Teagasc will address the practice of once-a-day milking with a webinar on Thursday 14th January starting at 10.00 am.
While currently practised on an estimated 200 Irish dairy farms, interest in OAD milking continues to grow.
The state agency notes it is seen as a viable option in situations where labour is in short supply, where the farm layout results in long walks to and from the parlour or where reducing the number of daily milkings is attractive from a lifestyle perspective.
Speaking at the launch of the OAD webinar, Brian Hilliard, Teagasc said, “This is the fourth time we’ve organised the Conference which will be delivered this year online, as a webinar.”
“The big challenges farmers face when considering the option of OAD milking are the risk of increased somatic cell count and reduced milk yield. This, however, is counterbalanced by improved cow fertility and farmer lifestyle.”
Speakers at this year’s OAD webinar:
- Emer Kennedy, Teagasc Moorepark will review the performance of the first two years of the Moorepark OAD milking experiment. She will present the latest research about the impact of OAD on milk production and the steps that can be taken to manage this effect.
- Farming on the Laois/Kilkenny border, dairy farmer MJ Delaney will discuss the impact on farm performance and lifestyle following the changeover to OAD with his 110-strong Friesian herd. “I changed to once-a-day milking in 2013. One of the main reasons was farm fragmentation. It’s gone very well for me since then.”
- Nick Sneddon works with Fonterra, New Zealand’s largest milk processor. Nick will review the milk production and reproductive performance of New Zealand dairy herds that are being milked either once or twice-a-day. Cow type, particularly udder conformation and capacity are of particular relevance to OAD herds. Dr Sneddon will share the results of his research into the importance of conformation when breeding cows suitable for once-a-day milking.
