Seán Kelly’s win is a testament to his progressive, performance-driven strategy to dairy farming.
Currently, milking 110 Holstein Friesian cows and stocked at 3.6 cows/ha, Seán has demonstrated a meticulous, measured expansion since the abolition of milk quotas.
“It had to be done slow, steady and correct,” he explained, highlighting his emphasis on sustainability, cow performance and long-term planning.
Growing an exceptional 15t/DM grass last year, his herd is highly efficient and is producing 550kg milk solids from 800kg to 900kg of meal.
With an average herd weight of 563kg and producing 550kg solids, he is almost at the benchmark of excellence of producing 1kg milk solids per kilo of bodyweight.
Genetics
An EBI of €238 makes the herd stand out for genetic merit. A six-week calving rate of 90% in 2024 reflects focus on fertility and health, while a milk fat and protein figure of 3.73% highlights the productive efficiency of the herd.
Seán credits much of this to genetics. Nine years ago, the whole herd was genotyped, allowing for better breeding decisions to be made and speeding up genetic progress.
Today, he is extremely selective about which animals are retained or introduced, ensuring only the highest-performing genetics contribute to the future of the herd.
Heifers are synchronised and sexed semen is used for breeding both heifers and cows, resulting in conception rates of 65% for heifers and 68% for cows in 2024.
Nutrition
The body condition score of his cows is managed effectively through dietary adjustments at critical times, minimising metabolic disorders and associated diseases, supporting optimal productivity.
Silage testing is crucial in his nutritional planning. Last year’s silage averaged 71% DMD. With test results showing it was low in salt, Seán strategically supplemented his cows with salt licks, supporting their mineral balance.
Animal health
Herd health is a key metric in ensuring efficiency and sustainability of any herd.
In terms of vaccination, Seán has developed a robust herd health plan in collaboration with Eamon O’Connell at Summerhill Vets. He vaccinates for IBR, BVD, salmonella, lepto and rotavirus.
He has been practicing selective dry cow therapy for six years. In his words, it is a “surgical precision event”, to be only carried out on a low number of cows. Last year, only 30% of his cows received antibiotics at dry off.
Milk recording is a non-negotiable for Seán and he conducts it five times a year. The results are analysed in detail and guide subsequent management decisions.
“Sean is very passionate about the health of his herd. The farm has lots of cubicle and feed space which is of great benefit to animal health. He focuses on actively turning data via the use of collars and milk recording into useable information and actions for the farm”, said judge Catherine McAloon.
Management
Seán Kelly explains the importance of good housing systems on his farm.
Seán’s investment in technology and infrastructure has been transformative for his farm.
The installation of solar pumps two years ago mean water is pumped into all the troughs on the farm, and this has greatly enhanced efficiency.
A mobile calving camera has improved animal welfare and work-life balance.
The use of PastureBase supports sustainability and ensures Seán makes informed decisions about grassland management, meaning his cows consistently have high-quality grass.
But for Seán, the biggest performance enhancer has been an investment in collars. Describing it as having both a labour unit and vet on farm, it has led to a reduction of pre-breeding scanning to just 10%.
Performance-focused and detail-oriented, Seán embodies the future of Irish dairying, combining adaptability and innovation to build a farm that is productive, sustainable and resilient.
Four key pillars of profitability
The Technology For Profit competition is aimed at innovative dairy farmers who are using technology to maximise their profitability by focusing on the four key pillars of production - nutrition, genetics, management and animal health. For this competition, a panel of judges went on farm to assess the farm’s level of productivity and profitability. The overall winner was selected from this on-farm assessment.
Seán Kelly’s win is a testament to his progressive, performance-driven strategy to dairy farming.
Currently, milking 110 Holstein Friesian cows and stocked at 3.6 cows/ha, Seán has demonstrated a meticulous, measured expansion since the abolition of milk quotas.
“It had to be done slow, steady and correct,” he explained, highlighting his emphasis on sustainability, cow performance and long-term planning.
Growing an exceptional 15t/DM grass last year, his herd is highly efficient and is producing 550kg milk solids from 800kg to 900kg of meal.
With an average herd weight of 563kg and producing 550kg solids, he is almost at the benchmark of excellence of producing 1kg milk solids per kilo of bodyweight.
Genetics
An EBI of €238 makes the herd stand out for genetic merit. A six-week calving rate of 90% in 2024 reflects focus on fertility and health, while a milk fat and protein figure of 3.73% highlights the productive efficiency of the herd.
Seán credits much of this to genetics. Nine years ago, the whole herd was genotyped, allowing for better breeding decisions to be made and speeding up genetic progress.
Today, he is extremely selective about which animals are retained or introduced, ensuring only the highest-performing genetics contribute to the future of the herd.
Heifers are synchronised and sexed semen is used for breeding both heifers and cows, resulting in conception rates of 65% for heifers and 68% for cows in 2024.
Nutrition
The body condition score of his cows is managed effectively through dietary adjustments at critical times, minimising metabolic disorders and associated diseases, supporting optimal productivity.
Silage testing is crucial in his nutritional planning. Last year’s silage averaged 71% DMD. With test results showing it was low in salt, Seán strategically supplemented his cows with salt licks, supporting their mineral balance.
Animal health
Herd health is a key metric in ensuring efficiency and sustainability of any herd.
In terms of vaccination, Seán has developed a robust herd health plan in collaboration with Eamon O’Connell at Summerhill Vets. He vaccinates for IBR, BVD, salmonella, lepto and rotavirus.
He has been practicing selective dry cow therapy for six years. In his words, it is a “surgical precision event”, to be only carried out on a low number of cows. Last year, only 30% of his cows received antibiotics at dry off.
Milk recording is a non-negotiable for Seán and he conducts it five times a year. The results are analysed in detail and guide subsequent management decisions.
“Sean is very passionate about the health of his herd. The farm has lots of cubicle and feed space which is of great benefit to animal health. He focuses on actively turning data via the use of collars and milk recording into useable information and actions for the farm”, said judge Catherine McAloon.
Management
Seán Kelly explains the importance of good housing systems on his farm.
Seán’s investment in technology and infrastructure has been transformative for his farm.
The installation of solar pumps two years ago mean water is pumped into all the troughs on the farm, and this has greatly enhanced efficiency.
A mobile calving camera has improved animal welfare and work-life balance.
The use of PastureBase supports sustainability and ensures Seán makes informed decisions about grassland management, meaning his cows consistently have high-quality grass.
But for Seán, the biggest performance enhancer has been an investment in collars. Describing it as having both a labour unit and vet on farm, it has led to a reduction of pre-breeding scanning to just 10%.
Performance-focused and detail-oriented, Seán embodies the future of Irish dairying, combining adaptability and innovation to build a farm that is productive, sustainable and resilient.
Four key pillars of profitability
The Technology For Profit competition is aimed at innovative dairy farmers who are using technology to maximise their profitability by focusing on the four key pillars of production - nutrition, genetics, management and animal health. For this competition, a panel of judges went on farm to assess the farm’s level of productivity and profitability. The overall winner was selected from this on-farm assessment.
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