FARM FOCUS VISITS

MAY 2011

Farm Focus visits held in Northern Ireland on the 19th & 20 April

Kilco were delighted to hold Focus Farm visits to Drew Mc Connell at Carrigan's Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone and Iain Mc Lean at Priestland Road, Bushmills, Co. Antrim. These were two excellent farms where the emphasis was on producing high yields of milk per cow combined with good compositional quality. Cow comfort, dry cow management and heifer rearing were other areas given careful consideration. The Farmers who attended these visits were impressed with the standard of management and enthusiasm shown by both families to the business of dairy farming.

During both meetings Dr. Andrew Bradley, a Vet from Somerset looked at Managing Mastitis at Grass. Andrew has been very active in Mastitis research and lectures widely on the subject both in the UK and overseas. In 2005 he founded Quality Milk Management Services Ltd with the aim of establishing a laboratory and consulting service for the Dairy Industry. Andrew outlined the Dairy Co. Mastitis Control Plan which can be summarised as follows;
1. Diagnose Mastitis patterns from clinical Mastitis and somatic cell count recordings and information
2. Classify as (a) Environmental or Contagious Mastitis
(b) Dry period or Lactation origin
3. Identify control shortfalls
4. Implement targeted intervention
5. Continue monitoring

Any Dairy Farmer interested in finding out more about the Dairy Co. Mastitis Control Plan should contact Jim Henry or Jack Cahill at Kilco on the numbers below. Both Jim and Jack have been trained in the use of the plan at farm level. ENDS

Jim Henry 07584101413 (NI)
Jack Cahill 0871621116 (ROI)
Office 01576 205480