Irish Farm Business - Vol 6 Issue 2 Summer 2019

Farm Business IRISH

DAIRYING

V Vo lume m 6 Issue me E Edition Ed ition Volume Issue12 Spring2019 Summer 2019 Price 3.95 9 £2.95 95 £2.95 9 (Stg) 95 (Stg) g g) Price €3.95

Henry Walsh & Family Oranmore DESIGN & PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF A 50 UNIT ROTARY

MILKING COWS & MAKING CHEESE ON THE BURREN PG 14

WEED CONTROL IN GRASSLAND PG 32

CASE STUDY: PARLOUR EXIT EQUIPMENT PG 50

THE O’KEEFFE RADNEY HERD A Profile of Herd Excellence P38

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Foreword/Contents/Credits

Farm Business IRISH

Features

DAIRYING

V Vo lume m 6 Issue me 2019 E Edition Ed ition Volume Issue12 Spring Summer 2019 Price 3.95 9 £2.95 95 £2.95 95 9 (Stg) (Stg) g g) Price €3.95

12 Nuisance By Name, Nuisance By Nature

How to prevent flies from damaging production and spreading disease on your farm.

14 The Fertile Rock Story Of Burren Gold Cheese @ Aillwee

How Diarmuid O’Callaghan has been successfully milking and making cheese for over 30 years.

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20 Lameness: Prevention Is Key

Tackling lameness early to prevent weight loss and reduced milk production.

22 The Economic Impact Of Parasite Control On Profitable Heifer Production How effective parasite control can increase your farm profitability.

24 Timber yields a handsome dividend for Kilkenny Dairy farm

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Alternative land use decisions paying back in the long run

26 A Journey Of Life Through Milk

Henry Walsh describes the Journey he and his family have taken to arrive at having 300 cows and a 50 unit rotary parlour.

In this edition we have a few good True Life farmer stories: Burren Cheese… Diarmuid O Callaghan is milking cows and making cheese high in the Burren…..a tasty artisan story.

Henry Walsh and family Oranmore have grown their herd to the point of having 300 cows and building a 50 unit rotary parlour… an interesting story of a life in milk.

The O’Keeffe Radney Herd of Freemount,

Publisher: Denis Lane Editorial: Denis Lane Advertising: Denis Lane Design: Clear Designs Production: Hugh Lane Email: dlane@dawnmedia.ie

Front Cover Main Photo Credit: Andreas Riemenschneider Contributors: Cara Sheridan, Dave Merrins, Stephen Kelly, Rebecca Dawson, Aidan Kelly, Henry Walsh, Chris Maughan, Donal Carey,

this years’ hosts of the IHFA Open day on 27th June. A fabulous example of herd development excellence.

If you know of a herd with an interesting back story please let us know.

Hope you enjoy and gain from this edition…

Until the next time………

Distribution: EM News Newspread

Chris Maughan describes the best solutions for preventing weeds from affecting your grassland.

36 The O’Keefe Family Radney Herd

Excellence in herd development to be shown at the IHFA National Holstein Friesian Open Day 2019.

The Publisher Irish Farm Business

David Cummins, Paul Lyons, Martina Gormley, Pat Griffin, Michael Slattery, Tadgh Eivers.

32 Tips On Controlling Weeds In Grassland

Published by: Dawn Media Ltd, 2 Barrack St Clarinbridge Co Galway Tel. + 353 91 777 222 Email. dlane@dawnmedia.ie

All material contained in this edition is copyright of Irish Farm Business 2019 and may not be reproduced or electronically stored without the permission of the publisher. However items may be freely reproduced provided the source is acknowledged. Content and views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.

44 Grass And White Clover

Recommended list varieties for 2019.

50 Making The Most Of Parlour Exit Equipment

Paul Lyons outlines Parlour exit solutions amid rising cattle numbers and labour costs.

Farm Business IRISH

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News

IFA Dairy Chairman Tom Phelan said access to potentially skilled employees from outside of the EU cannot be closed off when Ireland’s current national labour market is at full employment (4.6 percent unemployment in April 2019)

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he dairy sector’s stakeholders will continue to progress positive initiatives relating to dairy farm employment, and will work to implement more of the recommendations in the People in Dairy Action Plan to increase recruitment at home and in the EU. “After an understandably slow start, the current pilot is clearly oversubscribed with 49 out of 50 permits allocated, and applicants still in the system whose applications have yet to be processed,” Mr Phelan said.

IFA is requesting an extension to the 2018 General Employment Permit Pilot as follows: • An additional 200 labour permits for dairy assistants; • An assurance that farm employers who have applied for permits but for whom there are no permits left in the initial batch of 50 would retain their place in the queue; • A more streamlined application process to simplify requirements and allow for fast tracking as necessary; • Pro-active feedback during the assessment of the application to allow for complete missing elements to be completed as required before it is fully processed; • A more consistent approach to the assessment of applications; • A single team dedicated to dealing with the dairy assistant

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Farm Business IRISH

• •

•

• •

applications to ensure this consistency; A specific point of contact within the team reachable by phone during business hours to deal with applicants’ queries; A concurrent processing system for labour permit and visa, with the visa granted conditional on securing the labour permit, to avoid employers recruiting from those countries requiring an immigration visa having to incur further delay; Provision of more flexible labour permits allowing for repeatable seasonal permits – e.g. New Zealand dairy operatives working in Ireland for spring and returning home for the antipodean spring – and for workers to work between industries – e.g. dairy calving season from January to March/April, then horticulture industry for late spring/summer; Allowance of replacement of a worker who leaves before the labour permit comes to an end by another worker – as has been recently made possible for chefs; Removal of the 50-50 requirement which only allows employers access to labour permits if they already employ at least a matching number of EU/EEA worker.

It’s formula one for cows

Eprinex® Multi can help your herd perform at its best.

It’s been shown to help improve fertility and increase milk yield by killing damaging gutworms.1,2,3 And with zero milk withhold, you can use it at any stage of production without the worry of lost milk sales.

With this performance, it’s no wonder Eprinex® Multi has been trusted by farmers for years.

A formula for success

1. McPherson et al. Proceedings of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists. 44th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Abstr. 28, 1999. 2. Verschave et al. BMC Veterinary Research (2014) 10:264. 3. Studies carried out using Eprinex Pour-on for Beef and Dairy Cattle (Eprinomectin), which has the same formulation as Eprinex Multi 5mg/ml, see HPRA - (2018) IPAR Eprinex Multi 5 mg/ ml pour-on for beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats [online] Available at: https://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/Public_AR_VPA10454-034-001_07122018154613.pdf [Accessed 18 Feb 2019]

EPRINEX Multi a 5mg/ml Pour-on for Beef, Dairy Cattle, Sheep and Goats contains eprinomectin. Legal Category: LM. Further information available in the SPC or from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd., RG12 8YS, UK. IE Tel: 01 291 3985. Email: vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com.

EPRINEX Multi and the steerhead are registered trademarks of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group. ©2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Date of preparation: March 2019. AHD112019. Use Medicines Responsibly.

News

Drought threatens to wipe out

more than half of Zimbabwe’s cattle

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ore than half of Zimbabwe’s national herd of 5.2 million cattle is at risk of being wiped out by this year’s drought if nothing is done within the coming few months. Farmers and livestock experts say escalating diseases, as well as the devastating effects of the El Niño-induced drought, have combined to put millions of animals at risk of dying.

“According to our assessment, if no mitigatory measures are put in place to avert the situation, we are likely to lose about 50% of the country’s national herd. Government should declare the situation a national disaster,” Livestock Farmers Union Chairperson Sifso Sibanda said.

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To make matters worse, Sibanda said stockfeed, vaccines and dipping chemicals were too expensive and beyond the reach for many farmers. The Stockfeed Manufacturers’ Association of Zimbabwe said, in a newsletter, that the general non-availability of raw materials had resulted in some stockfeed producers being unable to fulfil orders by non-governmental organisations for survival stockfeeds. Pastures have depleted while water bodies are drying up in most parts of the country, leaving animals — both wild and domestic — fighting for survival.

The southern African nation did not receive adequate rainfall during the 2018/19 summer season due to the El Niño phenomenon.

Matabeleland North crop and livestock provincial officer Dumisani Nyoni said all districts in the province did not have enough pastures as well as water.

“Almost all the districts will run out of pastures by July or midAugust. There is no water and animals will start competing for water with humans. That will make boreholes break down constantly or run dry quickly,” he said. Land, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos said the ministry was looking into urgently drilling boreholes at strategic places in order to solve the water problem caused by the current drought.

He urged farmers to sell some of their animals and buy supplementary feed or dig wells for watering them. The situation is also bad in Midlands province with the worst affected districts being Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Kwekwe and Gokwe North.

More information on this topic can be found at www. zimbabwesituation.com.

Moorepark ‘19 Irish Dairying - Growing Sustainably

Teagasc Dairy Open Day Wednesday rd

3 July

Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork

www.teagasc.ie/moorepark19

#Moorepark19

News

Moorepark ’19 To Guide Farmers

On Sustainable Growth

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major Teagasc Open Day for the Irish dairy industry will take place in Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, County Cork, on Wednesday, 3 July. The theme of the Teagasc Moorepark ‘19 Open Day is ‘Growing Sustainably’, and the overall sponsor of the event is FBD Insurance, with additional support from Ulster Bank and Ornua.

Speaking at the launch of the Open Day, Liam Herlihy, Chairman of Teagasc, said that “The Irish dairy industry is facing a number of challenges in relation to climate change, water quality and availability of an adequate supply of trained and skilled labour. The dairy industry going forward will balance environmental, economic and social outcomes while providing natural, high quality products that are known throughout the world. This Teagasc Open Day will provide guidance to farm families to address these challenges.”

Ailish Byrne from Ulster Bank stressed that “All dairy farm businesses need to implement best employment practices and provide a safe working environment. The adoption of new technologies to improve all aspects of the industry are required to achieve the necessary productivity and efficiency gains on the farm. Ulster Bank is ready to support farmers in what ever way we can to fulfil their ambitions.”

At the event on 3 July, there will be a network of themed villages for farmers to visit, which includes demonstrations on grazing management, reseeding, farm infrastructure, body condition and locomotion scoring, high EBI genetics, and health and safety. There will be workshops on milk quality, anti-microbial resistance, new entrants to dairy farming and labour management. A large range of

Irish dairy products will be on display promoting their image, quality, taste and nutritional credentials. There is a shared consensus that the highest standards of animal welfare are critical to the on-going success of the dairy sector.

In the afternoon there will be Questions and Answers panel discussion facilitated by Sharon Ní Bheoláin from RTÉ News. The panel consists of national experts who will discuss ‘Meeting the Challenges and Opportunities of Continued Dairy Expansion’.

Teagasc Moorepark ‘19 will be a day not to be missed by anyone with an interest in the Irish dairy industry. The Open Day runs from 8.30 am - 5.00 pm. A comprehensive booklet will be provided.

Admission and parking is free.

Tracking the Pedigrees with Kingswood

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As a young dairy farmer in the 90’s, Eddie O’Flynn from Ballinascarthy in West Cork, carefully evaluated the range of farm software packages then available to Irish dairy farmers. Working with his father, John, on their pedigree herd, RYEFARM - established in 1975 - Eddie wanted software that would help him manage his expanding herd and reduce the increasingly onerous recording requirements associated with pedigree registration and government compliancy. He wanted a package that would respond to changes in herd management and compliancy and take advantage of new technologies as they emerged. In 1998 he finally settled on Kingswood Herd. ‘I got the feeling they were totally committed to the farm software market and that they had the staying power to stick to the job’ , he comments 20 years later. In the meantime he had taken full control of the RYEFARM herd in 2005.

As a prominent pedigree breeder, Eddie finds Kingswood Herd immensely useful as a complete management and recording system on his PC. ‘It’s a one stop shop’ is how he puts it. Some facilities he finds particularly useful are the assistance it gives him with Cow Family names, its ability to integrate Milk Recordings from the ICBF and how it enables him to quickly check details of previous pedigree animal sales.

For the last few years, Eddie has been using Kingswood’s latest generation of farm software – their phone-based apps. He finds their Herd App useful for looking up cow details on the move around the farm. Data recorded with the ICBF – such as AI services and lactation yields – can now be sent directly to the App without any intervention by the user. What has particularly impressed Eddie is the way that Kingswood have seamlessly integrated their phone apps with their PC programs, thus ensuring that Kingswood Herd remains his ‘one-stop shop’. Everything entered on the App or downloaded to it from the ICBF is synced back to the PC program.

Eddie’s latest project with Kingswood is the implementation of a financial cost management system using Kingswood Accounts. He’s looking forward to using time-saving facilities like BankLink (electronic transfer of bank statements) and Co-op Download (transfer of trading statement details from Lisavaird Co-op). As well as enabling him to focus in on cost-saving measures, Kingswood Accounts will provide his accountant with all the necessary detail to generate year-end financial reports.

As dairy farming moves on to meet the new challenges of the 21st century, Eddie is confident that both his RYEFARM herd and Kingswood Computing will face those challenges successfully.

Discover an antibiotic free approach to your herds hoof problems SPRAY GEL LIQUID BATH with Intra Hoof-Fit, the only hoof care system that gives you the same active ingredient in gel, liquid, footbath and aerosol form.

Used by dairy farmers in Germany, The Netherlands and UK for management of common hoof problems the Intra Hoof-fit range has the solution for you.

Agrihealth

Available from your Local Co-Op, Merchant, and Vet Shop.

For more information call Agrihealth on 047 71800 or email info@agrihealth.ie Distributed in Ireland by Agrihealth. www.agrihealth.ie

Animal Health

Nuisance By Name...

