07 May 2025
Signpost update: Clover paddocks delivering savings for Kieran McDermott
Teagasc Signpost Programme and Lakeland Dairies Monitor farmer, Kieran McDermott tells us how including white clover in his grassland swards is allowing him to make a saving on chemical nitrogen this summer, his plans for silage and an update on breeding.
I have 6ha of established white clover paddocks on the platform and, as of April 16, these paddocks had an average clover content of 5%.
The clover paddocks will get another 10 units/acre of NBPT Protected Urea in May. And then, from June until August, I will stop spreading NBPT protected Urea if I can see between 10-15% clover content in the paddock. I will only spread 2,000 gallons/acre of dairy washings per rotation on these paddocks. There are big savings on fertiliser to be made from my clover paddocks. With the current price of NBPT protected Urea, I will make a savings of €81/ha.
Plans for silage
As of mid-April, half of the silage ground had been grazed and had received 40 units of NBPT protected urea/acre. The aim is to still cut this ground on the last week of May. If a window of opportunity comes around May 15, I will cut the ungrazed silage ground to ensure high quality silage is made.
I always test my grass before cutting to test the nitrogen and sugar content of the grass and ensure it is fit for cutting. I cut a freezer bag full of grass with my grass clippers, making sure the grass is dry, and drop it into my local Teagasc office. I will get the result on the same day.
Breeding
During the week of April 14, 21 heifers and any cows that needed assistance at calving were scanned pre-breeding. These heifers will be fitted with scratch cards for the first three weeks of the breeding season and AId using sexed semen. After three weeks of AI, I have an easy calving high Dairy Beef Index (DBI) Angus stock bull to put in with the heifers.
I have collars ordered for the cows and I hope to have them on in the next few weeks to start breeding on the May 6. I use sexed semen straws for 3 and half weeks and then all high DBI beef bulls after that. I use selective breeding on the farm. I pick the cows that will be getting sexed semen straw based on EBI, solids delivered, cell count and health. I will have 2 milk recordings completed before breeding. At the time of writing on April 16, cows were producing 2.1kg of milk solids at 3.46% protein and 3.80% fat.
Teagasc Signpost May Climate Actions
Each month, the Teagasc Signpost Programme share key Climate Actions for the month ahead. For May, the actions include:
- Use protected urea. It’s cheaper than CAN;
- For dairy herds, use high DBI sires with high beef sub-index values;
- To help reduce age at slaughter, graze grass at 8-10cm;
- Only set clover on high P & K soils with a pH of 6.5+;
- Apply a fertiliser containing sulphur to grazing fields;
- Check that silage effluent collection and storage facilities are working properly.
The above article first appeared in the Farming Independent.