OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPTY COWS TO BE RECYLED INTO AUTUMN CALVING PROGRAMME

In our travels this week, we are encountering farmers wanting empty cows scanned for suitability for breeding to calve next autumn.  With the current market situation where factories are not taking in empty cows from farms, farmers have resorted to selling these animals through marts where one client bought in 35 cows at an average of €280.

Reproductive assessment revealed that 4 of these animals were due to calve next March/April.  Four were unsuitable for breeding and the remainder were reproductively sound.  This client plans to milk these cows through the winter months, avail of the winter milk bonus from his local creamery and breed the fit cows that are suitable for breeding from the 25th of December onwards using the stock bull with a high EBI which failed one of the tests for use in AI station.

From this clients perspective, he considered the opportunity of purchasing these cows at an average of €280 as a win win situation as he has sufficient housing facilities to accommodate these cows for the winter months.  In addition, he has produced sufficient winter feeding to keep these cows in the herd.

Testimonials