UCD Systems Herd

Our weekly notes are back for 2024, I didn’t realise they hadn’t been showing on the website but here’s a few weeks to catch up on! ucd.ie/lyonsfarm/rese…

Don’t forget the closing date for our postdoc positions is next THURSDAY the 18th April.

Cows housed again after getting the morning out. Red clover silage @ 10kg DM/cow offered plus their 8 kg of concentrates. Silage upped to 15kg Dm/cow if housed day and night. Real challenge to get enough energy into cows too support production at the moment.

⭐️2 Exciting Post-Doc Research Roles Available⭐️ A 28month project working on "The Development of a Sustainable High Output Grass Based Spring Milk Production System". 🐄 🗓️Closing date: 18th April 2024 Full details & to apply: ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/ (Job I.D 017177)

Second round started yesterday. Cows were housed by night over the long weekend to give ground a chance to dry out a bit and grass to grow ahead of the cows. AFC 522 kg DM/ha really needing a burst of growth shortly🍀🌱

Get the washing out 👖👚🩳👕🩲there’s great drying! 💨🍃🌞 Cows delighted to finally get a bit of sun on their backs

A mid morning breakfast in bed!👌🏼🌱😜great to get a bit of sun

🌟Don’t Forget🌟 the @ucdagfood Postgraduate Open Day is on next Wednesday! Meet students, staff & recent grads & find out all about these great courses! #Masteryourfuture Register now at: ucd.ie/graduateadmiss…

@lu_casey Hi Luke, before housing we were 7.6 kg average native conc/cow (some cows working up to their 8kg rate post calving) with the rest grass( about 10 kg consumed/cow).

@UCD_SystemsHerd What does the current diet consist of?

Cows doing very well on clean outs the last few days, out for 3 hours today and housed for few days until weather clears up. 🔹53/57 (93%) cows calved at 6 weeks 🔹60% of platform grazed, a little ahead of paddy’s day target 🔹aim to start 2rd round in the first week of April

⭐️Exciting Research Assistant Post⭐️ "The Development of a Sustainable High Output Grass Based Spring Milk Production System" -Fixed term 30 October 2026 -Salary: €30,025 - €39,908 -Closing Date: 6th March -Job ID: 017037 -Apply on UCDHR website: ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/

Cows doing well on clean outs, and just in for milking before the rain! This is last years reseed. Seed mix was; AberGain (T),AberClyde (T), Gracehill (T) and buddy white clover. 🔹42/57 calved 🔹weather to get bad over the weekend so will house for a couple of days.

Cows out full time 🔹68% cows calved (39/57) 🔹demand rapidly increasing with 12kg/cow/day grass allocated 🔹fairly happy with clean outs considering the spring 🔹recovery of grazed paddocks coming on well (picture 2)

🔹Recovery of first paddock grazed coming on well. 🔹Clover starting to really show with the mild weather 🔹ground still wet 13mm rain in last 7 days 🔹30/57 calved on day 21 of calving

Bit of a cooler day 🔹17/57 calved 🔹9/10 heifers from our 1st lactation animals to sexed semen 🔹AFC solid with good quality grass ahead of us How is calving going for everyone? #calving24 #grass2milk

What a difference a day makes! fresh calvers out post milking for a couple hours, 6 heifers and 1 mature cow. Hopefully will get them out a few hours each day at a minimum with ad lib of the best grass silage we have on farm when housed. So far 6/6 female calves from sexed semen

Things are hotting up🔥 🔹8.8 degrees C soil temp today. 🔹13 mm rain in the last 8 days 🔹Clover starting to show signs of growth, 🔹pity about soil moisture levels 🌧️🌊😑 7/57 cows calved to date

We are a go! First 2 heifers have calved. This VH PRASER heifer having a lovely heifer by FR8562 #calving24

Our colleagues on the sheep getting started with real time methane emission measurements from ewes in late pregnancy. An interesting project that will follow the lambs through to finishing.

4th walk of the year done ☘️ Growth steadily increasing📈 Soil temp 6.3-6.8 degrees 🌡️ Ground conditions 🌊💦 Awaiting our first calves🐄