GLANBIA WINTER MILK SCHEME INCREASES THE WORKLOAD ASSOCIATED WITH TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AN AUTUMN BREEDING PROGRAMME IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY WHILE PREPARING FOR THE SPRING CALVING PROGRAMME

A farm visit to conduct a Pre-breed scan for a client in Co. Laois who has both a spring and autumn calving programme revealed the following:

Removal of the winter milk bonus for the month of October has meant that he has been driven into breeding cows in January/February for his autumn calving season and effectively calving cows right through the winter period from November onwards.  This farmer is currently milking a total of 100 cows with a split between autumn and spring calving.  He works on his own and a split calving pattern spreads the total workload.  In addition, his grazing platform is restricted because of farm fragmentation and an autumn calving programme enables him to conserve forages using the outside farm to spread the total workload for the year.

This client informed me that the winter milk scheme currently operated by Glanbia will create additional stress for him as a dairy farmer and will not encourage the opportunity for a successor to continue dairying in this part of Co. Laois.

Testimonials