02-08-2025
Listen Breeding Cows for High Grass Intake Capacity Depth
Breeding functional cows that can eat a lot of grass and convert it to solids is the aim in Co. Limerick.
Mike Clohessy featured on 'The Dairy Trail' podcast during the week and talked about how he is milking 75 black and white cows in Fedamore, Co. Limerick, where one Lely A4 robot and a strict breeding routine is paving the way for high solids and good work/life balance.
Mike's enthusiasm for genetics and breeding, as well as his passion for dairy farming was evident when he spoke on the latest episode of 'The Dairy Trail' podcast. Click here to listen the podcast.
Mike also has a full-time job off farm as the director of the genetic company, Bullwise CRV, and is able to manage dairy farming with the requirements of his job with the help of the robot.
Mike's cows coming in and out of the robot for milking
On the episode, Mike talks about his breeding programme and how he wants to breed a cow with good capacity, and an ability to intake large quantities of grass and convert it to 600kg of milk solids a year.
The Limerick man discusses the grassland management on the farm through an ABC robotic grazing system, time-off, plans for the future and a potential increase in cow numbers and robots.
Mike was a new entrant into dairy in 2018 and bought in heifers from three herds, coming from a high base of Economic Breeding Index (EBI), and his herd was in the top 10% of the country at that stage in terms of EBI.
From this solid foundation of stock, Mike started to breed more functionality into the herd and wanted to produce higher volumes of milk with more solids.
Mike started his breeding season on April 15 this year to allow the cows to get out to grass earlier in the year, as they want to produce the majority of their milk off grass.
Mike takes pride in breeding quality, capacious heifers, which was very evident
The bulls used this year were selected based on good functionality and cow type with increased volumes of milk.
Mike went for more daughter-proven bulls this year, "looking for cows with more capacity, more chest width, strength and good body depth".
"We are looking for a bigger cow, a stronger cow. We are never going to be a massive herd here, so we are trying to maximise what we can from grass and from the ground we have."
The current cow size on the farm is around the 570kg mark and they are producing around 530kg of milk solids/ cow/year.
Mike wants to breed in a slightly bigger cow, at about 600kg live weight that can produce 600kg of milk solids.
Mike used sexed semen for 15 days this year and was very selective when using it. He chose a panel of bulls with over 250kg of milk, north of 30kg of milk solids and as high fat and protein percentages he could get.
Cow selection for sexed semen or conventional artificial insemination (AI) is based on milk recording data and choosing the cows "that are delivering", he said.
"Some of the older cows are the best cows with deep bodies and we wanted to breed off them so sexed semen was used on them".
Mike will then continue using conventional dairy AI for six weeks before switching to beef straws after that, using Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and a few Speckle Park straws, with a focus on maximising carcass weight without stretching the calving ease.
The heifers are put on CIDR synchronisation programme and are all put to sexed semen, which is followed with scratch cards and another round of conventional AI. Of the 24 heifers, 18 held to first service and the six remaining were picked up the following round.
The in-calf heifers on Mike's farm
Cows are currently producing 24L/day on 3kg of meal. Mike said that his solids have improved this year with percentages currently holding at 3.74% protein and 4.2% fat.
The target for this year is to hit 6,400L/cow with an average of 3.65% protein and accumulating 530kg of milk solids/cow.
Speaking about using the CRV Dutch bulls, Mike believes it is breeding him a cow with more capacity, chest width deep in the body with an average size, as he highlighted that he does not want tall cows.
All of the in-calf heifers and heifer calves on the ground are Dutch-bred, as he believes cows with capacity and strength are going to deliver for his system.
He said: "They are aggressive grazers and can convert it to solids."
Speaking about the outlook for himself and his business, he said: "If you can get what you're doing right first, then you can drive on".