Nuisance By Nature Flies are a nuisance and can be implicated in the spread of “summer mastitis” and “pink eye” writes Cara Sheridan ruminant vet advisor MSD Impact on production and spread of disease Anyone who has worked with cattle during the summer months needs little reminding of the annoyance which flies can cause. They can be responsible for a state of unrest in the parlour for both cows and milker. The constant source of irritation at grass interferes with normal grazing activity and has been shown to cause a reduction in milk and butterfat production. They are also capable of transmitting viruses, bacteria and certain parasites. Flies are implicated in the spread of common diseases such as “summer mastitis” and “pink eye”.

Types of flies There are 5 broad categories in Ireland: • House or stable flies • Face flies • Head flies • Warble flies • Blowflies Stable flies Also known as biting house flies, they are the size and have the same appearance as the domestic house fly. The immature stages (larval and pupal forms) develop in decaying organic matter and dung. The life cycle in the field can be completed in 2–3 weeks and adult flies may live for 3–4 weeks. Both male and female stable flies are blood feeders and will feed on any warm-blooded animal. Stable flies stay on the host for short periods of time (during which time they feed). Their main target areas for attack are legs and lower abdomen. This irritation results in a reduced feed conversion efficiency affecting both meat and milk production.

Face flies As the name suggests they mainly gather around the eyes and muzzles of livestock. They feed on the normal secretions of the eyes, nose and mouth, on wounds left by biting flies as well as from milk residue on calves’ muzzles. There are the top offenders for annoyance of cattle at pasture. They lay their eggs in fresh dungs and under favourable conditions rapid multiplication occurs resulting in massive fly populations in a matter of weeks. The irritation around the host’s eyes stimulates the flow of tears, which attracts even more flies. Worst case scenario they can cause damage to the eye tissue of affected animals.

They have been linked to the transmission of Moraxella bovis the bacteria responsible for “pink eye”.

Head flies Like face flies these are non-biting flies yet resemble house flies (biting) in appearance. They are often present in large swarms. They are attracted to the mouth, nose, ears, eyes and wounds of animals and man. Adults are most active from early June until late September and are common in close proximity to woodlands. Due to the intense irritation and annoyance, their presence can result in self-inflicted wounds (from scratching), which then attract more flies! On-going infection of such wounds is common and this may encourage blowfly strike. In cattle large numbers of head flies have been found in the udder region and the bacteria involved in “summer mastitis” has been isolated from these flies. This is strong evidence to suggest head flies are involved in transmission of this form of mastitis. Like face flies they also pose a risk for “pink eye”.

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Treatment and control Animal options Pour-on and spray preparations together with insecticide impregnated ear tags are widely used to reduce fly annoyance. For head flies a number of repellent creams are available for application around the base of the horns however many of these only prevent skin contact.

In other words they do not reduce the annoyance caused by flies.

Pour-on products applied at the dosing intervals recommended by the manufacturer will also aid control. It is best practice to start fly control early in the season (to reduce build-up of the fly population).

There are many products on the market and it is most advisable to read the guidelines supplied by the manufacturers and adhere to exact instructions regarding administration, dose, frequency of use and withdrawal periods.

Butox pour-on This product contains deltamethrin a synthetic pyrethroid. In cattle it is indicated for the treatment and prevention of flies and lice. It is advised to pour the dose along the animal’s spine from the base of the head to the tail. The person applying should wear gloves. It is safe to use during pregnancy and lactation. Butox PO has 18 day meat and 12 hour milk withdrawal periods for cattle. The time to apply this product is after evening milking and ensure that the full withdrawal period is respected. For fly control a single application provides protection for 8 to 10 weeks (depending on the degree of infestation, fly species and weather conditions) at which time treatment should be repeated.

Butox in cattle Indications

Dose rate

Flies: Prevention & treatment of flies on calves and other cattle

- Up to 100kg: 10ml - 100kg to 300kg: 20ml - Over 300kg: 30ml

Lice: Prevention & treatment of biting & sucking lice on calves and adult cattle

10ml per animal irrespective of weight

BOBMAN N

NOW O E L A S R E M SUM BOBMAN -Value Your Time

CLEANS 150 CUBICLES IN UNDER 5 MINUTES Features 3-in-1 – The BOBMAN bedding machines scrape the slats, sweep the stalls and spread an even layer of bedding all in only one pass!

Reduces somatic cell count The BOBMAN spreaders make regular cleaning and maintenance work easy.

Using the BOBMAN on a regular basis will improve hygiene in the cow housing, prevent diseases and maintain good health and well-being of the cows, leading to high volume and quality milk.

Time and labour saving Save on the amount of bedding materials used Healthy and comfy cow cubicle beds Moreway Ltd 086 8130876 or 01 5332875 Email - info@bobman.ie web www.bobman.ie

Burren Cheese

The Fertile Rock Story of

Burren Gold Cheese @ Aillwee Diarmuid O Callaghan…milking and cheesemaking for over 30 years

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ost people have been to visit the Cave at Aillwee in the heart of the Burren at some stage in their life. All too often it’s up to the cave and back out again or maybe call to the Birds of Prey centre. No visit would be complete though, unless you call to our Farmshop and Cheese factory.

The ‘Burren Gold Cheese at Aillwee’ story continues to be told for over 35 years. Annually from April to October, Kilfenora man Diarmuid O’Callaghan, our talented cheesemaker, makes 70 Kilos of beautiful semi soft farmhouse Gouda every day. The Gouda style works extremely well because of it’s life span. We age it up to two years allowing us the opportunity to sell cheese during the months we are not producing. The milk that produces our award-winning cheese has always come from the same Friesian herd, grazing on the wild Burren grasses and herbs, at Davoren’s of Caherconnell which is just a stone’s throw from Aillwee Mountain. The Farmshop and cheese production gives full time employment to 8 people from April to October and 5 people November to March as we are open all year round.

Diarmuid is a man of many talents - he not only makes the cheese, he also milks the cows! using traditional Farmhouse cheese crafting methods, Diarmuid’s main focus would be on quality. Health of the cows is very important but with a Somatic Cell Count of 67k and total bacteria count of 7k we are in good shape. Our butter fat content at 3.4% and protein at 3.28% will always be a challenge for us on the Burren. Diarmuid produces six flavours of Burren Gold – Plain, Smoked, Black Pepper, Cumin, Piri Piri and our ever popular, Garlic and Nettle. Here at Aillwee, we are all about the experience and we love visitors to take a tasting tour in the Farmshop and see the process first hand.

As we guide you through the process, savour the range, from our young and creamy to our truly exquisite 1 and 2year old mature

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cheeses. You will learn how cheese is pasteurised, how the curds are separated from the whey, why we smoke it for 48 hours, see how we achieve that familiar Dutch inspired Gouda shape and the reason why we wax the way we do.

Our Burren Gold Cheese experience also includes tastings of our farm shop made Fudge and Wild Flower Honey sourced from within the Burren Region.

How Dipetane Works Dipetane uniquely addresses and solves the fundamental problem existing in standard combustion, which is that some of the valuable carbon remains unburnt. Irish scientists are the first and only scientists worldwide who have discovered how to enable the existing fixed oxygen to gain proper access to burn the valuable carbon much more completely compared to standard combustion.

Injector Protection: Dipetane protects costly injectors and valve stems from the EC 90% cut in sulphur, the sulphur had been acting as a lubricant for Injectors and valve stems. Dipetane’s full burning of the carbon leaves no hard unburnt carbon grating in the system and combined with its built in lubricant greatly increases lubrication thereby protecting injectors and valve stems.

DPF’s-Diesel Particle Filters: Minimising regeneration, minimising fuel usage and protecting DPF’s is very efficient. As mentioned above protecting DPF’s through the use of Dipetane is critical and very cost effective. Dipetane treated fuel’s unique ability to burn the carbon more completely, compared to all standard fuels means that much less un-burnt carbon enters the DPF and therefore the regeneration occurs less often. In some 6.8 Litre engines Dipetane’s use has extended the regeneration from 70 hours out to over 200 hours. This is a substantial fuel saving and protects the DPF from the very high revs involved in the regeneration process.

Up to 10% fuel savings: Dipetane’s independent Scientific Chassis Dynamometer and Boiler Tests under controlled conditions show up to 10% fuel savings. Mix rate for Dipetane is always 1:200. 1 Litre treats 200 Litre’s Diesel, Petrol, Kerosene, Heavy Oil. It does not change the spec of the fuel. It is not an ‘additive’, being 100% hydrocarbon.

Farm Business IRISH

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News

New Teagasc Report Shows Impact

of 2018 Weather On Farm Incomes

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he extent of the financial impact of adverse weather in 2018 on Irish farm incomes is evident from newly released data from the Teagasc National Farm Survey. Across the board in 2018, farmers struggled to cope with the difficulties presented by severe weather and challenging conditions on farms.

A long winter, followed by an extremely dry summer seriously affected grass growth in 2018. As a result, on grassland farms (dairy and drystock), there was a substantial increase in the volume of purchased feed and fodder required to make up for the shortfall in grass production, with average feed expenditure up 34 per cent. The need to increase fodder stocks resulted in increased spending on fertiliser, machinery contracting and fuel. The combination of these factors pushed production costs strongly upwards.

Average family farm income on Cattle Rearing farms dipped to an estimated €8,318 in 2018, a reduction of 22 per cent on the €10,642 in 2017, with a sharp rise in production costs the main driver. . Average Cattle Other farm income in 2018 was €14,408, a reduction of 11% on the 2017 figure of €16,115.

According to Teagasc economist Dr. Emma Dillon, Dairy farms incurred the largest income reductions in 2018, with average dairy farm income falling by 31 per cent to €61,273, compared with the 2017 level of €88,829. Concentrate feed use increased by almost one-third to over 1,300 kg per cow.

In 2018, in general, winter sown crops fared better in terms of their yield performance than spring sown crops.In spite of the low yields, this price increase was large enough to boost the average income in tillage farms in 2018, which was €42,678, an increase of 18 per cent on

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the 2017 figure of €36,048.

Across the farm sector as a whole, the average family farm income in 2018 declined by 21 per cent, dropping from €29,774 in 2017 to €23,483. However, the average on individual farm systems continues to vary greatly.

The full preliminary 2018 Family Farm Income figures from the Teagasc National Farm Survey can be viewed on the teagasc website.

NatioNal HolsteiN FriesiaN opeN Day hosted by

The O’Keeffe Family

Radney Herd Freemount, Charleville, Co. Cork, P56 FC61

tHursDay 27tH JuNe

Free aDmissioN - all Welcome Stock Judging - Trade Exhibition - Stock Sale - Awards - Family Fun and much more...

For more info: IHFA, Clonakilty, Co. Cork. Tel.: 023 8833443 web: www.ihfa.ie email: enquiries@ihfa.ie

ESB Networks

Silage Harvesting and Overhead Electricity Lines A safety message from ESB Networks.

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major risk at this time of year is working near overhead electricity wires. Coming close to live electricity wires is extremely hazardous and can be fatal because of the risk of electrocution. Very serious electrical accidents have taken place involving silage machinery, both in the silage field and at the silage pit.

The advice from Arthur Byrne, Public Safety Manager at ESB Networks is never work near overhead electricity lines. If you have concerns about overhead wires, poles, or stays, please phone ESB Networks immediately in the interest of your own safety and for others.

Contact, or even near contact, with electricity lines can be fatal.

The minimum safe distance is 3 metres in every direction. It is 6 metres for silage pits. These limits are higher for higher voltage lines. Check with ESB Networks first.

Accidents are preventable with advance planning and safe behaviours.

Put these precautions into practice every time: • Watch out for Overhead Wires, Poles and Stays.

• Steer Clear.

• Identify where Poles and Stays are in the field and avoid coming within 3 metres. You may need to physically ‘Red Flag’ them.

• Avoid crossing beneath Overhead Wires and Work Parallel.

• Poles and Overhead Wires must never be close to a silage pit. If they are closer than 6 metres, you must contact ESB Networks to re-locate. Do not work until ESB Networks advises that it is safe to do so.

If you have concerns about overhead wires, poles, or stays, please phone immediately. In an emergency, the speed of your phone call could make all the difference.

The emergency contact number is 1850 372 999 (24 hour/ 7day service).

Store this number in your mobile phone.

In the event of an accident situation involving any part of the machine coming in contact with the overhead electricity line, then it is vitally important that you follow these steps: • Stay in the cab; • Keep everyone else clear of the scene, at least 5 metres; • Phone ESB Networks immediately; • If possible, reverse out of the contact situation; • If you exit the cab (e.g. because of fire), jump clear and take short steps until you are 5 metres clear; • Do not return to the cab.

Do not, under any circumstances approach or touch electricity wires or anything that may be in contact with them.

Please check out our website for further information: www.esbnetworks/stayingsafe.ie

Serving all electricity customers

LOOK AROUND YOU, IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE Making contact with overhead electricity wires or even coming close puts you at serious risk of injury or death from electrocution.

Avoid serious injury on the farm, or on the road, never take risks near electricity lines behind the wheel.

Silage harvesters • Tractors with front loaders • Trailers with high loads • Tall machinery

In case of emergency, call 1850 372 999 www.esbnetworks.ie

22180_ESB Safety_Overhead_Lines_Harvesting_A4_LAND.indd 1

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Agri Health

Lameness: Prevention Is Key Lameness in cows results in weight loss and reduced milk production.

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ameness is a very significant problem in many dairy herds and economic loss due to hoof ailments is often underestimated. The losses in lameness are attributed to the fact that lame cattle eat less, are in pain, lose weight quickly and this usually results in reduced milk production. The additional risk of nutritional deficiency makes lame cattle more susceptible to other infections and fertility problems.

