Breeder Profile Videos

As part of a new initiative focussing on breed promotion, IHFA commissioned a total of six video profiles. These were filmed on-farm, featuring six breeders located throughout the country. Filmed over the summer the six video profiles have been released periodically over the Winter, published on the new website and also across the IHFA social media platforms. These videos highlight the broad spectrum of practices adopted by breeders and the ways in which they tackle the issues they face today. These key pillars including pro-active environmental actions, family involvement across generations, genetic merit, the positive role of IHFA services, grassland management and efficient herd production. In this technological era where mobile phone connectivity and open online access increasingly plays a part day-to-day living, this series of IHFA video profiles is in keeping with adapting to changing times. Thanks to the six hosts and their families for embracing this initiative. Their co-operation, warm hospitality and patience with on-farm filming is greatly appreciated; Rosaleen O’Reilly, Castlefergus herd, Sean O’Doherty & family, Knockaneagh herd, William O’Sullivan & family, Carrigeen herd, Seamus O’Leary & family, Coolnagree herd, Conal O’Leary & family, Gortahork herd, Colin Boland & family Glebecartron herd.

Castlefergus

Rosaleen O’Reilly, Castlefergus, Quinn, Co. Clare

Farm Setting

The hinterland of Newmarket-On-Fergus and Quinn in east County Clare is home to the Castlefergus herd of Rosaleen O’Reilly. Farming on mixed soils, predominantly limestone-based, Rosaleen is acutely aware of the nature-rich surroundings of her local environment. Her focus in terms of herd productivity is to get the most from a limited land base, farmed to the optimum sustainability. The banks of the river Rhine, a tributary of the river Fergus which flows through Ennis town, provides a natural boundary to her farm. A special area of conservation, left entirely to nature without intervention, is another unique aspect of the farm having a major impact on rich biodiversity levels including trees, shrubs, wildlife and flora and fauna.

Breeding of the Herd

“I try to breed for a good, strong functional cow with longevity who will transmit the qualities and characteristics that are important” Rosaleen comments. Currently there are 16 cows of 5th lactation or older in the herd, an indication of longevity. A mature herd is a major factor in reducing the carbon footprint. Castlefergus OMan Cora EX91 5E and Castlefergus JYX Lily EX92 6E are both IHFA Diamond Award recipients, the two oldest cows in the herd both currently in their 9th lactations. Both award winning cows have accumulated lifetime milk yields over 95,000kgs milk each with milk solids yield to 7,550kgs, 4.28% fat, 3.64% protein. These mature cows, trouble free with tremendous longevity and in prime health, classified to Excellent standard of conformation, are exemplary testimonials of the balanced breeding results achieved by Rosaleen.

Herd Performance

Milk recorded performance for the herd last year was 8,974kgs milk, 657kgs milk solids, 3.93% fat, 3.40% protein. Overall SCC of 54 indicates a consistantly high level of animal health throughout the year. 37% of the herd consisted of cows in their 4th lactation or older.

Currently there are 35 cows/heifers classified VG/ EX on IHFA conformation.

Knockaneagh Sean O’Doherty & family, Gortnaskehy, Araglin, Co. Cork

Farm Setting

Three generations of the O’Doherty family are custodians of the Knockaneagh pedigree registered herd. It is an Irish Pure Friesian herd nurtured with a distinct passion for Friesian breeding over many decades. Sean is the fourth-generation farmer to work the O’Doherty land. He and wife Karen, together with their children Sean Óg and Faye, manage the herd today, keenly supported by Sean’s parents Johnny and Maureen. The attributes of the Irish Pure Friesian cow - easy-care, high calf quality and cull cow value, low maintenance, mature yield, and inherent fertility and longevity to last for up to a double-digit number of lactations - are borne out in the herd.

Cognisant of the need to farm in harmony with nature and the environment, the farm was signed up from the outset as a participant in the EU Green Low Carbon Agri Environment Scheme (GLAS). Selective dry cow therapy is an established pro-active management practise on the farm, first adopted over five years ago. The precision application of all slurry using the LESS method has helped to achieve a significant reduction in annual chemical fertiliser usage.

