1. Irish Dairy Industry & Milk Production Systems
Pat Moylan, Teagasc, B & T Dairy Adviser, Kilkenny.

2. Dairy STATS - Ireland Farm holdings 135,300
Average farm size ha/79.8 acres
Number of milk suppliers 18,000
Total milk supply 5.3 million tonnes
80% is exported
4.1% of EU milk production
36 Co-ops or Plc

3. EU25 production of milk & milk product
The EU has been producing about million tonnes of milk annually.
The old EU15 produce 85% of the milk
> 90% of milk is for manufacturing

4. Ireland’s Share

5. What is done with Irish milk?
Other
Chocolate Crumb 1%
Whole Milk Powder
Butter
6 %
6 %
Cheese
30 %
57 %

6. The Irish Agri-food and Drink sector 2010
Irish agri-food and drink exports worth €7.88 bn (Bord Bia 2011).
Total dairy exports worth €2.3 billion.
2010 by sector: dairy products and ingredients (29%), prepared consumer foods (18%), beef (19%), live animals (3%), beverages (15%), pig meat and poultry (6%), sheep and sheep meat (2%), seafood (5%) and edible horticulture (3%).
Total milk output (incl. imports) amounted to 5,600 million litres.
493 million litres was consumed as liquid milk.

7. Food Processing – Dairy Exports
South America
Africa
Others
North America 5% 7% UK 6%
32%
48%
Rest of Europe
* 2010 Data

8. Food Processing - Milk 36 co-ops / PLCs Handle 5.2 m tonnes
4% of EU-25 supply
1.1 m cows
80% exported

9. Identification & Evaluation of Dairy Breeds

10. Jerseys

11. Jersey Small cows - mature weight 400 kgs
Colour- light fawn to dark red
Conformation lean & dairy like
Moderate milk yield (900 gals)
High solids (6% B.F. & 4% P)
Predominant breed in N.Z.
Crossed with Friesian in N.Z. & Irl

12. Holstein / Friesian

13. Holstein / Friesian Most common breed in Ireland
British Friesian - dual purpose
Holstein Friesian - dairy like character
Mature cow weight kgs
High milk yield ( gals)
Moderate solids(3.8% B.F. & 3.25% P)
Fertility  as milk yield , best response to meals ; 1.1 kg milk : 1 kg meal.

14. New Zealand Friesian

15. New Zealand Friesian
Smaller hardier cows - mature cows 500 kgs - durable breed.
Easy to maintain body condition score
Popular in N.Z. - easy to maintain
Lower milk & higher solids, less response to feeding ; 0.5 : 1 kg meal
Better fertility & longevity
Being crossed with Holstein Friesian

16. Montbeliarde

17. Montbeliarde Continental red & white breed (France)
Similar liveweight to Holstein Friesian.
Dual purpose breed
Milk production good ( gals)
Milk solids good (3.9% B.F., 3.4% P.)
Maintain condition score better
Cross breeding with Holstein Friesian to improve fertility.

18. Normande

19. Normande Continental breed (N.W. France)
Dual purpose breed / strong robust
Medium frame size ( kgs)
Colour - spotted brindle or brown
Medium milk yield (1000 gals)
Good solids (4.4% B.F. & 3.5% P)
Feet problems in pure breed recorded.

20. Norwegian Red

21. Norwegian Red Scandinavian breed (Norway)
Holstein / Ayrshire / Norwegian X
Medium height & weight (550 kgs)
Colour - all black to red and white
Good milk production & solids
Selected for fertility, health, calving ease and low somatic cell count.
Effective breeding program in place !

22. Role of Crossbreeding ?
Conception rates declining rapidly on commercial dairy farms
As milk production  fertility has 
Make use of `hybrid vigour`
Crossbred cows =  health & fertility &  milk composition + beef merit
EBI data available on all Fr. bulls !

23. Montbeliarde / Friesian X

24. Normande / Friesian X

25. Norwegian Red x Friesian

26. Norwegian Red x Fr (Kildalton)

27. Breeding Strategy - Guidelines
1. Breed choice depends on farmer preference, beef merit/price, milk price/pricing system, genetic progress of breeds ( E.B.I.)
2. Select sires rather than breeds ?
3. Use E.B.I. to identify best sires
4. Can be as much variation within breeds as between breeds

28. Milk production systems
Manufacturing milk (creamery / summer)
90% of suppliers engaged in creamery milk production
< Lactation (300 days approx.) >
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Dry >< Calving period > < Dry
< Breeding season >
Most common system, low cost & grass based
Target start of calving 1st Feb & end of lactation in late Nov.
Target production = 6,000 l / 3.40% avg. < 500 kgs meal per cow
Easier management system

29. Milk production systems
2. Liquid milk
10% of suppliers engaged in liquid milk production
< Lactation 365 days >
J F M A M J J A S O N D
<Calving period (60%)> <Calving 40%>
< Breeding > < Breeding >
Producers must meet liquid contract daily supply conditions
365 day production system – 2 x breeding + calving seasons
Target production = 7,000 l / 1000 kgs meal per cow
High degree of management, labour intensive, bonus payments critical for profitability.