Prevention = Getting the success factors right 1. Maintain optimum hoof quality: shape and quality of horn.

• Ensure high quality feed and good feed intake. Be aware of the risk periods (before, during and after calving).

• Lift and examine hooves at least three times a year and trim if necessary to maintain correct hoof shape.

• Use footbaths as necessary.

• Breed for hoof health.

• Keep hooves dry as much as possible.

2. Ensure minimal stress on hooves.

• Cows need to lie down for as long as 12-15 hours a day. Spacious, dry and soft lying places ensure maximum lying time. Ensure cubicles are sufficient in number and of adequate size.

• Sheds should be spacious enough to allow good ‘cow flow’ and avoid pushing etc.

• Ensure floor surface is even with good grip. Ensure slats are in good working order, with no excessively wide gaps.

• Manage high-risk locations (e.g. turning points, tracks) and highrisk times such as milking so that cows are not crowded, pushed etc.

3. Keep environment welfare friendly • Cow accommodation should be clean and dry • Cows constantly standing in slurry cannot avoid lameness. Keep

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slats, collection yard and roadways as clean as possible 4. Intervene effectively at first signs of lameness • Ensure all farm workers can detect and identify hoof problems at an early stage. Routine checks allow sufficient time for early treatment.

• Treat hoof problems quickly and effectively. Treat each cow individually.

• Get the vet for severe lameness and use a trained hoof pairing expert for herd lameness prevention.

Hoof hygiene for today and tomorrow To help farmers maintain optimal hoof health Intracare has developed Intra Hoof-fit Clean & Control. This environmentally safe and antibiotic free product was developed in close collaboration with dairy farmers, veterinary surgeons and cattle specialists.

Clean & Control is an exceptional formalin-free disinfectant which is highly effective against micro-organisms that cause infectious hoof problems. It fits perfectly into the hygiene routine of the modern farm making it an ideal preventative tool. The powerful bonding agents within the product allows the product to stay active, even when cattle are walking through manure after application.

Regular hoof care maintenance helps prevent hoof problems from reaching the point where the cow has to be culled. Good animal welfare demands preventive hoof-care treatment, this will lead to more profit and less work on the dairy farm.

The Intra Hoof-Fit Clean & Control range is distributed in Ireland

by Agrihealth and available from your local vet shop, merchant or Co-Op. For more information contact Agrihealth on 047 71800 or info@agrihealth.ie.

Calor

Calor BioLPG – A New Renewable Energy Solution

C

alor BioLPG is a new 100% renewable fuel option, exclusively available from Calor, and is an ideal energy solution for the numerous Irish farms and rural businesses that are aiming to reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact.

Conventional Calor LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) is already used by thousands of farms and rural businesses every day, providing off grid energy for a range of applications from instant hot water for dairy farms to efficient and controllable space heating for rearing sheds.

Calor LPG is a versatile, portable and manageable fuel and is already one of the cleanest conventional fuels available. It is already recognized as a taint free fuel option for farmers, also producing far lower carbon emissions than oil, coal, peat and even electricity.

However, businesses making the switch to BioLPG will reduce their carbon emissions even further, offering a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50% and up to 90%. BioLPG is delivered, stored and used in exactly the same way as conventional LPG. However, unlike conventional LPG, BioLPG is made from 100% renewable materials. These include recycled waste and residue materials and sustainably-sourced renewable vegetable oils.

So for those farms and businesses already using LPG powered applications, the switchover process is extremely simple. There is no need to change existing LPG powered equipment. Typically, any equipment that is currently fuelled by oil, or even natural gas can operate on BioLPG, with a straightforward conversion similar to that needed for a switch to conventional LPG - making renewable heat an affordable option for businesses also. Contact Calor on 1850 812 450 to arrange a call from a Calor Energy Consultant or visit calorgas.ie for more information.

Steaming hot water is in constant supply.

We know how important it is to you to be able to deliver the highest quality milk, and we’re happy to be able to muck in. Switch to Calor and our team of energy advisors will work with you, to make sure you always have steaming hot water on tap, for wash down and sterilisation.

Call now for a consultation 1850 812 450 or visit calorgas.ie

Controllable hot water up to 85°C, at the touch of a button.

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21

Animal Health

The Economic Impact of Parasite Control on Profitable Heifer Production Studies show that the milk yield response to anthelmintic treatment in pastured dairy herds was observed to be about 1kg per cow per day.

I

nfection by parasites, even in the absence of clinical disease, is one of the most common reasons for reduced productivity and economic losses in the cattle farming business. Depending on the level of infection it can lead to a reduction in feed intake and weight gain, and impact on milk production and fertility. Treatment can therefore make a significant difference to productivity levels. For example, studies show that the milk-yield response to anthelmintic treatment in pastured dairy herds was observed to be around 1kg per cow per day. The average differences in weight gain between treated first-season grazing calves and untreated control calves with subclinical or clinical infections were estimated at 150g per day and 315g per day.

While the impact of parasite infection on cattle is now commonly accepted, the wider economic impact is not always known. Sustainable control strategies are increasingly important for the growth of healthy heifers to ensure they grow quickly to their full genetic potential.

Diagnosing parasite infections and monitoring heifer performance is therefore very important.

The benefits of producing heifers that calve at 24 months are significant, and include reduced cost of producing replacements, lower culling rates, and increased lifetime profitability through additional lactation periods.

In order to achieve a 24month average age at calving heifers must reach approximately 60% of mature weight by 14 months of age. This requires an average daily weight gain of at least 0.7-0.8 kg during the period between weaning and bulling.

This focus on growth must be maintained during pregnancy since a continued steady weight gain is required if heifers are to calve at 90% of mature weight, and transition well into lactation. However, it’s more important that growing cattle meet breed-appropriate target weights 22

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since the onset of puberty and first oestrus is more closely linked to heifer weight, body size and condition score than age.

Heifers have high nutrient requirements as they grow and get ready for calving. A heavy parasite burden will draw on these resources, reducing the nutrients available for growth and slowing the time they take to reach their mature weight and become ready to conceive. This will reduce the animal’s productive life and mean potential economic losses which can be worrying and costly.

The impact of parasite challenge as heifers approach reproductive age is supported by studies showing increased mammary development and earlier onset of puberty in strategically wormed heifers in comparison to those left untreated.

Effective parasite control plays a central role in managing heifer health; protecting her future fertility, helping her get back into calf more quickly after the first calving. Efficient heifer production therefore relies on setting and meeting targets for productivity.

Before considering the parasites themselves it is worth considering the performance of the stock over the previous grazing season and how it compared with expectations or targets. Growth rates of young stock in their first and second grazing season are useful indicators of effective parasite control. Losses in liveweight gain due to poor parasite control during a heifer’s first grazing season will not be recouped during the second year at grass. Affected animals will not catch up, and this will impact on their ability to meet important growth milestones, which could result in an increased age at first calving.

To manage this challenge it is important to set growth targets for young stock at grass, and monitor their performance through regular weighing to ensure these are being met. Alongside this, it’s critical to manage and feed accordingly and use anthelmintics, integrated

Animal Health with a grazing management system, to ensure the potential impact of parasites is controlled.

Effective parasite control is proven to make significant improvements to weight gain over a grazing season, whilst also contributing to reduced pasture contamination. Undertaking a parasite risk assessment before treatment takes place will allow a more targeted approach to be implemented, and will increase the sustainability of anthelmintic control, and reduce selection for resistance. Farmers and vets should work together to develop a plan that sets targets and uses a risk assessment based approach to determining whether gutworm treatments are required.

It is important to understand the dynamics of the pasture larval threat and take measures to manage this. Reducing exposure to pasture challenge through altered grazing practices, specifically delayed turnout may result in higher technical efficiency and milk production.

Grazing management interventions do, however, need to be evaluated at the farm level so that they are appropriate.

Putting monitoring systems in place will help to determine when treatments are required, helping to avoid unnecessary treatments and minimising selection for resistant worms.

Regular assessment of treatment efficacy is also an important component of sustainable parasite control. A faecal egg count is performed on individual animals before treatment, and a follow up sample is obtained 14 days later where a 3-ML has been used, or seven days later where a 1-BZ or 2-LV product has been used. The counts are then compared. A reduction of greater than 95% will be seen when a product has been fully effective; where the response is lower than this further investigation should take place.

To slow the likelihood of wormer resistance on farm, all parasite control products should be used in accordance with the datasheet and product packaging.

Accurate dosing can only be achieved if you have accurate weights on every animal. Do not compromise on dosing equipment or scales to determine live weights.

In order to ensure you get the best from your parasite control product: • Consult the label and/or datasheet before using a product • Maintain all equipment and cattle handling facilities • Choose the most appropriate product for the parasites present • Administer products at the right dose • Store and handle products safely and correctly.

Targeting the right animals with the right anthelmintic at the right time will maximise the efficacy of treatments, resulting in a more sustainable and profitable livestock business.

An educational service from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd (“BI”). Further information available from BI, RG12 8YS, UK. ©2019. All rights reserved. Date of preparation: May 2019. AHD 12010. Use Medicines Responsibly.

Farm Business IRISH

23

Farm Forestry

Timber Yields A Handsome Dividend For Kilkenny Dairy Farm Michael Owens milks 125 cows with his brother Martin near Castlecomer in North Kilkenny. Recently, a land-use decision that was taken by their late father almost thirty years earlier to plant some forestry has yielded a handsome dividend.

Post clearfell - Michael assesses his impressive harvest that yielded over 750 tonnes timber

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ichael is well aware of the bene ts that can be achieved with good grassland management including grass utilisation and provision of good infrastructure on his farm. He also keeps abreast of dairy technology and has recently installed a robotic milking system which has brought a balance to the farm workload and has made the running of the farm more manageable. Having trained in forestry, Michael’s late father Denis planted 2.5 hectares of mainly spruce in conjunction with some broadleaf species in 1989.

At the time, forests were a new enterprise and he felt there was merit in it, having received positive insights from his training. “ ere was a little controversy at the time,” says Michael, “particularly as the elds had some road frontage. But my father had great foresight and having overseen thinning operations followed by the nal harvest of the timber in October 2018 the roadside location was a great decision.”

The farm forest matured rapidly following two pro table thinnings in 2010 and 2014. e net productive area was 2.2 hectares. According to Michael, “Our experience is that it has only added to the place.”

Michael continues: “We are very happy with the way the harvesting worked out. e whole job was done in three days, it has delivered over 750 tonne (which was equivalent to 820 cubic metres (m3) freshly cut.

We got €55 per tonne across the board - timber prices were strong so we seem to have harvested at just the right time. Now we have to start thinking about replanting and reckon it will cost just over 10% of the money we got for the timber to put it back under trees.”

Strong Demand With the strong demand for timber at present, farm forest owners can have a valuable crop on their land. “I was impressed with the timber and return from his forest,” says Michael. “It yielded pretty well, it was fairly straight and the product breakdown was 45% sawlog, 37% pallet wood and the remainder is going to pulp. So that seems a pretty decent return.”

Timber prices can vary over time and according to a range of factors such as tree quality, forest type, forest area, quality of access 24

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and distance to market. Timber returns from managed forests are exempt from income tax but subject to relevant USC and PRSI charges.

Michael is also very aware of the need for protection and enhancement of his farm environment. He describes how during the harvesting “Number one, the weather was super, the ground was bone dry, there wasn’t a mark on the ground, but the brash was piled up in rows along the site and the forwarder (collecting the timber) travelled along these.

Basically it doesn’t touch the ground and didn’t impact with the soil in any way.”

The broadleaf trees in the forest were retained and Michael will replant a further 10% of broadleaf trees through the site for environmental and aesthetic reasons. Michael can now make plans for his forestry returns. “When you are farming you have a lot of options for what you are going to do with money. I have 4 small children and hopefully they might go to college.” Many farmers like Michael have the potential to diversify their onfarm resource and future potential income streams. At the same time a growing forest can efficiently sequester carbon and can help in efforts to offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “We want to do the job well and move forward but we don’t believe in trying to maximise cow numbers for the sake of it,” says Michael. “We try to do the best with our resources and there certainly is a role for forestry. With all the talk of carbon emissions, forestry will probably become even more important.”

Through whole-farm planning, forests can be integrated into existing farms and provide options on appropriate land parcels.

Forestry premiums, combined with retained basic payments and taxfree returns generated from timber production can diversify income streams and enhance family farm income.

For younger farmers forestry may provide an ideal way to help with the mortgage on a new family home or help towards sustainable farm development. And for older farmers a forest can make an ideal pension pot.

Michael is now looking forward to getting the forest planted again and seeing the next forest establish, grow rapidly and deliver, adding with a smile, “Hopefully when I am about 70 I will get some retirement money out of it!”

Article by Tom Houlihan, Michel Somers and Richard Walsh, Teagasc Forestry Development Department.

This article was first published in the Forestry and Energy Review

Michael in his 29 year old Sitka spruce before harvesting

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New Imported Cresote Fencing Material With A 40/50 Yr Lifespan.

Farm Design

A Journey of Life Through Milk Henry Walsh describes the journey of life travelled by him and family to arrive at the point of having 300 cows and a 50 unit Rotary parlour as a building project.

Background & Winter Milk Move to Spring Calving We moved to 100% spring calving in February 2002 with 102 cows calving down over a 13 week period and milked that year. We continue with the same policy today but with an expected 10 week calving period in 2020 and we will milk 320 cows.

A lot of change occurred in the early years of the journey. We started crossbreeding to improve the fertility of the holstein cow we started out with. This was a great success as we got a smaller more fertile cow with much improved fat & protein and great feet.

