Agriland Media Group is delighted to collaborate with Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (LIC) Ireland to bring you the ‘Breeding for Efficiency’ Series.
Over the course of the next four weeks, Agriland will publish articles featuring farmers and their farm systems designed to highlight the success of using LIC and New Zealand genetics and celebrate their excellent herds and ways of farming.
The farms range from 85 cows to 275 cows with all farms having an immense emphasis on increased solids and fertility, and vary from generations of New Zealand Friesian cows to Kiwi-cross and Jersey-cross herds.
Breeding for Efficiency Series
The objective of this series is to show farmers that they can continue to improve the genetics of their herd through New Zealand genetics.
This series will give farmers an insight on how farmers can effectively use these genetics to improve their production, their efficiency and their farm profitability.
We will bring to you four farmers who have been dealing with New Zealand genetics for years and have been reaping the awards of it in terms of milk solids, grazing ability, efficiency and fertility.
The farmers to feature in the LIC breeding series are as follows:
- Sean O’Connor: milking 85 New Zealand Friesian cows just outside Tipperary town where the New Zealand genetics are producing the goods;
- James Croke: milking 275 cows between Ballingarry and Mullinahone in Co. Tipperary where his Jersey cross cows are driving the whole system.;
- David O’Leary: went from milking 48 black and white Friesian cows to milking 85 Jersey cross cows in Castleisland, Co. Kerry;
- Edward O’Sullivan: milking 90 Jersey-cross cows in Ballyhar, Co. Kerry is achieving his desirable milk solids while once-a-day (OAD) milking in the heart of the milking season.
The four farmers will be featuring over the next month with honest accounts of how they are achieving good milk solids production, quality replacement heifers and a quality calf to sell.
Agriland series
The first instalment in the Breeding For Efficiency Series on Agriland will feature Sean O’Connor, a farmer producing a high Economic Breeding Index (EBI) herd using high breeding worth (BW) New Zealand bulls.
O’Connor will give an insight on what the key drivers of production are on his farm and will explain how he selects his replacements and what type of cow he tries to breed for without selecting or paying too much heed on Economic Breeding Index (EBI).
The second instalment in the series will focus on farmer, James Croke and will delve into a high producing herd on a larger scale.
He will outline how he adapted his herd from a Friesian herd to Jersey cross cows and how this and his practices has got the best out of the land and the animals without compromising on quality or sustainability.
The third series feature will focus on David O’Leary, a farmer who has transformed his herd from a black and white Friesian herd to an efficient Jersey cross herd of cows.
O’Leary will explain how his herd of cows utilises grass efficiently and maximises days at grass in the hills of Kerry and turns it into high quality milk.
The fourth instalment in the series will focus on a farmer who milks the cows OAD from the start of calving to April, and goes twice-a-day from May to September, and back to OAD from September until dry-off.
Edward O’Sullivan will talk about how the OAD milking has left it easy for doing things outside the farm and spending time with family while still achieving 500kg/MS/cow.
Keep your eyes on Agriland from Friday, December 27 for an insight into the herds utilising New Zealand genetics and getting the results.