Colin & his father Bryan aim to produce 1kg milk solids for every 1kg of cow liveweight & feed approx 500kg meal per cow. Clover is a focus on the farm to reduce requirement for chemical N & maintain grass growth.
Farm Walks Completed: 57
Annual Tonnage: 14.4 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 9.8
Milk Yield: 430 KgMS/Cow – 50% were 1st & 2nd calvers
Meal Fed: 600 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 2.15 LU/ha
Brigid began milking 50 cows in 2017 growing to 111 cows in 2021. She farms on Macamore type soil a light top soil over an impermeable clay subsoil. Grazing at the shoulders is challenging. Over 85% of the farm has been reseeded in the past five years
Farm Walks Completed: 36
Annual Tonnage: 15 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 8.8
Milk Yield: 510 KgMS/Cow
Meal Fed: 1,200 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 2.6 LU/ha – Milking Platform 2.8 LU/ha
Aidan runs a dairy-calf to beef system finishing around 100 cattle/year under 24 months. He joined the Teagasc Greenacres programme in 2018 & his local Grass10 group in 2019. Red clover has been established on silage ground
Farm Walks Completed: 58
Annual Tonnage: 13.2 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 9
Summer Pre-grazing Yield: 1,463 KgDM/ha
Beef Output/ha: 1,555 Kgs liveweight/ha
Stocking Rate: 2.79 LU/ha
Father & son, Brendan & John milked 142 cows in 2021 on 58ha. Their attention to detail is helping them establish & manage grass-clover swards for grazing. About 40% of the grazing block has high clover content reducing kg/N/ha requirement.
Farm Walks Completed: 54
Annual Tonnage: 13.4 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 8.1
Milk Yield: 540 KgMS/Cow
Meal Fed: 700 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 2.2 LU/ha
In 2021 Sean milked 215 crossbred cows split across two milking platforms. His focus is on growing grass to make the system work & investment in grazing infrastructure to extend the grazing season. This is a necessity for paddock access in spring & autumn.
Farm Walks Completed: 40
Annual Tonnage: 13 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events/Paddock: 8.8
Milk Yield: 484 KgMS/Cow
Meal Fed: 800 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 2.28 LU/ha
Philip & his father John are milking 135 cows. Heifers are contract reared & return in September to graze the silage outblock. Nearly all the farm has been reseeded in the past five years Last year 12% of the grass swards were oversown with clover.
Farm Walks Completed: 54
Annual Tonnage: 13.4 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 8.1
Milk Yield: 556 KgMS/Cow
Meal Fed: 1,200 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 3.6 LU/ha on milking platform
Peter a former suckler farmer began milking cows in 2017 & milked about 170 cows 2021. He farms in a low rainfall area, grass growth was back on average in 2021 due to soil moisture deficits. This does have benefits when grazing in the shoulders of the year.
Farm Walks Completed: 48
Annual Tonnage: 12.9T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 8.4
Milk Yield: 550 KgMS/Cow
Meal Fed: 1,200 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 2.6 LU/ha Milking platform 3.5 LU
Jim & his wife Edel farm near Cahir milking 80 high EBI cows on 28ha split in three divisions across two public roads. Measuring grass for number of years, he began with three other farmers from his local discussion group held themselves accountable to measure their farms.
Farm Walks Completed: 45
Annual Tonnage: 14.9 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 9.5
Milk Yield: 540 KgMS/Cow
Meal Fed: 900 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 2.12 LU/ha
Daniel farms with his uncle PJ they milk 120 cows on a challenging farm – 40% is on the side of a steep hill. His better ground is on the lower land near the farmyard but it is also some of the wettest. 85% of the farm has been reseeded in recent years.
Farm Walks Completed: 40
Annual Tonnage: 12.8 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 7.9
Milk Yield: 522 KgMS/Cow
Meal Fed: 710 Kg/Cow
Stocking Rate: 2.59 LU/ha
Shane farms 200 mid-season lambing ewes & 20 continental stores on 44ha. 12ha of this is known as Turlough flooding each year & cannot be fertilised. The farm is fragmented into four divisions. It was all reseeded between 8-10 years ago
Farm Walks Completed: 30
Annual Tonnage: 11.8 T DM/ha
No. Grazing/Silage Events per Paddock: 6.9
Summer Pre-grazing Yield: 1,377 KgDM/ha
Beef & Lamb Output/ha: 920 Kgs liveweight/ha
Stocking Rate: 1.87 LU/ha
