OAD milking option discussed at Tuesday’s Moorepark ’17
There is growing interest in full and part season once-a-day (OAD) milking, said Brian Hilliard of Teagasc at Tuesday’s Moorepark ’17 open day.
Increasing herd size, longer walking distances, and a shortage of skilled labour are some of the reasons for OAD milking, which has been widely practiced in New Zealand since the 1950s.
Reducing milking frequency of a cow will reduce her daily milk and fat plus protein (milk solids, MS), but will increase milk protein and fat composition, and improve health and fertility.
Mr Hilliard said successfully switching to full season OAD milking requires two to three years of planning in most cases, a re-evaluation of the farm system, and excellent grazing and breeding management.
With the help of dairy adviser colleagues throughout the country, he identified clients who were milking OAD.
In 2015, a specialised OAD discussion group called the POADII (Pioneering Once A Day in Ireland) was established.
It has 36 members, from Sligo to Wexford and from Wicklow to Cork, with herd sizes from 50 to 250 cows, and 32 members who are milking OAD full time.
Twelve of them delivered over 300kg of MS/cow in 2016, and , at 360kg MS/cow, the average performance of those 12 was close to the Glanbia averages for TAD (twice a day) herds of 372kg/cow.
Mr Hilliard said: “I firmly believe OAD milking has a definite and growing future in Ireland, resulting in comparable financial performance and with a much better lifestyle.
“For farmers considering transitioning to OAD or indeed using it with a second herd, careful planning is needed, with good breeding and grazing management. Before changing to OAD, it is essential to assess the potential benefits against the reduction in milk production, and that a realistic budget is completed.”
He said milk recording data is essential, for eliminating poorly performing, high-SCC, and poor udder conformation cows.
The first year on OAD will see the biggest reduction in yield, of about 25% in volume and about 20% in milk solids with Friesian type cows, with first calvers affected most.
Carrying an extra 10% of cows can compensate for the drop in initial milk production. Over five to six years of OAD, yields may be reduced only 10% relative to the original TAD yield, after cows that do not perform well on OAD are culled and replaced.
Recent research suggests that Holstein Friesian Jersey crossbred cows adapt better to OAD.
Breeding for a high-EBI crossbred cow and minimising first lactation animals will minimise the effect of OAD and keep SCC under control.
With OAD, the milk price will be 5c per litre higher, due to higher milk composition.
There will also be a reduction in parlour and herd health costs, with reduced incidence of low body condition, lameness and infertility, and financial gains through more compact calving, better herd longevity and less requirement for replacements.