By 2008 we had increased cow numbers to 160 wintering most of them on land away from the milking platform (Out Farms) through block grazing grass and silage. In 2008 we applied through the FWM to build a wintering pad for 130 cows and a large lagoon. This was a great success for us for a number of years as we had capacity to comfortably winter 200 incalf cows and heifers.

Joint Farming That year also my neighbour and outfarm owner John Moran joined us milking in the mornings and made his farm available for heifer rearing and winter grazing. We have been very disciplined to only carry incalf cows through the winter as any empty cow was claiming a space required by an incalf cow.The last 4 years have again seen a lot of change for us as my son Enda had chosen to study Dairy Business and indicated his interest in coming home to farm. The ending of quotas, extra milking platform land and increasing stocking rate saw us move to 280 cows in 2017. Every part of the farm was feeling the pressure.

The parlour was now putting 18 lines of cows through and milking was very long and physically draining. We were filling the milk tank

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every day in peak and struggling with cooling. We were successfully using winter grazing all the time through this growth phase but were encountering problems grazing in difficult weather on the shoulders due to the higher stocking rate and not able to stand cows off as we only had 50 cubicles still.

We all sat down in the spring of 2017 to formulate a plan.

We had worked on P & K & Lime over a number of years as well as a re-seeding programme. The farm is dry free draining, well serviced by water and roads with the furthest paddock 750 metres from the parlour. There was consensus that the farm was capable of carrying the current stocking rate in particular with the support of the outfarms which gave us an overall farm stocking rate of 2.4 cows hectar. We identified 2 areas that required urgent attention for the farm to become more sustainable and to create a better working environment for the future.

New Parlour and more cubicles First was a new green field milking parlour and the second was more cubicles to allow us hold milking cows if the weather required it.

Very quickly we agreed that a modern 26 unit herringbone parlour with ACR’s, compressed air gates back and front a big enough collecting yard with a scraper gate and slatted tank would be a massive improvement. We always had drafting but decided that heat detection collars linked to the drafting gate would help the milker as we wanted to set it up for a one man operation most of the time. A cubicle shed for at least 120 cows.

We decided to go looking at a few parlours and to get a few prices.

The list was long in that we were buying everything new as what we had was no longer fit for purpose.

Farm Design

List of Requirements • 26 unit Herringbone or maybe Baling/rapid exit.

• 22,000 litre bulk tank for 3 days capacity with Heat recovery.

• Scraper Backing gate. Drafting gate and heat detection collars?

• 22 tonne meal bin We were due to host our farm Discussion group so the full plan was put on the agenda.

This was a very enlightening session that threw up one massive surprise. A lot of discussion centred around the fact that with our existing herd size the first year we milked in the new parlour we would have 12 lines of cows. We ourselves had debated this a number of times and even though it was far from ideal felt we wanted to remain a one man operation and by optimising labour saving technology around two different milkers doing 7 milkings a week each it could work. Also a big part of the milking platform is leased and may not always be available.

The group felt a 44 unit was the minimum when starting from new with 300 cows milking but the surprise was that taking into account that Enda was just starting his farming career as a 23 year old with possibly 30 years of milking in front of him, our desire to operate a one person parlour and a parlour that would attract milkers every member voted for the rotary parlour. We visited an amount of Rotary parlours and while impressed. I felt all the time we were over reaching.

Enda in fairness to him never pushed me on the rotary in that he kept saying if we get everything right on a 26 unit it would be a massive improvement on where we were and also a fair bit of our problem lay around cubicles for the shoulders. My mind was ultimately made up for me when we visited two young men farming near us in Tuam

milking 260 cows through a lovely 26 unit baling parlour and they said their dream was to take it out and put in a rotary in the next few years.

This impacted on both of us.

Rotary Planning and Aidan Kelly (Agri Design) We had an idea of where we wanted to locate the parlour and while we were deciding on the size, we asked Aidan Kelly would he design it for us and look after the planning permission.

We completed detailed budgets and were comfortable that at our existing herd size we could make the project work. We were also conscious that we would be spending a lot of money on this and building it to a standard that would remain good for at least 50 years and hopefully dairying will still be capable of generating employment and a decent income in the future.

New Zealand Experience Enda had milked in a 60 unit in NZ and Aidan had milked in a 50 unit in Australia for 6 months. Both were very confident that a 50 unit was the right parlour to go for and when we priced them it became clear the difference between a 44 and a 50 was less than expected as a lot of costs were common such as vacuum pumps, milk pumps, transport, installation, wiring etc.

We agreed on our spec. A 50 unit with ACR’s, Retention, auto teat spray pods and auto wash.

While all this was going on Aidan Kelly was finalising designs and we went for a 6 bay building 28.8 meters long by 19 meters wide. We wanted to have a farm office and an entry room for jackets wellies at the front of the building so all of this has fitted in well in the first bay. We placed a hollow core roof on this which leaves us with a very

Farm Business IRISH

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Farm Design

safe area upstairs if required at some stage in the future. We used all four corners of the rotary and put white PVC in the walls which has left them easy to clean but it takes a few minutes at every milking.

The washroom is to the right at the front and the Vacuum pump, Air compressor is to the left and we covered this with the hollow core also to contain the noise and increase the safe area for walking on top. The machine exhaust is out through the external wall and all these things combined with a good quality PVC door have made the parlour very quiet except for the radio of course.

4 bays were probably enough to house the rotary as the back is facing east but we included a 5th bay. This gives better protection to the milker if there is inclement weather from that direction and would be needed more if the parlour was open to the prevailing wind.

AI Room We have the AI room in the other corner as the cows exit and we have this elevated to platform height. We included a hinged mesh AI platform linking the AI area to within 50 mm of the Rotary platform.

This has been a huge success BCS and tail painting. It is always clean under foot with AI straws, guns and gloves, tail paint and recording area within armsreach undercover dry and clean. We draft all the cows for AI into the holding pen and at the end of milking we leave a few empty spaces then let the cows for breeding onto the platform a second time.

Collecting Yard We built the collecting yard for almost 400 cows which is obviously too big but for the first time in 15 years we can close the gate behind them and put the scraper gate moving with a button at the back. So far, we have been feeding meal at every milking so cows absolutely flow in and it is very rare to see an empty bale. Training the cows to the rotary was easier than I could have dreamed about. We encouraged all the cows on once where they got their meal. We only needed to encourage about half the second time and from the third round on almost none required help. I left about 4 metres of an angle at the front of the collecting yard to angle the cows towards the entry race but this is too much as the scraper gate cannot pass the start of the angle and this requires hand scraping once a day. We did not put in a saloon gate at the rotary entrance and at the moment I am very happy with that as the cows are flowing very well and there is not a constant opening and closing of gates right beside you at the milkers station.

Cow Flow Cow flow is very good with the 300 cows milked in an hour at night and 1 hour 15 minutes in the morning. The cows are very relaxed and the whole milking environment is very relaxed. The parlour is very bright by comparison to the old parlour and is obviously helped by the white PVC.

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More Grazing Time Milk production is up a bit this year relative to last year. I think going by other discussion group members it is up with everyone but the cows are spending 2 hours a day less in the collecting yard which has to be positive so time will tell. Scc is averaging 100 at present versus 200 last year but there are more risks in the rotary in that you don’t see the cow after milking when teat spraying which is often an easier time to pick up problems. We put in a big roller door for machinery access beside the milkers station and I see this is nearly always open during milking which increases air movement and natural light. We are very happy with the overall use of space and there are no dead areas.

Exit Race Our exit race is slatted, 950mm wide and the full length of the collecting yard 43 meters. The 3 way drafter is at the start and sometimes if the cows are being held the can back up in the exit race. I don’t know if the solution is a shorter race or would a wider one work that a cow could pass another. We put a small non return gate at the end of the race as we were having problems with cows coming back up for feed in February if they were being held after milking.

Future Plans and Comments • Cubicle shed not able to take a rope scraper • Reduced the calving box area, as we believe in outdoor calving weather permitting.

• Designed to view calving from upstairs area • A lot of water every day 7,500 litres (approx) to wash the machine and the parlour • Teat spray is wasteful Last Word We are absolutely delighted with the new build. It has given us a very efficient labor friendly bright pleasant working environment and the new shed gives over 200 feed spaces at the barrier for silage or buffer feeding when required. We went for a long high open shed facing north with 12 mm space sheeting on the roof incorporating an open plan calving area that can be observed from the overhead bay in front of the rotary.

I took on the project management myself and while I was capable of doing it and enjoyed it the reality of it was that it was my first time to see a Rotary being done and we probably lost a good bit of time and missed some targets due to my lack of experience. On the flip side there were a lot of day to day decisions that my opinion would have been required; so it was good to be present. For anybody planning a similar project we would say; “the time and extra workload is immense.”

We enjoyed the Project Management but missed a lot of targets.

Farm Design

The Decision points on this project were as follows:

5.

Henry had decided that he would be managing the project and took on the role of project manager. The areas for discussion on this project are outlined below.

6.

Main decisions: 1. 1.Size of the milking machine and manufacturer:. After looking at a lot of the main manufacturers the family decided on a 50-point Waikato milking machine. Waikato are a New Zealand manufacturer which Enda and Aidan both had experience with while working in New Zealand.

They felt that this manufacturer ticked all the boxes that they required.

2. Location of the bulk tank, would they put it inside or would they go for an external milk silo. The family felt that a standard milk tank inside was the option for them.

3. Water heating:They also incorporated a heat exchanger with a gas water heater to heat water in the milking parlour. The Flogas hot water system provides instant on demand hot water up to 85c, eliminating hot water storage costs.

4. Scrapers:They wanted a backing scraper instead of a flood wash system in the collecting yard. They felt the backing scraper gate offered a cleaner finish on the yard and this

7.

8.

would also reduce the volume of water been used in the parlour.

Cubicles:The proposed cubicle shed was located beside the milking parlour with calving pens located at the top end of the shed so that it would be close to the viewing area and central to the existing cubicle shed and out wintering pad.

Collection Yard: A 16’6’ slatted tank which leads from the cubicle shed into the collection yard. The tank collects the backing scraper gate and the two scrapers from the cubicle shed. The tank also acts as a holding yard as the cows need to contained after milking before crossing a public road.

Design: Now the family had decided what they required, I set to work putting three design proposals together. The family decided on one design which was then adapted and changed to meet all their needs and requirements. These drawings were finalised and then planning lodged in late December 2017.

Planning permission was granted on 23rd of February 2018, with the final grant of permission arriving the 2nd of April 2018.

Agri Design & Services (ADPS) provide an extensive service to farmers nationwide.

Tel 085 7466211 Email: aidan@adps.ie

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Commercial Feature

Flexible Finance From Farm To Fork Understanding the challenges of modern day farming is half the battle, according to Pat O’Neill, Agri Sales Manager at First Citizen Agri Finance.

Ronan Holcroft (First Citizen Agri Finance), Michael Fleming (First Citizen Agri Finance) and David Toolan (Cashels Engineering)

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e’re here to assist farmers and help them plan their cash flows throughout the year, providing flexible finance options when they need it most. Our Asset Finance Agreements have a fixed Interest Rate to help farmers budget and manage their cashflows.” Pat joined First Citizen Agri Finance in 2016, having worked for many years in the Irish Agri Finance sector and is excited to be engaging again with farmers across all farming sectors in the Republic of Ireland, not least Dairy. The Dairy sector carries its own unique challenges and it’s important that those employed in this area have the necessary supports available not just to survive but to excel.

This, Pat added, is where First Citizen can help. First Citizen Agri Finance offer flexible finance for Agri asset purchases to Farmers and Agri SMEs. If a farmer is looking to purchase equipment outright, then the Non Consumer Hire Purchase Agreement is the flexible and cost effective alternative solution to overdrafts or term loans. The asset becomes the property of the purchaser when the final instalment and completion fee due under the Agreement is made. Some key features of this product are: • Fixed payments over a fixed term • Payments which can be timed to suit income patterns of the farm enterprise or Agri business • The VAT on the purchase price can be re-claimed immediately • after the transaction, provided the entity is VAT registered • Interest charges can be offset against taxable profits • Flexible deposit payable (minimum 10%) • Claim back capital allowance costs on the cost of Asset

•

Bernard Wallace (Clarke Machinery) and Pat O’Neill (First Citizen Agri Finance)

The VAT element of the rental payment can be reclaimed provided the entity is VAT registered

Both Hire Purchase and Leasing Agreements are available to finance new and second hand Agri assets. Only assets purchased from a First Citizen Agri Finance approved Agri Dealer or Distributor are eligible for finance – and First Citizen are always on the look out to partner with new Suppliers in the Republic of Ireland. Payment terms vary from two to seven years, depending on the type and age of the asset being financed. A variety of payments terms are available including ‘Seasonal’ whereby payments are from, for example, April to September each year.

“The key to our success is our focus and dedication to the Agri community. At First Citizen Agri Finance we know that our business depends on farming – a unique industry facing constantly changing circumstances. Therefore, we make it our business to understand the needs of farmers and Agri SMEs and we provide financial solutions where possible. We have a presence nationwide and invite farmers and Agri Dealers to get in touch with us.” – Pat O’Neill, Agri Sales Manager at First Citizen Agri Finance. First Citizen Finance is a dedicated provider of Motor, Agri, CRE (Commercial Real Estate) Finance and recently announced a new €100m fund for Equipment Finance.

So, whether it’s a new or used vehicle, Agri asset or any other type of equipment you’re looking for, First Citizen Finance may have the solution for you. Visit www.firstcitizen.ie for further details.

