CAFRE dairy survey highlights the principle causes for culling cows

The School of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Enterprises (CAFRE) has not too long ago surveyed 120 dairy herds throughout Northern Eire to find out the principle purpose for culling cows inside these companies.

The collaborating farms, which included CAFRE’s personal dairy unit at Greenmount School, account for 15,800 milking animals.

The work has confirmed that the choice to cull a cow is pushed by plenty of components.

The principle outcomes of the survey had been mentioned by CAFRE’s Dr. David Mackey on the current ProCROSS open day. The occasion was hosted by Co. TyronE dairy farmer, Des Kelly.

CAFRE dairy survey

The outcomes of the survey affirm that the typical age of cows was 6.1 yr and the typical calving age was 27.7 months. That they had a productive lifespan of three.8 years, after producing some 30,200L of milk.

The CAFRE work additionally confirmed that infertility continues to be the principle purpose for culling, adopted by mastitis and lameness.

Throughout, all of the herds surveyed, 12% of cows are culled of their first lactation.

Mackey highlighted the idea of figuring out dairy cow effectivity by way of her estimated lifetime yield of butterfat and protein per day of life.

For the present Greenmount herd, this determine is available in at 1.14kg. The typical determine throughout the survey as an entire was 1.04kg.

As cows become old, a proportionately increased variety of cows are culled for mastitis and lameness-related points.

Mackey commented: “Reaching a superb lifetime yield is about: Securing good yields per lactation; calving heifers earlier; successfully managing infertility in younger cows; managing mastitis and lameness-related points.

“Securing a decreased culling charge can be essential.

“Herds with the best lifetime yields culled fewer youthful cows, particularly of their first and second lactations,” he added.

“In distinction, herds with the bottom lifetime yield culled as many cows of their first lactation as the highest 25% of herds achieved as much as the tip of cows’ third lactation.”

Future sustainability

In keeping with CAFRE, lifetime yield is essential to the longer term sustainability of dairying. Round 27% of cows are both culled or die in Northern Eire, reaching lifetime yields of 30,200L.

“Lifetime yield will not be about preserving extra older cows, it’s about having fewer losses of youthful cows,” Mackey continued.

In keeping with Mackey, cross breeding might be anticipated to extend the productive life by between 0.5 and 1.0 lactations.

This can be a direct results of decrease culling charges for infertility, mastitis and lameness.

David Mackey identified that dairy farmers in Northern Eire ought to purpose for a minimal lifetime yield from their cows of 40,000L.

This works out at 1kg of milk solids per kg of cow body weight per yr. This assumes a mean dwell weight determine for mature cows of 700kg.