‘They may be damn glad of dairying again!’
STAND IN THE GAP
Kathleen Duffy
This week we passed the Spring Equinox, but the change in the weather is a disaster at present, let’s hope that every month doesn’t curse the fact that we had a fair February. It is lovely to hear the birds singing as both morning and evening stretch this week.
The Magnolia is starting to show buds as the time changed this weekend, so life moves on. The daffodils came early and then seemed to stop, but now they are looking very weary, just in time for Daffodil Day - March 24. Every year we know more people who are affected by cancer, but thank God there is great progress in treating many types with good results. I have been involved in Daffodil Day for 35 years now, having lost my own mother at a relatively young age to the dreaded disease, we all have our own stories to tell. Virginia Men's Shed once again helped with the sale of Daffodils in McEvoy’s Shopping Centre, who so kindly allow collections for all causes.
The cows are continuing to calve and are going out to grass, while February was brilliant. But now we need a week, or at least a few days, of good drying weather as ground conditions are quite bad. At best it means keeping some of the parlour cows inside or else on/off grazing.
Most of our cows that are being milked on the new Robot are out day and night, but the grass is supplemented with silage and ration. Even though it is more expensive it’s a necessity for healthy cows. We have over 60% of the milking platform grazed and we have just over 75% calved this week.
We got some slurry out but some of the tanks are still full. Some farmers got spreading in February, but most had too much grass on fields to spread following the spurt of growth in the winter months. Now the grass is eaten and the weather is too bad to spread, as run off can cause pollution.
New way of farming
We got the Lely Robot installed with many thanks to our great neighbours and friends who did the building, electrical work, plumbing and steel work. It was a learning curve for everyone. We started the robotic milking on March 1 with one Lely Robot. We retained the Dairymaster milking parlour for the extra cows until we can afford a second robot as the maximum for each is 70 cows at peak time. We need to see if all cows will like this new way of farming. We have the software on all the phones and on the computers. Thomas has spent the last few days away in Brussels with CEJA (European Young Farmers) but he could see the software and send any instructions about the robot and divert milk and paddocks on his phone as the need arose. The young heifers took to it great while some of the cows had to adopt, but did so fairly quickly. So far so good but all the cows are not on it yet.
The real advantage is the data from each teat of the cow. It can tell if any quarter is at risk of getting mastitis estimating the level. It shows the milk speed, if on heat, reproduction checks, health treatment tasks, fetch cows if they go past 12 hours from last milking, any milk separation for colostrum etc. It is a very different way for Ned after 60 years of milking in the parlour and before that the byre, he has to get used to the cows coming and going at their own leisure. This week the cows have to adopt to the three way grazing system and so have we. The grazeway gate is automatic and diverts the cows to the next paddock after milking, so cows are coming and going all the time or at least that is the idea. If someone forgets to open or close a wire, the whole thing goes haywire, pardon the pun. We are at a very initial stage but other people have advised us to give it time.
This month, while one has to stand back and admire the mothering instincts of all living creatures, we spare a thought and a prayer for mother earth, that we and she will survive this climate change that is happening.
Farming needs to be protected with this onslaught of opposition especially against dairying. The fact that the Minister for Agriculture along with the Department think that 90 cow herd can keep a family farm going in this day and age are either expecting a huge rise in milk prices or that every family farm will require an additional off farm income. Do they not see the rise in input prices and milk prices falling? They may be damn glad of dairying again just like after the collapse in 2008/9 when dairy and agriculture brought the country back from the brink of bankruptcy and kept exports high thereby bring in much needed finance. The way these high tech companies and banks are haemorrhaging jobs at present should open the government’s eyes to the need to depend on indigenous industries like farming and our homes will be a better place to live, love and work.
As we look forward to Easter we hope it brings good and bright things into people’s lives. The Show Centre is buzzing with activity and it is great to see so much use being made of it by so many. I love doing Pottery classes with Maghera ICA on Tuesday nights. The East Cavan Eagles basketball have make it their home and we are all delighted to have them along with the number of visitors who have come to watch all the competitions especially the Ladies team who have gone from strength to strength. We wish them all the best in all their games, especially this weekend the centre is hosting the National League semi-finals. Our own Virginia College also use our Centre, we are also so proud of their sporting feats, especially winning the National Ladies under 19 school Basketball.
To show the variety of uses we are also hosting Emerald Expo Ireland’s Spring Dairy Show, at the end of April being held in conjunction with the European Holstein and Red Holstein Conference. Total prizemoney exceeds €28,000.