Hoof hygiene for today and tomorrow However, let’s say the Farmer is looking to simply pay for the use of equipment over a set period. The asset is leased in this case at a fixed rental for a fixed term at a fixed rate. Put simply, First Citizen owns the asset and charges the farmer for the use of it until the final rental is paid. At the end of the rental period there is the option to purchase the equipment for a nominal fee or trade it in as a deposit against new equipment. Some other benefits of leasing are: • Initial Capital Outlay is minimised, thus preserving cashflow • Leasing rentals may qualify for tax deductions • Farmer gets to use the equipment just as if they owned it • Flexible repayment terms

“With a presence nationwide, this young Asset finance company is making new Agri Supplier partnerships on a weekly basis” 30

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Pat O’Neill (First Citizen Agri Finance) and Terry Reilly (Agri-Spread International)

Grassland Management

Tips On Controlling Weeds In Grassland Chris Maughan, Technical Manager, Whelehan Crop Protection

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eeds dramatically cut output and quality of grass, silage and hay. Heavy infestations of weeds such as docks, thistles or chickweed can reduce grass and silage dry matter by up to 50%. If not controlled early, weeds can ruin new reseeds.

Choosing the right herbicide and knowing the best time to spray has a major bearing on effective control of weeds in grazing and silage swards.

For most effective control with systemic herbicide, weeds should be actively growing and be at the correct growth stage. Best results are achieved from spraying weeds before they flower.

The following is a best time to spray guide for three of the more important weeds: • Docks should be 15-25cm high or wide and before a seed head begins to show.

• Thistles should have four to 10 leaves and be 15-25cm high.

• Nettles should be sprayed before they flower.

Silage swards The best time to spray silage swards is around three weeks after fertiliser is applied when weeds are actively growing and should be at the right stage for a perfect kill. It is vital to leave an interval of at least three weeks between spraying and cutting the crop.

This ensures that the chemicals get fully translocated to the root system of the target weeds, a vital factor in long-term control.

Where weed-infested silage or hay swards are gone beyond the ideal stage for spraying, it is best to cut the crop, take the hit on yield and quality and wait for three to four weeks regrowth when the weeds should then be at the ideal stage for an effective kill.

The same applies to grazing pastures. If weeds such as docks and thistles are too advanced, the best approach is to top them and spray with an effective herbicide after three to four weeks regrowth.

DoxstarPro for Docks Where docks are the major weed problem in silage, hay or grazing swards, DoxstarPro is the herbicide of choice. It is also very effective on chickweed and dandelions, both of which seem to have increased this year.

Containing two powerful chemicals, triclopyr and fluroxypyr, it ensures the most effective kill of the dock root system. And unlike hormone -based products, it has the advantage of not causing any check to grass growth.

Docks have an enormous impact on grass dry matter output and sward productivity. Just one dock/35 sq. metres results in a loss of one per cent in grass dry matter. An infestation of 50 docks or more/35 sq. metres is far from uncommon and can lead to a reduction of up to half in dry matter output.

The dock root system can be up to a metre deep and just one mature dock plant can shed up to 80,000 seeds. These seeds can lie dormant in

Apply Forefront T when ragwort is at the rosette stage and during a period of active growth with temperature above 10°C

the soil for years and germinate when conditions are favourable. Only a translocated herbicide like DoxstarPro will kill this root system.

Forefront T for Grazing When it comes to selecting an all-purpose herbicide for grazing pastures, Forefront T is rapidly becoming the product of choice on Irish farms.

Containing the most advanced chemistry in weed control technology, it is powerful on a wide range of weeds including docks, thistles, nettles, buttercups and dandelions.

As with DoxstarPro, best control is achieved from spraying with Forefront T when weeds are at the correct growth stage.

Forefront T Perfect For Ragwort

F

orefront T is the perfect herbicide for controlling the noxious weed ragwort, which can be lethal to livestock. Apply Forefront T when the ragwort is in the rosette stage and during a period of active growth with warm temperatures (above 10°C).

In grazing paddock situations timing of the spray can be difficult to get right. Where ragwort is the only weed been targeted, spraying can occur when animals are removed from the paddocks as the rosettes would still be intact.

This then allows at least three to four weeks before animals are back in to graze, which in a lot of cases would be adequate time for the plant to decay away completely.

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It is vital that animals are kept off pasture until the ragwort has completely died and disappeared. While this normally takes three to four weeks, it could take up to eight weeks in situations when the plant starts to produce a stem.

Spraying ragwort with Forefront T in late autumn when pastures are being closed for the winter can work very well as long as there still is growth.

As with DoxstarPro, best control is achieved from spraying with Forefront T when weeds are at the correct growth stage.

Grassland Management

GrazonPro the Perfect Spot Treatment

G

razonPro is the ideal, cost effective spot treatment for a wide range of weeds including docks, nettles, thistles, briars, gorse, buttercups and brushwood/scrub.

It contains two powerful root killing ingredients – triclopyr and clopyralid. Triclopyr is highly effective on brushwood/scrub and nettles. No other product on the market for knapsack application has as high a concentration of this powerful chemical.

GrazonPro is the perfect treatment for weeds under fences or at ditches and walls. It can also be used as a spot treatment where weeds infestations across fields are 5% or less.

It should be applied at a rate of 60 ml in 10 litres of water using a conventional knapsack sprayer, a quadbike sprayer or a suitable lance on a tractor mounted sprayer. Keep animals off treated areas for seven days.

CONTACT: JOE MURPHY CARE CHEM SUPPLIES LTD, DROMALOUR, KANTURK, CO. CORK TEL: 087 259 8537 EMAIL - carechemsupplies@eircom.net WWW.CARECHEMSUPPLIES.COM Farm Business IRISH

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Grassland Management

Chickweed a Serious Problem This Year

T

here is a noticeable increase in the level of chickweed in silage and grazing pastures. This appears to be due to very tight grazing during last summer’s drought which resulted in a lot of weed seeds being disturbed.

These seeds germinated during the autumn and the chickweed continued to grow during the mild winter and spring. I have seen a number of farms where the chickweed is now smothering large areas of grass.

Herbicide Choice There are a number of translocated herbicides that are highly effective on chickweed. Where docks are the Chickweed is more prevalent this year on many farms. DoxstarPro, PastorTrio and Envy are all highly effective on it. dominant weed and chickweed also exists, use Doxstar Pro. Envy Where chickweed is the dominant Envy, the recently launched herbicide, is another effective option. weed and other weeds such as thistles and docks are present, Containing the two active ingredients fluroxypyr and florasulam, it is PastorTrio is an effective option. powerful on the same range of weeds as PastorTrio, with the exception It contains the powerful active ingredient florasulam and the two of thistles. tried and tested ingredients fluroxypyr and clopyralid, ensuring a very As well as an excellent weed killer for silage, hay and grazing swards, wide spectrum of weed control.

Envy is also the perfect solution for weeds in new reseeds. As it works It is also highly effective on a range of other weeds including daisies, very well in cool conditions, it can be applied up to 30 November, dandelions and plantain. It can be used on grazing pasture, silage and making it an ideal product for autumn-sown reseeds. hay swards

Mouse-Eared Chickweed In New Swards

T

here is evidence that mouseeared chickweed is a significant problem in new swards that were sown last autumn. Mouse eared chickweed differs from common chickweed as it contain many tiny little hairs on the leaves. These hairs can prevent the tiny spray droplets reaching the plant leaf cuticle.

Products that contain the active ingredient fluroxypyr do not perform well on mouse-eared chickweed. In contrast, both Envy and PastorTrio, which contain the two active ingredients fluroxypyr and florasulam, are particularly effective on mouse-eared chickweed.

Mouse-eared chickweed is a problem in new swards sown last autumn.

Both PastorTrio and Envy provide highly effective control.

Guide to Herbicide Choice •

Where docks are the major problem, use DoxstarPro. It is also highly effective on dandelions and chickweed.

Forefront T is the perfect all-purpose herbicide for grazing pastures.

The recently-launched herbicide PastorTrio is effective on a wide range of weeds in silage/hay and grazing swards and new reseeds, including chickweed, docks, dandelions, thistles, daisies and plantain.

Envy, another recently-launched herbicide, is effective on the same range of weeds as PastorTrio, except thistles.

Because Envy works well in cool conditions, it can be applied

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• • • •

until 30 November, making it ideal for autumn-sown reseeds.

Both PastorTrio and Envy are highly effective on mouse-eared chickweed, a problem in autumn-sown reseeds.

Where thistles is the main target, Thistlex should be the herbicide of choice, GrazonPro is the ideal spot treatment for weeds around fences and field boundaries and where weed infestations in fields and paddocks are 5% or less.

Animals should be kept off pasture for seven days after applying any of these herbicides. When spraying ragwort with Forefront T, keep animals off pasture until the ragwort has fully disappeared.

Farm Profile

The O’Keeffe Family Radney Herd A Brief History of excellence in herd development by Donal Carey again. The quality of the herd, in terms of output, performance and conformation standards, is back-boned by influential cow families.

Numerous prizes and awards have been attained. Last year the herd was presented with the distinguished RDS Champion of Champions Award in recognition to the national success of the Odetta family. The herd won first place Spring Calving Section in the Cork Club Herds Competition 2017 and 2018. Performance and recognition for the herd was embellished further in achieving second place in the IHFA National Herds Competition Spring Calving Section and also was Joint-Highest EBI Herd 2018.

Radney MWL Odetta 3 VG89

T

he O’Keeffe family’s Radney Holstein Friesian herd will host the IHFA National Holstein Friesian Open Day 2019. This impressive herd, established in 1987, is characterised by a strong focus on soil management, fertility, top performing grazing strategies and influential cow families which help drive impressive annual output and performance.

Located near the village of Freemount, which is nestled close to the North Cork market towns of Charleville and Kanturk, the Radney herd is copper fastening a formidable reputation for breeding prowess.

Recognition in the market place for Radney breeding stock is such that numerous top prices have been achieved at prominent sales again and

The Beginning and Evolution of the Radney Herd “My father had built up a good herd which, unfortunately, was undone following depopulation. In hindsight it proved to be a major turning point as we decided to establish a pedigree registered herd upon restocking.

“I was fortunate to purchase select cow families from the Ardrahan Herd of the Burns family, Kanturk. In particular the Odetta, Gerard, Ostrich and Deborah families have been a tremendous success. These families have delivered generation after generation for milk solids, protein % and functionality. This has opened up a market outlet for the sale of breeding bulls. Five Radney bred bulls have been purchased for AI. At the IHFA Premier Bull Sale 2017 three Radney bulls sold for a combined total of €8,250 while an individual sale price of €5,500 was also previously achieved. In the 2018 sale a Radney bull achieved a price of €5,200.

It’s all about managing the best performance from the herd of cows with regard to the value of milk sales, sale of surplus stock, herd seasonal pattern and maximising the utilisation of grazed grass.”

Herd breeding policy is to select for good functional conformation, total milk solids, protein % and also milk volume. Fertility is a very important consideration. Classification is a helpful tool to identify functionality and using the information to its best effect. Cows that are long lasting means there is surplus breeding stock available for sale.

Radney Seal Odetta EX90 3E was the foundation dam in the

Charles Gallagher CE IHFA, with Henry and Liam O’Keeffe and Radney Figo ET, the top priced bull at the 44th IHFA Premier Bull Show and Sale 2019. He is a son of Radney QUR Odetta 93 8E, also known as ‘The Queen” 36

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Farm Profile herd. She produced 16 progeny and was the first cow to achieve 4% protein. Her daughter Radney Merci Odetta 4 EX93 8E has a lifetime production of 3,874kgs fat, 3,504kgs protein and 3.56% protein. She calved regularly every year, completing 15 lactations in total.

Radney QUR Odetta EX93 8E is a grand-daughter of the Rock Seal cow is affectionately known as The Queen. More than most she has propelled the family into the limelight. She is currently in her 10th lactation and has bred 11 daughters so far. Her success and fruitful influence was enhanced via success with flushing and embryo transfer.

Both her son Radney Levi 5 (YRY) and grandson Radney Steve ET (FR4098) have been selected to enter AI. Radney MWL Odetta 3 VG89 is the dam of Radney Steve and she is full sister to Radney Levi 5. In her second lactation she recorded 9,775kgs milk, 4.20% fat, 3.66% protein and 769kgs milk solids (305 d).

Radney MIW Odetta 2 EX92 6E in her 6th lactation recorded 10,328kgs milk, 784kgs milk solids and 3.63% protein (303 days). Of note, she calved in as a heifer on January 26 and calved again in the month of January every successive year with her 9th calving this year occurring in February.

Radney DUT Odetta EX91 6E with a 3rd lactation yield of 10,490kgs milk, 885kgs solids, 3.80% protein.

Radney DUT Odetta 6 VG87 with a 4th lactation yield of 10,380kgs milk, 619 kgs solids, 4.19% protein.

Radney RXO Odetta EX90 with a 2nd lactation yield of 9,549kgs

milk, 722kgs solids, 3.72% protein.

The Deborah family also excels for production, conformation and longevity with 16 natural-born members of the family currently in the herd. Radney OOK Deborah EX90 3E in her 4th lactation recorded 8,628kgs milk, 4.36% fat, 4.14% protein, 734kgs milk solids. Radney BYJ Deborah EX90 2E in her third lactation gave 8,755kg at 4.59% fat and 4.15% protein. She has two full sisters from Radney Mill in the herd, while her daughter Radney YRY Deborah EX90 achieved 9,055kg, 4.37% fat, 4.03% protein in her second lactation and Radney YRY Dehorah 1425 recorded 777kg solids, 4.72% fat and 3.80% protein in her first lactation.

