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Aim of the spring herd

The project also aims to demonstrate a sustainable and cost effective system of milk production, based on the management of a spring calving herd achieving a high proportion of its output from grazed grass.

Objectives of the Spring Herd

 Maintain a herd of 70 spring calving cows with a target production cost of eight pence per litre.
  1.  Achieve a milk yield 6000 litres/cow with a target concentrate usage of 750 KG/cow
  2.  Achieve a lifetime yield of 30,000 litres per cow.
  3.  Achieve a 10-week calving period with a replacement rate of no more than 20 percent.
  4.  Breed replacements from within the herd with twin aims of; (a) maintain a cow type which will match a "milk from grazed grass" system, and (b) optimise the value of offspring (bull calves, heifer calves from sweeper beef bull), as a resource for the beef sector. The beef cross heifer calves would be deemed highly acceptable as replacements for the suckler herd.
  5.  Benchmark the herd with commercial calving herds within Northern Ireland.