07 May 2024

Scoring clover and progressing through breeding with John Ryan, Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farmer

Sandra Hayes, Co-Ordinator of the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, recently visited monitor farmer John Ryan, where they undertook clover scoring on his farm in Tipperary.

Sandra explained: “Along with the usual grass walk, we did a clover score of all the paddocks on the milking platform. The farm now has 32% of the milking platform at a high clover score, which is 30% plus clover content in the sward. These are mainly the reseeds from the last few years.

“There is also 26% at a medium score, which is 20% clover content. This score will allow John to reduce his nitrogen applications on these paddocks from May onwards.”

The fertiliser programme for the time being includes either following the cows with 2,500 gallons/ac or slurry or 25 units/ac of protected urea plus sulphur. In terms of soil fertility, the latest results for the milking platform are >6.2 for pH and index 3 or 4 for phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).

For more information on clover scoring, visit here.

Breeding

Sandra also provided an update on breeding, adding: “John started breeding the heifers on April 18. All heifers had a fixed time AI programme and now there is a Hereford bull in with them. The cows were started on April 17 and 73.5% were submitted in 17 days. On Monday, April 29, the last of the Friesian sexed semen straws were used.”

Any of the cows repeating from April 30 will receive beef AI, Sandra said, adding: “John used 70 Friesian sexed semen straws on cows and heifers and this will give him a minimum of 35 replacement heifer calves.

“All beef AI straws are selected from high Dairy Beef Index bulls, focusing on gestation length, calving ease and beef carcass quality. John used the same protocol last year and he was very happy with the results he got. He has 41 heifer calves and all of this year’s beef calves are now sold.”

Future Farm Update

Sandra also provided an update on the group of farmers engaged in the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, noting that grass growth slowed down last week on account of the wet weather, requiring the introduction of silage and some herds to be housed at night.

“Fertiliser on most farms is now back on track and all have silage fertiliser gone out. Silage crops so far are variable; if grazed covers are 500-1,000kg DM/ha, and if not grazed covers are 2,500-3,500kg DM/ha,” she added.

Some farmers in the programme commenced the breeding season in mid-April, while others started the weekend just gone or will start today, April 7.

Table 1: Summary of milk production and grass performance on Teagasc/Tirlán monitor farms

For more information on the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, click here.

Also read: Teagasc support for Tirlán’s Farming for Water: River Slaney Project