The Gerrard family is also firmly established, exemplified by Radney QUR Gerrard 2 EX92 6E now in her 7th lactation. In her 4th lactation she produced 9,515kgs milk, 4.47% fat, 3.95% protein 801kgs milk solids.

Radney BWV Triempress EX90 3E is a recent recipient of Diamond Award status. Her total lifetime production to date is 86,302kgs milk, 3,358kgs fat, 3,252kgs protein, 3.89% fat, 3.77% protein. Fertility performance is excellent, having calved ten times since 2010, calving twice in 2017. Calved since the start of February she is now in her 10th lactation. She has three daughters in the herd who are all performing very well, with high consistant yields and volumes of milk solids; Radney YRY Triempress VG87 in 2 lactations has averaged 7,529kgs milk, 3.76% protein

Radney MWL Odetta 3 (a full sister to YRY) with Henry and Liam O’Keeffe

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Farm Profile Radney NFT Triempress VG87 in her 3rd lactation recorded 7,770kgs milk, 4.22% fat, 4.23% protein, 656kgs milk solids.

Radney LLK Triempress recorded 7,971kgs milk, 4.42% fat, 3.73% protein, 649kgs milk solids in her 2nd lactation.

IHFA National Holstein Friesian Open Day 2019 hosted by the Radney Herd - Thursday June 27th This is a unique occasion to view the tremendous breeding and efficient performance of the Radney Herd.

Key cow families will be represented in the teams of cows for the Inter-Club, Macra and Open Stock Judging.

A choice offering from the herd’s top breeding lines will be offered for sale in a unique Radney celebratory sale of young stock.

Eircode - P56 FC61. All welcome!

Fact File • • • • • • •

• • • • • • Radney QUR Odetta 93 8E, affectionately known as ‘The Queen’

Established in 1987.

Managed by Henry and Marie O’Keeffe and their youngest son, Liam.

Milking herd of 90 pedigree registered cows in 2018 with close to 95% spring calving.

Milk recorded average - 8,874kgs milk, 4.12% fat, 3.74% protein, 697kgs milk solids. SCC 65.

73% of the herd is classified to VG/EX Conformation standard with IHFA, the top two categories of conformation scoring, capturing functionality.

Cow families include Odetta, Ostrich, Gerrard, Deborah, Triempress and Bella.

“We breed for functional cows with good production and longevity, cows with strong udders and feet & legs, that develop into excellent cows and provide a calf every year.

Good fertility is very important” comments Henry.

Mature cows of fourth lactation or older make up 43% of the herd, an example of good longevity, fertility and durability.

Seven Radney cows have been awarded Gold or Diamond award for achieving 3,000kgs lifetime protein production.

Numerous Radney bred bulls have been purchased for AI in recent years. In total about 25 breeding bulls are sold every year, commanding top prices at the prominent auctions.

Farming a total of 200 acres with a milking block of 105 acres.

Strategic use of zero-grazing helps boost efficient performance of grass in the diet and utilisation of available acres.

With Liam now farming full time at home, having graduated from C.I.T. with a Level 7 qualification in Agricultural Science, there are plans to build on the many herd achievements and performance benchmarks.

The Radney Herd welcome all to the IHFA National Open Day on Thursday 27th of June. Pictured are Liam, Henry and Marie O’Keeffe.

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Commercial Feature

Claas Mowers, Tedders And Rakes In Perfect Combination Whether you are harvesting silage or baling hay or haylage, the CLAAS range of DISCO, VOLTO and LINER Green Harvest machinery is designed to ensure optimum output and reliability, even in the toughest of conditions, with a wide range of working widths to meet all requirements.

Claas Volto Tedders

Wide Ranging Claas Disc Mower Range

CLAAS offers one of the widest ranges of front, mounted, triple and trailed disc mowers on the market, with 30 DISCO models ranging from the simplest 2.6m spool controlled mounted mower up to advanced, ISOBUS compatible, high capacity triples with cutting widths as wide as 10.3m.

Virtually all the DISCO range use the CLAAS MAX CUT mower bed manufactured in-house by CLAAS. A unique feature of the MAX CUT mower bed is that the mower bed is made from two pieces of bolted pressed steel plate, giving a higher torsional strength with less risk of cracking caused by welding heat stresses.

MAX CUT features a waved shape leading edge. Compared to a straight leading-edged bed, the cutting discs can be mounted close to the front of the bed. In combination with the new, specially formed discs, this means there is a greater overlap between the blades, creating an enlarged cutting area for optimum cutting quality and flow through the mower. To achieve a clean cut and avoid soil contamination, extrawide skids are fitted to the underside of the mower bed, which guide dirt and foreign material backwards. Additional wear skids and high cut skids are available as an option.

The satellite drive train of the MAX CUT is permanently lubricated and maintenance free, and designed so that in lighter crops it can be run at 850 rpm instead of 1000 rpm, which will help reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%. To fully protect the drive train, each mowing disc is mounted using a CLAAS SAFETY LINK module, which incorporates a pre-determined breaking point that will shear in the event of a collision, and is easy to replace.

CONTOUR models also incorporate the hydro-pneumatic ACTIVE FLOAT suspension, which enables the ground pressure on the mower unit to be changed from the driver’s seat when mowing and adjusted to the conditions in the field.

“CLAAS offers one of the widest range of single, twin and four rotor rakes on the market”

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Achieving an even spread of material when tedding is critical in order to avoid lumps and achieve improved crop drying. To help achieve this, CLAAS developed the award winning MAX SPREAD crop flow concept, available on all CLAAS VOLTO tedders, from the smallest 5.5m VOLTO 55 up the widest 13m VOLTO 1300T. Instead of straight spreading arms, with MAX SPREAD the spreader arms are angled by 29 degrees to improve crop flow through the tedder.

As a result the spreading arms work for 65% longer and the increase in pick-up rate results in higher working speeds.

This reduces the load on the driveline, lessens the bending forces on the tines and is more gentle on the crop. Crop flow through the tedding rotors is also straighter, so larger volumes of crop can pass through, helping increase throughput but also provides a wider and more even spread pattern.

The standard specification includes a hydraulic headland crop guard and all VOLTO tedders feature the patented CLAAS CKL suspension system.

Clean Sweeping Liner Rakes

CLAAS offers one of the widest range of single, twin and four rotor rakes on the market, with a total of 11 models ranging in width from a maximum of 15m down to 3.2m. A feature on virtually all models is the CLAAS PROFIX grooved tine fixing system which holds the arm firmly in place, but allows it to be quickly and easily removed if necessary. These models also use a heavy-duty swathing bell with sealed drives.

On all CLAAS rakes, each of the rotor arms runs within a fully sealed, solid cast and oil-filled cam track that is maintenance free. The rotors are fitted with a Cardan suspension system that ensures that the tines stay parallel to the ground for clean swathing.

Wider LINER models are also designed so that as it is folded, the rotors automatically retract downwards, to both lower the centre of gravity and keep transport height below 4.0m without needing to remove any tines.

For further information visit www.claas.co.uk

Spread the cost of your Green Harvest Spread the payments on new Green Harvest machinery this year.

CALL your local DEALER now to find out how, or for a demonstration.

DOUGLAS

NOLAN

Enfield Tel: 046 9541402

Tralee Tel: 066 712 1237

QUIGLEY

BREENS

Ballinasloe Tel: 0909 68 85 88

Ennis Tel: 065 684 1000 Cashel Tel: 062 61 356

Or call CLAAS on 041 981 4410. claas.ie

Borris Tel: 059 977 3207 Laois Tel: 057 875 7110

Carrigtwohill Tel: 021 4631229 Lisavaird Tel: 023 8850033

Duleek Tel: 041 981 4404

Pasture Performance

Perfecting Pasture Performance There are four key factors requiring consideration in order to optimize the performance of your pastures this season writes Tadhg Eivers ( Technical Sales Advisor with Drummonds).

The four key factors are: 1. Soil Fertility 2. Grazing Infrastructure 3. Grazing Management 4. Reseeding Programme

Soil Fertility

Is the chief element which MUST be got right on your farm in order to boost grass production. A current soil test needs to be available & it needs to be consulted regularly. Unfortunately, far too often a soil test may be completed & the results are then forgotten. The central tenet is ‘that you put back into the soil what is removed in grazing or in taking a cut of silage/hay.’ The P & K offtake from grazing paddocks is small in comparison to a cut of silage, so usually watery slurry is sufficient to keep grazing paddocks motoring. Ideally target cattle or pig slurry at your silage ground. A good cut of silage removes the nutritive equivalent of 3,500 gallons of cattle slurry per acre.

Grazing Infrastructure

Plays an enormous role in ensuring grass utilisation is optimised. A good roadway network and paddock system, appropriate to the size of the herd, is the backbone of achieving a long grazing season, and also in minimising pasture damage during wet conditions. Even on well established dairy farms, there can still be areas of the farm which have poor access for animals and heavy machinery. These areas may not be required during the main grazing season but their easy availability is what extends grazing into the shoulders and provides flexibility on silage ground choice.

Grazing Management

Plays a vital role in ensuring grass utilization is optimized. When this is mentioned ‘grass measuring’ quickly comes to many readers’ minds and can immediately switch some people off. Yes, grass measurement is a valuable skill which a farmer can learn - but it is far from the whole concept.

The grazing season is split into 3 segments and each one has its own tool: In the Autumn we build grass covers to carry us through to housing, while also allowing for a percentage of the farm to be closed for the spring.

The next segment, Spring, focuses on stretching out what grass you have, from turnout until April (when growth generally starts to meet demand).

Thirdly, Summer or Mid-Season grazing uses the 6 grazings in 4 months strategy (April 10th – August 10th) or a grazing every 20 days during this timeframe. When the rotation extends beyond 20 days, and/or covers go above 1,400 kilos per hectare, ground needs to be taken out for silage.

Even for those farmers who do not yet physically grass measure, you still have just as much to gain from walking your farm once or ideally twice weekly, and noting what grass is ahead of you. Knowing what

a 1,400 kilo grass cover looks like, is also very useful and this can be learned from attending grass walks.

Reseeding Programme

Should be considered the final step in tweaking pasture performance as everything else must be in place, and working, to ensure you get the most from a new sward. Correcting soil fertility and spraying weeds can rejuvenate what was once considered a poorly performing field. A reseeding programme is what gives that ‘final push’ towards achieving above average grass growth; improved grass utilization; and enhanced animal performance.

Choosing a Proven Grass Seed Mixture

Reseeding is an expensive operation, but when all steps are followed correctly, it delivers a payback in under two years.

One of the steps which all too often is not followed, or is forgotten about, is weed control in a new reseed. Missing out on this all important step can be one of the main reasons why a farmer ends up not been happy with the performance of his/her newly reseeded paddock down the road.

Seek professional advice from your local advisor to help you identify your problem weeds; confirm that these weeds are at the correct stage to be controlled; select the right chemical and ensure that you spray at the correct rate. It pays to fully complete the job – do not fall at the final furlong !

Select a mixture containing only proven grass and clover varieties which have come through the rigorous tests conducted by the Department and which have made the current Recommended List. In addition, Teagasc’s Pasture Profit Index (PPI) ranks ryegrass varieties based on their potential to influence farm profitability. Drummonds agronomists have judiciously used both of these tools in formulating the trusted Green Acres Mixtures.

A grassland farmer should be able to select a mixture from the Green Acres range which best suits his/her enterprise.

Customers regularly come back to us looking to buy the exact same mixture they sowed maybe 10 years A recent reseed showing a bad earlier. Over time grass varieties weed infestation, highlighting become outclassed and we aim to the need for a post-emergence give them an improved version of this herbicide.

Mixture, including the latest, proven varieties.

Our leading mixtures are: Sweet Bite – our specialist grazing mixture.

Gold Bite – our premium cut & graze mixture.

Mega Bite – our intensive silage mixture.

Heavy Ground – our specialist mixture for difficult soils.

Super Grow – our general purpose/permanent pasture mixture Restorator – our specialist mixture for sward rejuvenation/ overseeding.

Prescription mixtures (‘specials’), where required, can be made to order.

For further information contact Grace at Drummonds Drogheda 041-9838986 or phone Tadhg (086-1855868) or Michael (0862582003) directly.

Cows grazing a Sweetbite sward of grass in early February this year.

Grazing low covers at the start of turnout helps to avoid wastage.

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Tadhg Eivers Technical Sales Advisor

Forestry Careers

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Approved Seeds

Grass and White Clover

Recommended List Varieties 2019

P

erennial Ryegrass (PRG), Italian Ryegrass and White Clover account for nearly all of the agricultural grass/clover seed sold in Ireland. Of these, Perennial Ryegrass is by far the most important. Other species of grass and clover are not commonly used.

Crop Policy, Evaluation and Certification Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are responsible for evaluating new varieties of grass and clover in Ireland.

To market an agricultural crop variety in the EU, it must be registered in the National Catalogue of at least one EU Member State and the seed must be certified. These catalogues must be drawn up in accordance with uniform rules so that the varieties accepted will be distinct, stable and sufficiently uniform (DUS) and that they will be of satisfactory value for cultivation and use (VCU).

Each year DAFM test over 100 varieties of grass and clover for

VCU in replicated trials at five locations throughout the country.

All new candidate varieties are tested against existing commercial Recommended List varieties over a minimum of two sowing years, with each sowing harvested for two years, giving a total of four harvest years. Trials are grown on good quality soils in a manner conducive to selection of varieties most suited to good commercial farming practices.

Crop Policy, Evaluation and Certification Division of DAFM published the Grass and White Clover Recommended List of Varieties for 2019 in February this year. There are seven new varieties of Perennial Ryegrass on this year’s Recommended List.