Breeding of the Herd

Friesian breeding is the backbone to the herd. The origins of the very first Friesian stock to be introduced into the herd can be fully traced back to three calves purchased over 50 years ago. The detail-rich lineage is fully recorded with much family pride in the IHFA herdbook. The high fertility and strong transmitting of cow families provided for herd expansion to be achieved from within. “I didn’t have to purchase in additional stock, I preferred to not potentially compromise herd biosecurity.” The robustness of the Friesian breed ideally compliments the topography of the farm which is hilly, high above sea level and is laid out in a long, narrow strip. Cows have a lot of walking to and from the parlour daily. “It’s quite common to have 12th lactation cows in my herd – evidence of the numerous positive traits of the Irish Pure Friesian”.

Herd Performance

“The Irish Pure Friesian cow really lends herself well to selective dry cow therapy. There are many benefits, direct and indirect. It’s a definite success”. “I’ve scaled back on numbers recently. The farm is debt free. Scaling up on herd size or pursuing additional acres holds no attraction”.

Coolnagree Seamus O’Leary & family, Tomfarney, Adamstown, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Farm Setting

Red & White Holstein Friesian breeding is a distinct characteristic of the Coolnagree herd. Seamus and wife Bridget and their children Patrick (6), Kate (5), with ever-ready back-up from Seamus’s parents Patrick and Margaret, farm with great enthusiasm, pride and no shortage of passion in Wexford’s sunny South East. Milking 142 high quality cows in total, the Coolnagree herd performance is derived with sustainability. The family farm is surrounded by 40 acres of forestry, a nature-rich natural wetlands area with most fields demarcated by mature hedgerows, carefully curated with minimal management so as to provide both shelter and food for birds and wildlife.

The recent installation of a variable speed vacuum pump in the milking parlour has lowered energy usage and vastly bolstered farm energy efficiency. Excellent grassland management based on a routine of regularly measuring grass using digital technology. A member of the Grass 10 discussion group, Seamus has widened his understanding by embracing new technologies and upskilling himself in technical grassland knowledge. Measured farm performance growing 12 tonne grass/hectare is a benchmark for continued performance into the future. Regular soil testing is a roadmap to achieving key soil index metrics with an annual reseeding programme in place and the judicious application of pig slurry throughout the year available from the on-farm pig rearing enterprise.

Breeding of the Herd

With four cows in the herd in their 10th lactation and a total of 40 cows of 5th lactation or greater, the longevity and sustainability credentials of the herd must surely lie “in the black”. Predominantly home-bred where the IHFA Grade Up service was availed of to establish pedigree status, converting accumulated historical records into herdbook registered and approved registration certificates of lifetime performance. Influential cow families within the herd include Begonia, Daisy and Banker. The Banker family, has truly been a banker in terms of breeding Red & White Holstein Friesians. The consistency of the family to dominate a sire mating, transmitting Red & White and having good longevity follows through generation after generation.

Herd Performance

90% of the milking herd is scored to VG/EX standard of classification on IHFA conformation.

Carrigeen William O’Sullivan & family, Carrigeen, Crookstown, Co. Cork

Farm Setting

“Standing on the shoulders of giants” is an apt phrase used by William O’Sullivan reflecting on the fact that he is the 3rd generation in his family to proudly herdbook register Holstein Friesians in the Carrigeen prefix. Family life is at the centre of everything on the O’Sullivan farm from day to day. William and wife Fiona have two children, Hannah and Finbar. His parents, Dan and Ann, help out regularly. Indeed their legacy is everywhere to be seen around the farm. Where Ann’s stockmanship, especially around animal health awareness, is second to none. Sisters Caitriona and Julie also help out, whatever the task, whenever called upon. This strong family bond helps overcome the pinch points in workload demand throughout the year. Technically at the very top, in terms of achieving the key metrics of performance indicators as espoused for compact calving herds. “We have the capability and the choice within the Black & White breed to match the top herds on profitability”. A long grazing season, beginning in mid-February right up to mid-November, embellishes the sustainability pillar of herd performance. The leader-follower grazing strategy is applied. Annual reseeding, use of 100 % LESS, application of protected urea and clover incorporation to increasing proportions within swards, all contribute to achieving the high parameters of grassland performance and benchmarked herd performance.

Breeding of the Herd

“The breeding policy for the herd reflects my goals for herd performance. Essentially the policy is to hold milk production levels, conscious of milk solids yield, increase EBI and increase protein %. I want a robust cow who is hardy. I have a preference for cows with a 70% Holstein, 30% Friesian breed fraction. This level of Friesian helps achieve the robustness required and this breed fraction mix provides a level of hybrid vigour”.

