Why we have low yield herds

THE main reasons for so many low yielding herds in Ireland are poor grassland management and the false belief which has been drilled into farmers, that milk yield per cow does not matter.

Also, too many farmers have been brainwashed into thinking that meals are too expensive to feed, even in poor conditions. It is probably hard to blame them when we frequently read about farmers with low yields who are supposed to have made “a fortune” by almost totally cutting out meal feeding. This of course is only rubbish, because research and top farmers have proved the value of concentrate especially in poor grazing and feeding conditions. Also, many farmers have inherited a culture of low meal feeding and low yields which unfortunately were a unique feature of Irish dairying up until the 1990s. Good value concentrates are now cheaper than producing late cut silage crops.

In summary, dairy farmers should exploit the value of extra concentrates to overcome short-term difficulties while at the same time maximising the use of top quality grass and silage. If the quota situation allows, there is a particularly good response to concentrates in the autumn.