The List is now available for free download from the ‘Publications’ section on the Department’s website: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/ publications/2019/

New varieties of Perennial Ryegrass on the 2019 Recommended List

General Purpose and Simulated Grazing Data

Perennial ryegrass (Intermediate and Late heading groups) trials are sown in May/June and establish during the remainder of that year.

The trials are then assessed over the following two-year period under two different systems; a 6 cut system and an 8 to 10 cut system, using a trial-plot harvesting machine. Individual trials remain on one system for the two-year period. The 6 cut system is also referred to as the General Purpose/2-Cut Silage system and involves one spring grazing cut, followed by two silage cuts and then three grazing cuts. Results from the 2003 to 2016 sowings of this trial are presented in the Main Tables of the 2019 Recommended List.

The 8 – 10 cut system is referred to as the Simulated Grazing (frequent cutting) system and involves that number of cuts taken at periods corresponding to normal commercial rotational grazing practice. This system was introduced by DAFM in its 2010 sowings. Its purpose is to provide variety performance data suitable for situations where grass is grazed throughout the growing season. Results from the 2010 to 2016 sowings of this trial are presented in the Main Tables of the Recommended List.

Intermediate and Late Perennial Ryegrass varieties have been evaluated using the Teagasc Pasture Profit Index (PPI) model. The PPI model assigns monetary values to the following traits: DM yield

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Approved Seeds (broken down to spring, summer and autumn), silage yields, quality and persistency. Please note that due consideration should be given to these traits when choosing a variety. There are two sets of tables for Perennial Ryegrass on the Recommended List. The first table lists the varieties from highest overall PPI to lowest PPI. The second table lists the varieties by maturity (heading date) and ploidy (Intermediate or Late).

White Clover Varieties

There are now 10 varieties of White Clover on the Recommended List, including; 2 Large-Leafed, 5 Medium-Leafed and 3 Small Leafed.

White clover varieties are sown in a mixture with a companion perennial ryegrass variety in May/June, and following an establishment year are assessed over the subsequent two years under a 6-7 cut system.

White clovers on the Recommended List were tested under a low fertiliser nitrogen input regime, where the total yearly application was

50kg Nitrogen per hectare (50kg N/ha) applied in the spring.

Farmers should give preference to recommended varieties unless there is strong evidence that some other variety is more suited to their conditions.

Using Recommended List varieties to reseed old and degraded pasture, in conjunction with appropriate soil pH and fertility will: • Increase grass dry matter output per hectare, • Improve response to fertiliser, especially Nitrogen, • Extend the grazing season in spring and autumn, • Improve animal performance, and • Increase profits.

DAFM 2019 Recommended Intermediate, Late and White Clover varieties are presented in the following tables. For a complete list of Recommended List varieties please refer to the Department’s website: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/publications/2019/

Recommended Intermediate & Late Perennial Ryegrass Varieties 2019

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Approved Seeds

Recommended Intermediate & Late Perennial Ryegrass Varieties 2019 (by maturity and ploidy)

Recommended White Clover Varieties 2019

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Breathe new life into old pasture.

Forefront® T is a high performance herbicide.

It is the most effective, broad spectrum weed control solution for grassland.

Use it on permanent pastures or grazing leys to control long established or high populations of weeds.

It is your cost effective alternative to a full re-seed, quickly increasing the amount of available grass.

Let your grass breathe again. Talk to your advisor or find out more at corteva.ie/grassland

Docks

Nettles

Thistles

Buttercups

Dandelions

Ragwort

Discover more at corteva.ie

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USE PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS SAFELY. Always read the label and product information before use. For further information including warning phrases and symbols refer to label. Triple rinse containers and invert to dry at time of use.

Authorisation Holder: Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, CPC2 Capital Park, Fulbourn, Cambridge CB21 5XE. Tel: 01462 457272. Marketing Company: Whelehan Crop Protection, Suite 11/12 Bunkilla Plaza, Bracetown Business Park, Clonee, Dublin 15, Co Dublin Ireland. Tel: 01 4688900 Email: cropprotection@tpwhelehan.ie ®, ™ Trademarks of DuPont, Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer and affiliated companies or their respective47 owners.

Farm Businessand triclopyr. aminopyralid Forefront® T contains IRISH

Huesker

Huesker:

A Trusted brand since 1861

Working with ventilation in Agriculture for more than 30 Years for any farm building old or new

H

UESKER was founded in 1861 and for the past 30 years has been creating products for the agriculture market. Known predominantly for the manufacture of technical textiles the decision to start using some of its own technology in ventilation systems and doors for farm buildings has led it expanding the range year on year. From side ventilation curtains to doors, fans and tubes, HUESKER has the product range to assist with ventilation in any farm building, old or new.

The Light and Air segment of HUESKER‘s portfolio features products designed to optimise the indoor environment of livestock houses. This includes the intelligent Lubratec® wind protection and side ventilation curtains and a range of doors and fronts to suit many agricultural applications. Our range also includes Skytex® light ridge for efficient daylighting, Vetsmarttubes® Smart Ventilation Tubes for venting and cooling as well as the Ventitec® high-volume fans for air distribution and cooling.

Intelligent constructions that guarantee adequately sized ventilation openings, efficient air extraction systems and systematic air distribution are now fundamental to professional dairy farming operations. Yet, these criteria are not always considered in basic design requirements. Factors such as dust, ammonia, heat stress, darkness, lack of oxygen and humidity affect the well-being of livestock. Undue exposure will severely diminish the vitality of cows and their resistance to diseases. To maximise performance, the animals need plenty of light, fresh air and rest. Daylight, cooling, a plentiful supply of oxygen and the constant extraction of humidity make a positive contribution by enhancing the vitality, resistance to diseases and productivity of livestock. An ideal indoor environment can only be created through

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the expert co-ordination of all components. As a full-service provider of natural ventilation systems, HUESKER can vouch for optimum indoor conditions in housings for dairy cow, pig and poultry.

Ingenious climate control solutions for livestock houses The HUESKER side ventilation curtains mainly feature “top opening” and “bottom opening” roll-up systems. Variants with a central roller are also available for larger opening heights. The greatest flexibility in terms of opening position is offered by the “top and bottom opening - central roller” model, for which a shading setting is also available on request. All systems can be either manual, electric or fitted with a climate control and sensors to give you piece of mind when it is fully controlled by the weather conditions set to optimise the temperature and air quality in the barn.

Housing your precious livestock in stress-free conditions is essential for maximising milk yield. Heat is the prime stress factor for cows: their metabolism is such that, depending on yield, they give off between 20 and 60 MJ of thermal energy per day. To prevent longterm exposure to heat stress in summer, fans must be kept running permanently for several months. Ventitec® wide-area fans ensuring continuous air circulation offer the most energy-efficient solution.

Respiratory tract diseases are often the result of poor environmental conditions in livestock buildings and remain a common cause of pulmonary illness. Active ventilation is a crucial preventive measure.

The cutting-edge Vetsmarttubes® ventilation system improves both the health and productivity of farm animals. As studies show, installation of the ventilation tubes brings about significant cuts in treatment costs. The support of Vetsmarttubes experts, in conjunction with

Huesker on-site veterinary advice and the relevant expertise in physics, enables HUESKER to custom-design ventilation tubes for barns.

Working in conjunction with experienced vets and farmers, HUESKER has developed the healthy calf barn – a concept for an optimised climate in calf barns. A healthy combination of natural and active ventilation, continuous air extraction and ample daylight characterise the barn. The micro-climate is defined by an optimised calf cubicle. A simplified building structure lowers the construction expenses.

Doors and Fronts Though extremely light, fabric doors make no compromises in terms of stability. Through the appropriate choice of fabric, these doors can also provide a ventilating function. The doors open from the bottom upwards and are available in various models: with manual drive/ electric drive, with/without lateral guide rails, with/without horizontal stiffening sections. Our smaller doors go up to 6m x 6m

Once you go above the 6m threshold we then move into fronts and large doors. Here we can close off the side of a building up to 50m long and make a large door to cover 20m x 10m. Apart from providing wind protection, these systems serve to seal off vehicle entrances that are larger than standard doors. In the closed position, they are tensioned by ratchets to create an effective barrier against wind and weather. In terms of opening action, a distinction is drawn between rolling and folding, and between upward and side-opening systems.

The use of robust, durable materials - e.g. polyester (PES) and polyethylene (PE) - ensures that all HUESKER door models offer extra-high weather and UV resistance. A choice of different widths, heights and drive options is available as standard. In some cases, customers can also select from a range of colours. If required, bespoke solutions can be developed, manufactured and customised directly at the factory.

To discuss any requirements you may have or to get any more information then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Huesker Ltd 3 Quay Business Centre, Harvard Court, Calver Road Warrington WA2 8LT

Tel: 01925 629393 Email: info@huesker.co.uk

Northern Farm Supplies

54B Roguery Road, Toombridge, County Antrim BT41 3TJ

Tel: 07927 905150 Email: nfsuppliesni@gmail.com

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Cattle Equipment

Making The Most Of Parlour Exit Equipment Cattle handling is a hot topic due to increases in cattle numbers and labour costs, two alternatives are outlined by Paul Lyons

Figure 1 – Herring bone crush

Figure 2 – Cows in crush

wo of the biggest pressures for dairy farmers are the lack of time and labour. For this reason, managing cows when they exit a parlour after milking is a hot topic. Cow numbers have been increased in recent years and with this comes ever more demanding daily routines to keep on top of A.I, hoof care, drying off and pregnancy scanning. In this article I will discuss two pieces of equipment that can transform and simplify the task of sorting and working with cows as they exit the parlour. The first is a herringbone crush, also known as a ‘batch A.I’ crush or ‘side by side’ crush. The second is an automatic drafter which can sort cows on parlour exit in to separate areas for treatment or inspection. I also had a chance to visit Galway dairy farmer, Padraic Cummins who has both items in operation and I will describe life before and after the recent installation of his new drafting unit.

The Regulations These types of crushes have been around in some form for a number of years, later in this article I will talk to one Galway farmer who made his own over 20 years ago. It important however if you are planning a new herringbone Crush to ensure the design allows safe operation. It also needs to comply with Department of Agriculture specifications if grant aid is being sought. The relevant specification is S123, Cattle crush and Enclosure, dated May 2018. There are two main criteria on the Department specification: 1. There must be a breast rail and neck rail (i.e. both above and below the cow’s head). The gap between the rails must clear with no vertical elements. Usually this is achieved with an overhead bracket as in Figure 2.

2. The rump rail has to consist of 4 rails with the top most one being hinged so it can be dropped while the A.I procedure is taking place.

T

Herringbone Crush This is a type of crush or race where instead the cows being traditionally arranged head to tail, the gate at the end of the crush is angled similarly to those in the milking parlour. As the cows file into the crush they naturally line up parallel to the gate with their head’s out over a neck rail and tails up against a rump rail. Figure 2 shows such a set up from the rump rail view, the cows are nicely aligned allowing A.I or scanning to be done efficiently and easily. There is usually generous room between the lowest rail and the ground to allow hoof inspection to be easily carried out.

Crushes of this type are often built so that they are part of the exit path of the cows from the parlour, in this way the cows are used to walking along the race and by closing a gate when needed, the cows with naturally line up. If the crush is to be used in this manner, it is important to match the capacity of the crush with the capacity of the parlour.

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The specification also has all the various sizes of tubing and heights required.

Automatic drafting unit One of the big issues on a day to day basis is sorting cows for a variety of health issues. There may be a few cows that need treating for lameness, cows that need repeat AI or just general isolation for one health reason or another. An automatic drafting provides a solution to this problem. There are number of units on the market but essentially they have pneumatically operated gates that divert cows on instruction.

Once the cow has been diverted, the gates realign to allow the main flow of cows to continue. The unit is triggered either remotely by the parlour operator, by reading a collar worn by the cow or most recently by reading the cow’s Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The drafting units are available in either a 2 way or 3 way design allowing

Cattle Equipment

Figure 3 – Saber drafting system

cows to be diverted into another lane or pen from the main exit laneway (2 way) or diverted both left and right off the main laneway (3 way). In Ireland there are a number of companies manufacturing the drafting units including: • Saber Draft – Lic Automation • O’Donnell Engineering – ODE drafter • Alfo – Alfo standalone drafting system • Dairymaster.

• GDR Ltd. Each system has it’s own merits but some of the important aspects are how the unit is controlled, how a second cow is stopped from ‘bolting’ through an open gate and whether the unit is standalone or integrated with other systems in your parlour set up.

The farmers perspective Padraic Cummins in Galway has been using a herringbone crush for over 20 years (see Figure 5) and has recently installed a Saber, 3-way drafting unit, (see Figure 6). Padraic is a resourceful individual and as well as building his own crush, he is always considering ways of improving the setup. In the last year he extended his crush and when pregnancy scanning last Autumn, Padraic found a massive improvement. He claims the scanning only added a few minutes on to his whole milking. He has also come with a bar that can be temporarily shorten the race when he wants to work on only a few cows. Padraic’s

Figure 4 – electronic ear tags

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Cattle Equipment

Figure 5 – Herringbone crush

Figure 6 – Drafting system

Figure 7 – Remote

crush does not have a neck rail above the cow’s heads but he finds no problem working without one. He does not do any TB testing in the herringbone crush and uses a standard crush race for this procedure.

In terms of the drafting unit, Padraic was quick to point out the positive changes it has meant for him. In the past, isolation of a cow meant jumping out of the pit in the parlour to physically divert a cow. This made the whole process dangerous and stressful so prior to installing the Saber unit, Padraic had devised his own system consisting of spring loaded gates with ropes and pulleys. With the aid of a mirror, Padraic was able to divert cows by operating the gates via the ropes. While this was an improvement on personally diverting a cow, it was not totally reliable or effective. With the drafting unit there is a remote control located in the parlour (Figure 7). When the cows leave the parlour, the drafting unit is completely closed off. The milking operator can let all the cows out into the yard before opening the drafting unit remotely. He can then sort through the cows as needed. The unit can also be triggered by scanning the cow’s RFID tag, batches of cows can be preselected for drafting as they exit the parlour.

