Coping with the legacy of Summer 2009
Gary Haslem, Dairy Development Adviser, CAFRE - Ballyclare
No dairy farmers needs reminding of the Challenges presented by the weather conditions from June through to September and the poor milk prices received. As the winter is now upon us and cows are housed after a “good back-end” it is important that dairy herd is managed efficiently to achieve the best returns possible now that milk price has improved significantly.
To help with feeding advice and its financial implications, The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise’s (CAFRE) Dairy Advisers are holding a series of Farm Workshops throughout the Province over the coming weeks.
These Winter Feed Efficiency Events aim to focus producers’ thoughts on the targeting of winter feeding; feeding what the cow needs, when she needs it. Results from the CAFRE Dairy Benchmarking programme would suggest that on many farms there is an element of miss-feeding concentrates, of between 500 KG – 1000 KG per cow per year for a given yield. The tendency on many units is to under feed cows in early to peak lactation and overfeed those animals in later lactation.
Other topics of discussion will be;
- Targeting feeding to production requirements
- Overcoming poorer quality silages as a result of a difficult growing season
- Early/peak lactation feeding
- Dry cow management
- Relative feed values and the economics of feeding straights
- Suggested rations where fodder is in short supply
One of the first Winter Feed Efficiency events has recently been held on the farm of David, Gloria and Alan Wallace, Carmavy. A large group of farmers from West and South Antrim heard how the Wallace’s plan to feed the herd over the coming winter. Discussion on the inclusion of straw in the heifer and dry cow rations, splitting the herd into two groups of an early/peak and later lactation group and the rations being fed to each, gave the visiting producers something to think about while milking that evening on their own farm.
For further information on events still to take place please contact Technology administration at CAFRE on 028 9442 6756 or e-mail: technology.admin@dardni.gov.uk
Irene Downey, CAFRE Senior Dairy Development Adviser, discussing the AFBI-Hillsborough Feeding Information Service silage analysis results for silages produced in 2009, with a portion of the large group of Co Antrim farmers attending the Winter Feed Efficiency Event At David and Alan Wallace’s, Carmavy
Gary Haslem, CAFRE, discussing winter feed planning with a group of Co Antrim Dairy Farmers who attended the CAFRE Winter Feed Efficiency Event at David and Alan Wallace’s, Carmavy
