Lower stock levels give lower per cow yields
There is a scarcity of good quality dairy heifers, but for most farmers the priority should be to get reasonably good yields from existing cows before spending money increasing cow numbers.
More than half our dairy farmers have milk yields per cow of less than 900 gallons, which is probably 25% less than their genetic potential, even with moderate levels of concentrate feeding.
National Farm Survey figures indicate that the average stocking rate on Irish dairy farms is about 1.35 cows per acre. With milk yields at less than 1,000 gallons per cow, this gives only about 740 gallons per acre. Based on performance on research farms and top Irish farms of fairly dry land, the target should be 1,300 to 1,400 gallons per cow and per acre (where quota is available) — which is double the present average per acre.
So the target of a 50% increase in milk production by 2020 seems reasonable.
With excellent management, 1,300 to 1,400 gallons per cow should be achievable for spring calving herds, with 500 to 700 kg of concentrate feeding on fairly good land. Due to the benefits of scale and efficiency, this performance could increase the profitability per gallon of milk by 33%, and profitability per acre by 150%.
Following the general advances in breeding over the past decade, it is doubtful if there is a dairy herd in the country that has not got the genetic potential to yield 1,250 to 1,400 gallons per cow on mainly grass diets.
The reasons for low yields are many and varied. They include disease problems, short lactations, late calving, poor quality pastures, and until recent years, quota restrictions.
