An extra litre at peak for a 100 cow herd will generate €11,500 extra milk revenue annually

Annual milk yield is a function of:

1. Maximizing peak milk
2. Managing the decline from peak to drying off

Peak milk has been declining year on year since 2021with 2024 being 2 ltrs per cow lower than 2021.

Annual milk production in those years has been on average 223 times our peak with a range of 217 to 227 times

peak.

Last year we had a poor peak, a wet spring and poor silage quality, but good autumn grass and an

encouraging milk price lead to a yield recovery in the backend. In 2024 annual milk was 226 times peak.

2023 was the opposite, a poor spring or peak was followed by a poor or non-existent backend and our

cows produced 217 times their peak.

All is not lost if peak is low, in 2024 our cows peaked at 0.8 of a ltr lower than in 2023 but still produced 28

ltrs more milk annually than 2023. But a low peak has a potentially dramatic impact on annual yield and

annual milk revenue, with every litre lost resulting in an average of 223 ltrs of annual milk revenue lost. 223

ltrs per cow at 50c/ltrs for a 100 cow herd is €11,150 of milk revenue.

To maximise annual milk yield:

1. Manage the transition period correctly, setting your cows up correctly for calving, increasing her intake

as quick as possible after calving and building milk yield quickly.

2. Early lactation energy and protein intakes. Maximise grazed grass intakes, feed an appropriate and

balanced level of concentrate when at grass or on silage to meet your cows needs

3. Sustain milk yield across the summer and backend by managing grass quality and quantity and feeding

a balanced level of concentrates with the grass that’s on offer

The outlook for the spring in terms of milk price is good and silage quality is the best we’ve seen in a while.

Hopefully the weather will play ball, and we can get decent amount of grass into our cows but if grass is

slow to come, we must feed an appropriate amount of concentrates to balance the silage quality on your farm

and the genetic potential of your herd to produce milk.

For more information contact your Dairygold Area Sales Manager today.