Workload the real stressor on dairy farms as weather bites – Teagasc

The number of dairy farms out of silage stocks could grow to more than 10pc this week if the weather and ground conditions do not improve, according to Teagasc’s Joe Patton.

However, the Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer said the real issue on many farms is the workload and stress farmers are experiencing due to the weather, grazing issues and silage availability.

“March is a peak work month and things have got complicated,” Patton told the Fodder and Food Security meeting on Friday.

He advised farmers to try shorten the day or make the workload a bit simpler and more effective “because obviously people are in the trenches and the workload is as big a stressor I would say as silage availability”.

He told the meeting that 51pc of dairy farms are behind grazing targets, but are managing, however 40pc of dairy farms have little or no grazing done.

He said only a very small minority are getting cows to grass twice daily, while two thirds of dairy farmers say there is limited silage available for them to buy.

The majority of farms with the most significant issues are in Waterford and Kilkenny, he said, but less than 10pc of Teagasc farmer clients say they were out of silage last week.

Improve

Yet he warned this figure could grow in the next seven days if things don’t improve.

“There is a concern... that the prevailing narrative is there will be no grazing for a week or 10 days, as it takes a week or 10 days to dry up,” he said.

“But things could change quite quickly and if we do get some dry weather, the priority for a lot of farmers has to be, maybe after a couple of drier days, even on heavier ground it can make a difference, grass by day can be done.

“Grazing every day is help in terms of the milk composition.

“We are trying to ensure farmers don’t close the door on the shed for a week or 10 days — two days of dry weather can make a big difference.” He also said flexibility was important, so freshly-calved animals get the chance to recover metabolically.

There’s a lot of cows not heading towards peak, but a portion of the herd could be out at grass after a bit of dry weather.

“We are pushing people to get a bit more flexible,” he said. “Maybe the whole herd mightn’t get out, but certainly the cows that are longest calved, the majority could be out for a few hours grazing even after a couple of drier days.”