Latest news with #IrishHolsteinFriesianAssociation
Agriland
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Agriland
Grass budgeting: Points to consider after a good back end & spring
From a grass budgeting point of view, how did farmers manage after a dry back end of the year last year, which was followed by an exceptionally dry and mild spring? The autumn and back end of 2024 proved very favourable for farmers to leave cows out grazing right up until the start of December for many farms. After the tough spring that was experienced in 2024 and the struggle to get cows out at grass at that stage, most farms were tempted to stay grazing on to make the most out of the good weather and save on silage supplies at the back end of last year. To be fair, when the weather and ground conditions are good, it is hard to pull the plug on grazing, but a balance needs to be struck as you need grass for spring and the milk response to grass in spring is higher. These trends were highlighted at a recent Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) webinar, where Teagasc grassland systems research officer, Dr Aine Murray spoke about 'grass budgeting for milk production'. Grass budgeting Murray highlighted that in the past 10 years, the grazing start date has came back about 10 days earlier while the grazing end date finishes around the same time. On average, farmers have increased their days at grass by about 12 extra days, with the start of the second rotation occurring two days earlier and 'magic day' – where grass growth equals demand – occurring five days earlier, while opening farm cover has increased by about 100kg of DM/ha. The Teagasc researcher said there were lessons to be learned from Paturbase data, mentioning that the average grass production was 13t DM/ha, there was no additional grazed grass allocation per cow and that opening farm cover is too low for the first rotation. One thing she noted was that the feed allowance at grass per cow has increased over the last 10 years, but farmers are not allocating enough grass for cows to meet their dietary requirements and are then dependent on supplementary feed. For a herd producing 5,000kg of milk, with 450kg of milk solids, eating 15kg DM of grazed grass a cow/day while eating 600kg of meal/cow/year, the total feed budget according to Murray would be as follows: 250 days at grass Grazed grass utilised (t DM/cow) 3.8 Silage (t DM/cow) 1.4 Total herbage intake budget (t/cow) 5.2 Concentrate (kg/cow) 600 Based on this type of cow on this type of diet, on a farm growing 13t DM/ha, it would need to have a whole farm stocking rate of 2.2 cows/ha in order to be self-sufficient. We see over the last number of seasons that a lot of farms around the country are over-stocked and not matching their stocking rate with their land's capacity to grow grass, which leads to additional feed being supplemented -a costly approach. Murray added that farms stocked at 3.1 cows/ha on the milking platform during the mid-season should be able to keep growth ahead of demand. Whereas, for farms stocked at 3.5 cows/ha, growth on the farm will only be above demand for 40% of the mid-season. For farms stocked at 4 cows/ha, growth will very rarely go above demand, unless growth surpasses 70kg of DM/day. Targets Murray outlined that peak average farm cover (AFC) will happen around October 1 at around 1,150kg DM/ha, which needs to be managed strategically to make sure there is a closing farm cover of 700kg of DM/ha. Achieving this closing farm cover and not running the farm bare in winter will aid in turning out the cows in early February with an opening farm cover (OFC) of 1,000kg DM/ha, which will also help in ensuring a cover of 650kg DM/ha by the second rotation. This opening farm cover was only achieved by very few farms this year as many farmers may have pushed it a bit too much in the back end. When OFC of 1,000kg DM/ha is compared to OFC of 850 kg DM/ha, the higher OFC will lead to an AFC of 650kg of DM/ha by the second rotation whereas the lower OFC will lead to a 450kg DM/ha AFC by second rotation. When OFC is at 850kg DM/ha compared to 1,000kg DM/ha, there is a 20% reduction in regrowths and 12% reduction in daily growth rates in May. This should be borne in mind for this year as, although it is tempting to continue on grazing in good back end weather, it can have a serious impact on grass supply the following spring and the following rotations when grass is at its most valuable. For now, as we are into the mid-summer months, it is important to remember to continue grazing covers of 1,400kg DM/ha, while maintaining a 160-190kg DM cover/cow. Murray also highlighted that farmers should be aiming to achieve six rotations between April and August, adding that for this to happen, 'farmers need to be proactive and not reactive'.
Agriland
14-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
IHFA appoints new national president at club conference and AGM
The Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) held its annual club conference and annual general meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 7:30p.m in the Four Seasons Hotel, Co. Monaghan. This year's event proved to be a particularly memorable occasion, as members from across the country gathered to witness the appointment of Mary Rafferty as the incoming IHFA National President. Rafferty, a stalwart of the Breffni/Oriel Club, had been a cornerstone of the association for over 35 years. Serving as club secretary from 1989-2019, Rafferty's tireless dedication, exceptional organisational skills, and passion for the breed had earned her widespread respect and admiration. Newly appointed IHFA president Rafferty's dedication and hard work is evident from the fact that she is responsible for launching the Emerald Expo Show in the Virginia Show Centre, Co. Cavan during the 1990s. Her hard work did not end there, as she also established cross-border links and supported countless club and national events, playing a central role in the life of the IHFA community. Rafferty's appointment as presidency marked a proud milestone not only for herself but also for the Breffni/Oriel Club, who look forward to welcoming the prestigious National IHFA Open Day at the Greenan Family's Greenlea Herd, Crosshugh, Co. Monaghan on July 10, 2025. The day's programme will feature inter-club and Macra National Stock Judging Competitions, the announcement and presentation of the IHFA National Herds Competition awards, a select young stock sale from the Greenlea herd, and an all-day trade stand exhibition showcasing a wide range of products and services. Former president of the IHFA John O'Sullivan with Mary Rafferty The IHFA AGM also marked the conclusion of John O'Sullivan's presidency, with the association extending sincere thanks to O'Sullivan for his leadership and continued commitment to the Holstein Friesian breed. In addition, Leo Nulty of the North Eastern Club was announced as the incoming president elect for the coming year, a development warmly welcomed by members in attendance.