This is particularly useful when a list of lame cows is identified, once

milking is finished they are waiting in a separate pen for treatment or to be run though a foot bath. The list of cows is inputted to the system via a smartphone app.

Padraic has yet to utilize the RFID system completely as some of his older cows have only standard tags. One tip he had was to ensure when tagging calves, the correct ear is tagged so that the aerials on the drafting unit will pick up the tag’s signal. In terms of cost, the system was approximately €14,000 supplied and fitted. While a major investment, Padraic says that the savings in labour, improvement to efficiency and reduction in stress are well worth the cost of the system, the unit will pay for itself in a few years.

I hope this article has been helpful or as given some food for thought for those looking into improving or revising their ‘parlour exit strategy’.

Paul Lyons is a Design Engineer with Bo Steel who specialise in cattle, sheep and equine solutions. Paul.lyons@built2last.ie

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Product News

Biocel Ltd Leads The Charge In The Reduction Of Chlorine / Chlorate Residues

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iocel Ltd the leading Irish supplier of Hygiene & Teat Care products for over 50 years, are continuing to lead the charge in the reduction of chlorine associated residues with a range of new and improved Chlorine free products. These new products, in combination with existing proven products, offer the industry an option to clean dairy equipment Chlorine free.

The production of residue free dairy products is key to growing international markets with Biocel Ltd working very closely with the industry both at farm and processing level since the challenge of TCMs & more recently Chlorates arose in the industry enabling the company to have a deep understanding of the challenge from “farm to fork”.

Circodine P & Multisan / Aquasan the Biocel Ltd trusted & proven chlorinated products are now available in chlorine free formulations under the brand names Circodine CF & Multisan CF. These new products, in conjunction with the Biocel unique Peracetic Acid products Serpent /Hydrox 5 combined with the new formulation BLAST offer a totally Chlorine free system for the cleaning and disinfection of milking plant & bulk tanks.

The products & cleaning programs have been tested and proven in a combination of Moorepark and farm trials ensuring they deliver quality results comparable to systems using chlorine based cleaners, while also eliminating and reducing TCM & Chlorates residues. The Biocel Chlorine free system also offers added saving in both water heating and usage costs.

The key to maintaining quality results when using a Chlorine free wash routine are:

Available now from

Sustainable Farming Services Ltd 70 New St., Macroom, Co. Cork Call Denis Canty on 0872383900

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1.

2.

3.

Attain an adequate wash temperature in the hot wash with target dump temperature of 60degC. Follow a rigid program of using Serpent as a disinfectant/ scale preventative or descale weekly as part of the program.

If the wash struggles to reach an adequate temperature or the plant is difficult to clean due to a large number of units combined with the presence of milk meters, a hot wash with Circodine CF, Multisan CF, Blast, Serpent, Hydrox 5 should be carried out weekly as part of the routine or alternatively carry out a chlorinated wash with Circodine P, Multisan or Aquasan combined with an extra final rinse with Serpent added to remove any potential chlorine residues.

For more information on the Biocel Ltd, chlorine free products & wash programs visit www.biocel.ie or call 021 4353516 for a free consultation with our Dairy Hygiene Technical team.

Product News

Zetor Poised To Take

‘New More Progressive Path’ ...With New Factory Backing, Reinvigorated Dealer Network And Expanded Model Range

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zech tractor manufacturer, Zetor has announced completion of what it terms a ‘comprehensive market assessment and reorganisation’ and is poised to set the brand on what Nigel Wilson, their Sales Director for UK and Ireland, says will be ‘a new and more progressive path’.

Foreseeing what they believe will be a ‘high opportunity’ for Zetor in Ireland, the company is underpinning its plans on a realigned and reinvigorated 10-strong dealer network, with more appointments to come, and a vastly-expanded model range.

Spearheaded by a dealer network that includes some new to the brand and others loyal to it over decades, the intention over time will be to increase the existing complement up to 20 in number with vacancies remaining to be filled Dublin, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan and in Northern Ireland.

Those currently appointed to represent the brand are: • Donegal Farm Machinery (Letterkenny), • Jacob Farm Services (Enniscrone), • Kevin Brogan Tractors (Roscommon), • Brogan Tractor Sales (Tuam), • Western Tractors Ltd. (Ballinasloe), • Alan King Agri Sales Ltd. (Tipperary), • O’Flynn’s Garage (Ballyporeen), • Eardly Agri Services Ltd (Kilkenny), • West Waterford Agri Sales (Tallow) • Goff Agri & Plant Sales (Wexford).

Fina Avai nce lable

On the model front – spanning the 40hp to 170hp power band – main focus will fall on their popular 80hp MAJOR series, now being manufactured in an attractive and trendy bodywork which follows the new ZETOR design language prepared by legendary Italian design studio, Pininfarina. High on the list also will be the latest generation 76hp to 117hp PROXIMA, the 96hp to 147hp FORTERRA and the most powerful six-cylinder, 150hp or 171hp, top-of-the-range CRYSTAL. With more than 50,000 units sold since first introduced here over 50 years ago, Zetor has always been viewed as a long-life, reliable and easy-on-the-pocket workhorse with many models introduced in earlier years still in regular use on farms around the country – spare parts for which are available through the Zetor dealer network.

Now configured to be more competitive than before and offering what Zetor claims will be ‘greater value to customers’, dealers will have the additional support of a new finance partnership between Zetor and Finance Ireland through which customer purchases and dealer stocking arrangements can be funded.

With distribution now under the direct control of Zetor HQ in Brno, Czech Republic, future logistical arrangements regarding model supply, parts distribution and administration will be managed through the company’s UK base in Coventry.

Further information on Zetor Ireland visit www.zetor.ie

WHEN FARMING MEANS BUSINESS www.kverneland.ie

Kverneland Mowers - a cut above the rest Leonard Hovenden: 087 1475137 | John Mulhall: 087 2196905 John Doyle: 087 1013053 | Allan Hetherington: 0044 7826544630 Farm Business IRISH

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Product News

New Holland Launches New TH Series Telehandlers With

Extended Offering And New Transmission Extended offering to match the specific requirements of the different farming operations New transmission with electronic modulation delivers smooth shifting and shuttling New Holland Agriculture extends and upgrades its six to nine metre telehandler offering, which introduces the new naming and livery. The new naming consists of the TH letters, for Telescopic Handler, and the numbering based on the key machine specifications: this combination provides a quick and easy product identification, a hallmark of New Holland products. The bright yellow of the new livery fully integrates the telehandler range into New Holland’s Harvesting family, benefiting from its well-known expertise in the sector, while the new dark grey color of the lower part of the machine confers a sense of solidity and strength. The cab interior has been refreshed with a new look for the seat.

Extended offering to match the specific requirements of the different farming operations The TH Series has been extended to offer 6 models and 14 versions.

The entry level S version, available on the TH6.32 and TH7.32, delivers a powerful performance with its 133 hp engine and simple specifications for a small investment.

The Classic version, available on six, seven and nine metre models, is ideal for small livestock farmers and farmyard use. It features a limited-slip differential in the rear axle to increase the tractive effort in demanding conditions, variable displacement hydraulic pump and reversible cooling fan for high efficiency all-day-long.

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The Plus version, perfect for livestock and mixed farming operations, adds a host of comfort features, such as the air-suspension seat, telescopic steering column and HVAC system. A hydraulic quick coupler makes it very easy and fast to change attachments, and rear cab lights enhance safe operation after dark.

The Elite version is the best choice for large scale livestock farmers, contractors and biomass operations. It features a more powerful 146 hp engine and additional advanced features such as hydraulic pressure release, heated air-suspension seat with integrated controls, and rear cab and boom lights maximize productivity even when dark.

New transmission with electronic modulation delivers smooth shifting The TH Series features a brand new transmission with electronic modulation that ensures enhanced shifting and shuttling modulation.

The 4x3 version on S and Classic models improves third gear travel on slopes and second gear operation for silage work. The 6x3 version on the Plus and Elite models offers two forward/reverse shuttling modes, resulting in easier and more efficient operation and an automatic gear shifting mode for travelling. The Elite model also features an additional automatic gear shifting and shuttling mode, further enhancing performance in yard operations.

HSA

Look To The Future...

By Minding The Present The Future depends on what we do in the Present.

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open a book titled “Enquire Within upon Everything”, and find the answers to most queries perhaps more relevant to its publishing date in 1894. It proclaims sales of 1,188,000 copies and provides an interesting if not sobering insight into many areas of 19th century existence. From medicinal & surgical advice, to how to get married, how to make a will, pickling and poisoning (albeit not in that order).

Alas the summer of 2019 is upon us with blue skies and gentle breezes.

The first cut of silage has happened with slurry spreading on agendas Round bales of silage have to be made. In the past 10 years (20092018) 7 people have died when working with bales on Irish farms.

The removal of round bales or square bales from fields and their subsequent transportation must be planned, ensuring a safe system of work is used that considers; risks arising from the machinery to be used, the competence of machinery operators, the ground conditions including slopes, the presence of overhead lines, securing the load and the safety of the route to storage. Sadly the case studies below give an insight into how quickly a dangerous event can occur. Safe bale stacking to prevent bale falls is essential.

Case study 1: A 48 year old man was killed in a field when a bale dropped out of the baler wrapper and rolled over him Regarding child safety and bales: Children should not be allowed to play with or on top of bales. Remove ladders to prevent children gaining access. Children should not be allowed in the farmyard or fields where bales are being moved, handled or transported.

Case study 2: A 9 year old child fell from a moving trailer transporting bales on the public road and died in hospital some days later.

The Health & Safety authority have an excellent guide to Bale Safety on their website: https://www.hsa.ie/eng/Publications_and_Forms/ Publications/Information_Sheets/Working_with_Bales_Info_Sheet.pdf In summertime we often see older machines making the hay, drawing bales, topping. Older machines often equate to dodgy brakes, damaged lights, steps and mirrors. Don’t forget the Essential tractor safety checks.

61 people have died on Irish farms (2009-2018) from Tractors and Farm Vehicles. Fencing is often a summer job assigned to the youngsters. Some may note the presence of a quad (ATV) on the farm. Quad bike operators should be formally trained.

The following are the main causes of accidents involving quads on farms: • Lack of formal training and experience • Excessive speed • Poor quad maintenance, particularly tyres and steering • Poor physical mobility • Carrying a passenger 58

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• • •

or an unbalanced load Tipping on a bank, ditch, rut or bump A steep slope combined with other factors, for example ground or load conditions Towing excessive loads.

So enquire within and ask: • Who drives the vehicles on my farm?

• Who is trained to drive them?

• Do I manage traffic coming in, going out and driving around my farm?

• How fit and able is the person(s) driving?

• Can they react fast enough to mitigate risks?

• Who has access to farm machinery keys?

Now, are you happy with your answers?

Bulls are running with cows and may eventually become narky at this time of year. So be sensible and be cautious. Following concerns by Veterinary Ireland the welfare guidelines for dairy herds has been updated. It highlights the features of modern Irish dairying including larger herds, and challenges in acquiring skilled labour. Lack of investment in infrastructure and handling facilities are a serious concern to farmers. Dairy expansion must start with consideration of farmers ability to acquire competent, trained staff. Sadly, this is evidenced in last year’s fatalities with 5 people dying due to livestock injury.

HSA figures confirm that the growing age of the Irish farmer does impact on the level of farm accidents. In 2017, 66% of Irish farm fatalities were to people aged 60 or older, 2018 56% aged 60 or older and at time of writing in 2019, 56% aged 60 or over (year to date 9 farm fatalities). I believe Irish farmers want change and the HSA welcome the recently published Report from Macra na Feirme that 66% of respondents were interested in a system in farming which recognises participation in continuing education, training and upskilling.

As George Bernard Shaw said “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything”.

Stay Safe and enquire within.

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S E I L FREDUCE

D L E I Y MILK D A E R D AN SP A S E DISE 1

2

2

MONTHS FLY CONTROL

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fr

Control Flies NOW

2

*

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nt

2.5 Litre treats 83 cows

• Treat Dairy cows every 2 months* during summer and autumn • Nuisance flies spread diseases such as pink eye and mastitis2 • Butox Pour On protects against a wide range of flies that emerge throughout the summer* • Butox Pour On - Long acting fly control with up to 10 weeks* protection from a single treatment.

o n e tre at m

with Butox Pour On IE/BUT/0615/0001 June 2015

Butox Pour-On Suspension 0.75 % w/v contains 7.5 mg Deltamethrin per ml for topical use.

Withdrawal periods: Meat and offal: 18 days; milk: 12 hours.

Use Medicines Responsibly.

For further information, please consult the product SPC, your veterinary practitioner or MSD Animal Health, Red Oak North, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland. Tel: +353(0)1 2970220 E-Mail: vet-support.ie@merck.com Web: www.msd-animal-health.ie Legal Category: LM 1. Bruce, W. N., and G. C. Decker. 1958. The relationship of stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) abundance to milk production in dairy cattle.

J. Econ. Entomology. 51: 269 -274.

2. Stork, 1979. The epidemiological and economic importance of fly infestation of meat and milk producing animals in Europe. The Veterinary Record. 105: 341-343.

60 *Butox Pour-On gives 6 - 10 weeks fly control depending on the degree of infestation, Farm Business fly species and weather conditions.

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