Dennis Johnson, Dairy Production Systems-West Central Research & Outreach Center

July 23, 2005

In 1850 Ireland was hit by the potato blight. The blight precipitated a famine that halved the population by 50% due to disease, starvation and out-migration. Most of the farms were held by wealthy landowners that suddenly lost their abundant supply of cheap labor. Fields were changed from cultivation to pastures to save labor. Today, grazing is still the major user of agricultural lands in Ireland . Ireland ’s human population just recently returned to pre-famine levels, but the primary land use continues to be grazing.

Recently, I was in Ireland for the International Grasslands Congress. While there, I toured Ireland and Northern Ireland , including research stations Moorepark and Hillsborough. I came away with some interesting perspectives I would like to share with you.

The average dairy herd includes 45 cows on 59 acres. Average annual production per cow is 10,106 lbs milk and 756 lbs of fat plus protein. Peak production is about 60 lbs milk per cow per day. The annual supplement allowance is 1652 lbs, low by American standards. Pasture stocking rates average 0.76 cows/acre across the country, but run as high as 1.11 cows/acre in County Cork , the premier region for grass growth. Land turnover is low. Farms tend to stay within family and land costs are high, as much as $15,000 per acre.

Calving is seasonal with a heavy concentration in February and March when spring grass growth commences. Early growth is slow, so supplementation continues until April when grass growth catches up with the cow’s appetite. Grass growth slows significantly in mid-October and ceases in early December when the herd is dried off. Perennial ryegrass, the primary pasture species, is very high quality but requires a high rate of nitrogen fertilization. The more intensive farms clip residue and add nitrogen after each day of grazing.

Declines in cow fertility have become a significant management problem since high production genetics from North America has been introduced. High production American and Canadian bulls gave a boost to milk production but reproductive rates declined. This is a serious problem for a seasonal dairy system where a 365-day calving interval is critical. Research at the Moorepark Dairy Production Research Centre compared High Yield Holsteins (HY) with High durability Holsteins (HD) and New Zealand Friesians (NZ). Production per cow was highest for the Holsteins but fertility was significantly better for the New Zealand cattle whether supplementation levels were low or high. Pregnancy rates were 93%, 86%, and 74% for NZ, HD, and HY, respectively. Rank order for farm profitability was NZ, HD, and HY at either high or low supplement levels. The differences in profitability were greatest under low milk price scenarios.

Ireland is a member of the European Economic Community (EU). EU quotas make expansion difficult, so dairy herd management has focused on low cost production rather than high yield. Quota in Ireland is tied to the land. New EU policies also tie subsidies to good environmental practice, including upper limits on nitrogen application. Society at large values the rural landscape that includes livestock and pastures and is willing to share in the cost of preserving a landscape that includes farms, pastures and livestock.

What can Minnesota dairy farmers learn from the dairy situation in Ireland and the rest of the world? I think there are several key points.

• First , we need to focus our management decisions to reduce costs of production per hundredweight of milk. Productivity is important, but single-minded emphasis on output per cow is not necessarily the best route to profit, well being for the cow, or satisfaction for the farmer. Low input systems should be considered as an option when developing or renovating dairy farms.
• Second , more attention needs to be given to functional traits when selecting bulls. Fertility and livability are becoming issues in American dairy cattle. This is confirmed by University of Minnesota research. Brad Heins, Les Hansen and Tony Seykora have compared Holstein with Holstein crossed with Scandinavian Red, Montbeliarde, or Normande in California dairy herds. The crossbred cattle have lower yield, but important advantages in fertility and livability. Graduate student Eb Ballinger, using simulation modeling as a research tool, found that management decisions that minimize death loss of replacements and low involuntary culling levels have an important impact on gross margins.
• Third , we live in an age of globalization. World and local opinion is going to have a growing impact on farming decisions. Our neighbors see how we treat our land and our animals. More and more they will appreciate and support us when we use good practices and will attack us when we aren’t doing as well.

All-in-all, the future should be good for animal agriculture if we can be flexible and adapt with wisdom to changing conditions.

Logo above was used for the International Grasslands Congress. Photos beginning at top of logo and going clockwise: 1) sheep – still a major part of the livestock industry; 2) a Zebu bull; 3) beef cattle grazing stockpiled pasture; 4) beef cattle grazing in the countryside; 4) dairy cattle in an intensive grazing system; 5) haylage is also harvested for storage for winter feeding.