supply is not an issue, with some first-cut in the pit and bales leftover that were made from surplus paddocks last year.

Bill Brown

Millisle, Co Down

There have been 175 cows served and we have had three scanning sessions, with 83 cows in calf to date. Another scanning is taking place later this week when maiden heifers will be scanned as well.

Mineral boluses are being given to any cows that are 130 days calved or have been served three times. We have done this for the past few years and found it can help sort out some cows that are slow to get in calf.

The first cows were turned out to grass on 17 February and have been grazing for around three hours twice a day before being brought back in to the house.

The snow last week was not too bad in this part of Co Down. Cows were housed for three days, but were back on/off grazing again on Sunday.

Any cows that are scanned in calf or are crossbred are on/off grazing and the rest are still housed full-time.

Cows going outside are drafted off after milking and there are 110 grazing at present. Utilisation of grass has been an issue because there is silage in front of cows in the shed before they go out.

There have been 24 acres grazed so far and the contractor is due to come to spread slurry on ground that has been grazed. Some slurry has been spread on ground further from the yard and 35 acres on the grazing platform has received half a bag of urea. Grass measuring last week showed average farm cover of 715kgDM/ha.

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