Description
- Increasing grass output
- Changing from autumn calving
- Only breeding animals to calve in the spring
- Better margain in spring calving, less labour over the winter
- Installation of more calving facilities
- More sustainable system of farming
- Economic results
- Cow must be fertile
- Discussion groups
“Environmental improvements provided payback straight away on Cork dairy farm” – Irish Farmers Journal
Reason for the innovation
- Increasing grass output, changing from autumn calving
- Only breeding animals to calve in the spring
- Calving facilities, fertile cow
- Pasturebase Ireland
Farm description
Environment
- Soil type: Clay soil
- Climate: Temperate oceanic climate
- Land area: 67.43ha
- Stocking rate: 2.7LU/Ha
- Slope: Variation across different paddocks
- Altitude: Variation across different paddocks
Grassland management
- Grazing: Yes
- Grazing management type: Rotational grazing
Structure
- Annual work units (AWU): 2.5
- Main animal type: Dairy
- Total Livestock unit (LU): 230
- Breed: Fr
Animal performance
- Milk production per head (l/year/dairy animal): 6200
- Grassland management type: Rotational
- Length of grazing period: 304 days
- Fertilization rate (kg N/ha): 240
Why it is working
- Increasing grass output
- Better margain in spring calving, less labour over the winter
- More sustainable farming system
- Economic results
- Calving facilities
- Fertile cow
- Discussion groups
- Cost reduction
