Expansion Review 2007-2012
Cow and Heifer Numbers
Money spent 2009-2012 €
90
2012
80
80
70
64
60
2010
61
56
52
2011
43
40
2008
24
30
20
2009
14
14
14
0
14
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
Farm Expenditure 2009-2012
10
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Key Facts
•800feet above sea level
•Milking 81 cows 2012
•54ha total area
•36.6ha milking area
•8 unit milking parlour
•Heifer contract reared
•Machinery work contracted
M ainte nance
12%
Par lour 3%
50
82
Paddocks,
Roadways 18%
O’ Donnell Dairy Farm
Lessons Learned – Expansion
•Young stock numbers increase
•Need facilities for young stock
•Reseeding priority
•Need good plenty of roadways
•Plan your expenditure
•Focus on bulk purchase
•Reaching targets a challenge
with more stock
Cash left to Pay:
Labour,loans,tax,pension,&capital
80000
60000
Re se e ding 27%
40000
Drainage 41%
20000
Milk Price @28c/litre
Milk Price @30c/litre
0
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Current Farm Updates
Soil Fertility
P index of the farm Jan 2012
K index of the farm Jan 2012
Index 4
2%
Index 3
18%
Milk production & Fertility Update
Index 4
2%
Index 1
15%
Index 3
22%
Milk solids/cow
Milk solids/ha
EBI (fertility sub index)
Start date of calving
6 week calving rate
Not In Calf %
Index 1
42%
Index 2
34%
Index 2
65%
Rainfall
Herd Predicted 6 wk
calving rate 2013
300
2011
2012
401
878
100(82)
11-Feb
67%
10%
-
351
815
125(59)
9-Feb
79%
7.5%
90%
2012
200
10 year average
11.5
2011
150
9
2012
100
50
16
2013+
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr May
June July
Aug Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
0
5
10
15
•Cows out day&night from calving
•3kg meal fed/day avg. (Feb-Aug)
•Fed 110 round bales except Jun
•Housed 20 days & 9 nights
•27 days of on /off grazing
•Fertiliser was kept up to date
•Heifers bred indoors 2 wks in May
•Cut silage 12th June
•Bought 200 round bales in June
Today’s Farm Update
Grass Grown 2011 and 2012
250
2012 Management
20
Average Farm Cover
Stocking Rate
Cover/Cow
Growth Rate
Meal
Silage
Milk Kgs/cow
Protein (%)
Fat (%)
SCC
Existing Yard & Proposed
Key Facts
Current
Yard
•800feet above sea level
Slurry
Storage
475m³ /90 cows
•53.77ha
total area
•36.57ha milking area
78
cubicles
•8 unit
milking parlour
•Heifer
100
feetcontract
of feedreared
space
•Machinery work contracted
Poor cow flow in collecting yard
No cow drafting facility
8 unit Milking parlour (3hrs/day)
Milk storage limited at peak
Proposed Development
Slurry storage for 100 cows,
30 0-1yrs+30 1-2yrs
Better cow flow to parlour
Reduced silage pit area
Drainage problems
Impermeable soils
Mole drain or gravel mole drain:
• Aim to fracture and crack the soil
• Dependent on:
• Soil type
• Implement used
• Weather conditions
• In tandem with collector drains
Groundwater Drainage System
Conventional or deep pipe drains:
• If a soil layer will transmit water
Test pits (at least 2.5m deep)
• Soil texture & structure
• Water movement (transmit or retain)
• Rooting depth, cracking
• Depth/Thickness of various layers
• If excess water can percolate to watertable.
• Drain spacing dependent
properties of drainage layer.
on
hydraulic