Farmer Writes: rain arrived just in time

Grass growth is right on target here in Abbeyleix at the moment, with a farm cover of 190kg DM/LU. Things were beginning to tighten up before the rain, and I was starting to worry we might be heading for a pinch.

Thankfully, the rain arrived just in time – we got 60mm in the space of a few days, which has turned things around nicely. That bit of moisture should drive on growth for the next couple of weeks, all going well.

We’re currently stocked at four LU/ha on the milking platform, so we need to be hitting growth rates north of 70kg DM/ha to stay on track. Pre-grazing covers are sitting comfortably between 1,400 and 1,600kg DM/ha. Grass quality is excellent, and cows are motoring well on it.

Milk yields are holding strong at around 30l per cow. Butterfat was 4.31% and protein 3.63% on the last milk collection, which I’m happy with.

Somatic cell count (SCC) is bouncing between 90,000 and 140,000, which is a bit higher than I’d like, but nothing unmanageable.

Animal health

On the animal health front, we’ve had a few bumps. We had another unfortunate incident a couple of weeks ago – one of the cows was bulling and was found with a broken front leg in the paddock. It was a tough sight on a Sunday. I called out a bone setter in the hope it might have just been dislocated but no luck.

We’ve also had a bout of lameness crop up recently, mostly scalds. The heavy rain, combined with long walks, seems to have been the culprit.

We kicked off AI this week. The bull team this year has an average EBI of €352, with strong sub-indexes of €111 for milk and €152 for fertility. They’re averaging +34kg for milk, and their combined fat and protein comes to 32kg, so they’re well balanced and should hopefully breed a solid next generation.

Scanning

Ahead of breeding, I scanned 20 cows flagged by the collars for irregular activity. Two turned out to be cystic and needed CIDRs, and three others required a washout at serving. So far, we’re hitting around 10 AIs per day, which is good going.

Heifer synchronisation also got underway this week. The CIDRs were inserted on Wednesday and they’re scheduled for AI with sexed semen next Thursday. It’s always a job that takes a bit of coordinating, but we’re on track and hopeful for a good conception rate.

I mowed the red clover silage yesterday, with plans to bale it Friday or Saturday. It’s looking like it’ll be high-quality stuff, but fingers crossed we won’t have to touch it for a good while yet. Always nice to have a bit of a safety net, though.

All the calves were weaned this week, which is always a milestone. They’ll be heading off to the contract rearer in Tipperary in the next week or two. We also moved on the last of the heifer and bull calves, so we’re starting to get a bit of breathing room in the sheds again.

We’ve started power washing the cubicle sheds and cleared out the remaining calf pens. It’s a relief to begin turning the corner toward a slightly less hectic pace, even if only briefly.

There’s still plenty to do, but for now, we’re in a good place. The rain gave growth the kick it needed, cows are performing well, and breeding is off to a steady start. Like every spring, it’s a balancing act, but when things fall into place it reminds you why we do it.