30. Milk production systems
3. Winter milk : production of milk for manufacturing purposes by liquid or manufacturing milk suppliers
Supply contracts issued by co-ops
< Lactation 365 days >
J F M A M J J A S O N D
< Calving period > <Calving>
Breeding < Breeding season >
Must supply set % of quota per month from Oct-March
Calving pattern dictated by conditions of winter milk contract
Price incentives paid, milk in excess of contract paid for at manufacturing price only
Higher labour requirement, schemes reducing in popularity.

31. Annual Cycle of a Dairy Cow
Cow calves down to start lactation period
Spring herds : calving 1st Feb – end April
Autumn herds : calving Sept - November
Early lactation period : Cow on grass / maize silage + concentrates 6-8 kgs per cow per day while indoors.

32. Annual Cycle
Early turnout (1st Feb) to grass in spring reduces labour, slurry, diseases & cost and increases milk yield, milk solids, cow condition & profitability.
Typical meal feeding = 4-2 kgs / cow / day
Breeding season starts late April for weeks for spring calving cows / herds
Breeding season : December to February for autumn calving cows / herds
A.I. used & stock bull

33. Annual Cycle
Mid season lactation : target to produce 50-60% of quota from grass only from May – end of August.
Grass quality & quantity n.b.
Late lactation period : cow on grass kgs concentrate depending on quota availability
Milk solids rise as volume decreases

34. Annual Cycle
Dry period : dairy cows dried off for 2-3 months & housed full-time – to allow udder rest / prepare cow for calving
Fed grass silage ad-lib & dry cow minerals before calving
Overall Targets
Produce 1 calf per cow every 365 days approx.
Compact calving – 90% over 10 week period
Long grazing season : 280 grass days (230 days – wet land)
Production : % protein (<500 kgs conc.) – spring calving
7000 litres < 1000 kgs meal / cow – autumn calving

35. Slatted Housing

37. Housing & Overground Tanks

40. Earth Bank Tanks

41. Out Wintering Pad (Moorepark)

42. Feeding off Outwintering Pad

44. Key Steps in Profitable Dairy Farming
1. Good output per cow – milk solids
2. Good fertility – high EBI
3. Grassland management
4. Good Breeding Performance
5. Financial Performance – Output & Costs – Teagasc Dairy Profit Monitor

45. Teagasc - 2011 Profit Monitor Data
Spring Milk
N =
180
Average
Top 20%
Bottom 20%
2010
2009 GO
36.40
38.21
34.08
31.00
23.75
Co-op price
35.72
36.77
34.30
30.88
23.55
Stocking rate (LU/ha)
2.21
2.29
2.11
2.03
2.10
Herd size (No. Cows) 98
107 85 90
Yield (litres/cow)
5121
5192
5089
5171
4834
Fat %
3.99
4.04
3.89
3.92
3.93
Pr%
3.45
3.49
3.40
3.42
3.41
Yield (kg MS/cow)
392
403
382
391
365
Variable Costs
Feed
3.31
2.59
4.43
3.77
3.25
Fert
2.46
2.28
2.65
1.97
1.99
Vet
1.15
0.94
1.26
1.06
1.09 AI
0.58
0.56
0.54
0.57
0.61
Contractor
1.58
1.60
1.68
1.45
OVC
1.71
1.77
1.59
1.56
TVC
10.78
9.56
12.34
10.54
9.96
Gross Margin
25.63
28.65
21.75
20.46
13.79
Fixed Costs
Labour
0.92
0.79
0.89
0.76
Machinery
1.40
1.53
1.47
1.28
Car/ESB/Phone
1.27
1.08
1.33
1.25
Depr
2.17
2.24
1.95
1.96
Leases
0.88
0.67
1.24
0.81
0.83
Interest
0.82
0.33
0.73 *
OFC
1.78
2.37
2.04
2.72
TFC
9.46
7.70
10.86
9.09
8.96
NM/litre
16.17
20.95
10.89
11.37
4.84
NM/cow €
€ ,088 € € €

46. Variable Costs
Feed
3.31
2.59
4.43
3.77
3.25
Fert
2.46
2.28
2.65
1.97
1.99
Vet
1.15
0.94
1.26
1.06
1.09 AI
0.58
0.56
0.54
0.57
0.61
Contractor
1.58
1.60
1.68
1.45
OVC
1.71
1.77
1.59
1.56
TVC
10.78
9.56
12.34
10.54
9.96
Gross Margin
25.63
28.65
21.75
20.46
13.79
Fixed Costs
Labour
0.92
0.79
0.89
0.76
Machinery
1.40
1.53
1.47
1.28
Car/ESB/Phone
1.27
1.08
1.33
1.25
Depr
2.17
2.24
1.95
1.96
Leases
0.88
0.67
1.24
0.81
0.83
Interest
0.82
0.33
0.73 *
OFC
1.78
2.37
2.04
2.72
TFC
9.46
7.70
10.86
9.09
8.96
NM/litre
16.17
20.95
10.89
11.37
4.84
NM/cow €
€ ,088 € € €

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