Grass Project by Jack Keoghan

Opportuninties

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-23 19:08:24 UTC

- Low overall stocking rate. Not in derogation.
- A nutrient management plan could allow a more targeted fertilisation programme to correct neglected outblocks and reduce feed costs.
- Better slurry management
- Possibility to increase animal productivity and profitability by utilising more grass.
- Clover has potential to increase herbage production on outblocks without additional N inputs, provided soil fertility is corrected.
- Mixed swards may offer benefit of reduced parasite burden to calves

Threats

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-23 19:08:33 UTC

- Brexit. Affect dairy exports
- Extreme weather
- Milk price volatility
- EU Agriculture Policy. Especially around GHG emmissions
- Rise of input prices (mainly fertiliser N)
- Future of Irelands derogation may inhibit expansion.
- Profitability of dairy-beef systems

Challenges

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-23 19:08:42 UTC

- Heavy clay soil
- Fragmented overall holding
- Improving productivity of land in outblocks
- Farmer perceives collection of data to be pointless
- Location, timing and rate of reseeding is poor @ <2% per annum
- Labour constraints. Single labour unit plus family involvement.
- Water infastructure is poor on dairy platform.
- Too much stock groups on farm. >10 at times
- Grass quality and availabilty to calves from turnout until 1st cut aftergrass.

Strengths

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-23 19:08:50 UTC

- Established dairy platform (54ha)
- Relatively good grazing infastructure ie. (roadway network and multiple entances to majority of paddocks)
- Measures grass. Follows SRP, wedge in mid-season and 60:40
- Good water supply on dairy block. 12ft well never ran dry.
- Lime is applied at a flat rate of 5t/ha every 5 years. Crude but largely effective method
- Opportunity to expand dairy platform with inclusion of more owned land. ~60ha within 1km of the parlour, another ~30ha within 1.5km and further 10ha within 2km

Farm Description

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-23 21:36:55 UTC

- About 145 dairy cows on 54ha of a milking platform
- Roughly 100-120 calves reared to two years old including 25-30 dairy replacements
- Youngest calves sold @ 2-3 weeks of age
- Beef cross hefeirs sold live @ 16-18mths. Bullocks sold live to grass buyers after second winter
- Almost all silage comes off outblocks

Objective

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-28 21:05:34 UTC

To increase farm profitability by increasing grass utilised to displace concentrate suplementation and reduce costs while maximising output per unit labour (most limiting factor)

Action Plan

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-30 12:16:43 UTC

Yr 1
- Grass measuring on dairy platform. Focus on improving application of SRP and 60:40
- Maximise production of conserved forage
- Reseed some silage ground. Drought lead to massive increase in scutch
- Record nutrient applications
- NMP for silage ground with a major focus on upping K levels
- Soil test land not limed for >2yr

Terra Services

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-30 12:26:59 UTC

New water infastructure on dairy platform

Action Plan

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-30 12:34:36 UTC

Yr 2
- NMP for dairy platform
- Identify poor performing paddocks on dairy platform. Correct fertility/drain and reseed
- Reduce residency times on outfarms
- Weighing and milk recording. Efficiency = kg of MS/kg of BW
- All fields should now have soil test <3yrs old

Action Plan

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-30 12:41:49 UTC

Yr 3
- Review performance of dairy platform over last 2 years.
- Professional mapping
- Establish optimum stocking rate for an input of ~ 500kgs of concentrate.
- Match calving to turnout and 50-60 days before 'magic day'
- Identify oppurtunities for expansion
- Major focus on outblock soil fertility

Action Plan

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-30 12:48:00 UTC

Year 4
- Water system for dairy platform. Loop and increase pipe size
- Re-evaluate water supply on farm. 12ft well. Ability to cope?
- Paddock size and restructuring on dairy platform
- Clover on outblocks with ideal soil fertility and pH closer to 7

Action Plan

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-30 12:52:38 UTC

Yr 5
-Increase nutrient use efficiency from slurry by adoption of LESS and appropriate timing of application
- Protected urea?
- Herbs? Persistancy issues and grazing management.

Weighing Scales

jack_keoghan — 2019-01-30 12:59:13 UTC

O'Donovan Engineering. Improve animal management.

Grasstec

jack_keoghan — 2019-02-06 13:11:25 UTC

- Professional Mapping

Soil Test 2019

jack_keoghan — 2019-02-27 10:53:40 UTC

11 - Outblock grazing
12 - Outblock grazing

Soil Test 2019

jack_keoghan — 2019-02-27 10:55:27 UTC

Major problem with K on silage fields
1 - Dairy paddock for reseed
2 - Outblock grazing for reseed
3 - Silage
4 - Dairy platform/silage
5 - Dairy platform/ silage (x2)
6 - Silage
7 - Silage (x2 cut)
8 - Silage for reseed
9 - Silage for reseed
10 - Silage (x2 cut)