The secret to 24-month first calving farmersjournal.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from farmersjournal.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
SHARING OPTIONS:
This paddock was reseeded last year with a 50-50 mix made up of the diploid Abermagic and the tetraploid Abergain.
Participants from both phases of the Dairylink Ireland programme visited Robert Bryson’s farm near Banbridge, Co Down, last week.
“This herd is run as a grass-based, high-output system. It isn’t necessarily a high-input system because I am focused on the margin and not milk yield,” Robert said in his introductory remarks.
The herd is made up of 200 Holstein cows and all replacement heifers are reared on the farm.
All Holstein bull calves and beef-sired calves are sold within a few weeks, TB status permitting.
SHARING OPTIONS:
If grass is as tall as the distance from the tip of your middle finger to your wrist, then it is ideal for grazing.
Dairylink Ireland adviser Aidan Cushnahan is urging programme participants to walk their grazing blocks to assess ground conditions and grass covers.
It has been a challenging start to the 2021 grazing season for most participants on the Dairylink Ireland programme.
Cold temperatures have hampered grass growth and high levels of rainfall, particularly at the end of last week, affected ground conditions.
But better weather has now arrived and forecasts of warmer temperatures with limited rainfall are being given for the coming days.
James Martin has been spreading slurry on silage ground this week. \ Houston Green
Over 150 acres of first-cut silage have been ensiled on the Martin family farm in Dromintee, Co Armagh. The first field was mowed down on Wednesday and the last load of grass was tipped up in the yard on Friday evening.
“We were really lucky that we weren’t caught with any rain. There were showers falling close by and we could see it clouding around us a few times, but thankfully it held off,” James Martin said.
With the showers successfully dodged, grass was ensiled in ideal condition. James and his father, Owen, are also pleased with yield, considering how growth rates were hampered by cold temperatures for much of the spring.