Herd Performance

Herd co-op performance report 2020 • 557kgs milk solids delivered • 4.25% fat • 3.81% protein • SCC 93 • 367-day Calving Interval • 100% AI breeding Prize winning herd in the Cork Club Herds Competition, including Best New Entrant and joined Highest Protein % Herd 2019.

Gortahork Conal O’Leary & family, Gortahork, Co. Donegal

Farm Setting

Located in Gortahork in north east Donegal, the O’Leary family farm is situated along the coast looking out onto Tory Island, 42 kilometres north west of Letterkenny, at one of the Ireland’s most extreme northern points. The dearth of dairy farms in the locality, owing to the fragmented farm size and challenging terrain, reflects the grit, skill and determination to succeed of father and son team Conal O’Leary Snr and Conal Jnr, who are now into their third year of milk production. The dynamic father and son duo invested in converting over and adapting pre-existing farm facilities, and put together a new dairy herd to commence dairy farming as recently as 2019. Milking the herd on a robotic system and utilising zero grazing technology provided the best feasible solution to full-time farm a fragmented holding totalling 50 acres. 58 cows were milked in 2021. The milk recorded herd performance average in 2020 was 9,072kgs milk, 650kgs milk solids per cow with a herd SCC of 42. 84% of the herd is made up of first and second calvers of whom 94% are scored to Good Plus (GP) or Very Good (VG) standard of Classification on IHFA conformation.

Breeding of the Herd

“The Holstein cow with her output and efficiency makes it possible for the small-scale farmer to make a good living” comments Conal Snr. The new dairy herd was commissioned following the purchase of pedigree registered stock sourced from a small number of herds. The production figures and classification score recorded over multiple generations was a huge help is assessing the suitability of stock prior to purchase, as sale catalogues and breeder catalogues were scrutinised in advance. Conal Jnr comments “When you are buying in stock and assessing the options in the market there is always an element of guess work involved. The data in terms of milk yields and classification scores recorded over generations of breeding helped us match up with the type of stock that would work well for us in terms of performance and longevity. With generations of consistent data there is a good chance of that breeding continuing.”

Herd Performance

The Gortahork herd is a mixed lactation herd where cows calve year-round. 50 cows are in-milk each month, twelve months of the year. “The robot provides a fantastic level of data. We know our cows so well. Cows are weighed at every milking and the sensitivity of the technology will pick up any incidences of mastitis days before the human eye can detect it.”

Glebecartron Colin Boland & parents, David and Kathleen Boland, Horseleap, Co. Westmeath

Farm Setting

As one example of the demographic of young trained dairy farmers who have commenced their dairy farming careers post quotas, Colin Boland farms with his parents David and Kathleen. Milking 160 cows with split spring and autumn calving seasons, and with a 62-ha grazing platform the farm of predominantly free-draining soils straddles the Westmeath Offaly border. Colin graduated from Gurteen College last year and is now relishing the exciting task taking charge of herd management and development One of the first tasks he completed was to grade up the herd, registering the Glebecartron prefix upon IHFA membership. The herd’s first classification inspection for conformation resulted in 8 cows scored to Excellent (EX) standard, 46 Very Good (VG) and 52 Good Plus (GP).

An award-winning herd, the Boland family were previously shortlisted for the NDC & Kerrygold Quality milk awards. 10% of the farm is reseeded each year with clover incorporated for a number of years now. The high proportion of clover evident in the swards today is testament to the success of their reseeding policy, framed with an outlook of best long-term return on investment. Ever adapting and embracing new technologies for farm improvement the family recently invested in two significant efficiency purchases; a low emission slurry spreading tank (LESS) and a variable speed vacuum pump for the milking parlour.

Breeding of the Herd

Colin is quick to pay tribute to his father for having always had a good eye for quality stock over the years. For many years, selection was always based on having cows with good milk yield performance and sound functional conformation. High quality AI bulls and stock bulls bred from top maternal lines were selected for use in the herd. The high level of data recorded enabled a very quick transition to pedigree registered herd status via the IHFA Grade Up service.

Herd Performance

Cows of 4th lactation and older representing 40% of the herd recorded a milk recording performance average of 8,710kgs milk, 642kgs milk solids, 4.03% fat, 3.34% protein last year. Average SCC for this cohort of mature cows was a commendable 61.