Why low stocking rates are working for two Irish dairies

Achieving the optimum stocking rate means finding a balance between feeding cows for peak production and effective utilisation – without putting too much pressure on grass supplies or resorting to costly supplementary feed.

Stocking rates are likely to vary from farm to farm and are often dependent on factors including the size of the farm, grass-growing ability and labour.

Irish dairy farmers Barry Bateman and Mike Bermingham discussed how and why lower stocking rates work for them at the recent Positive Farmers dairy conference in Cork (28-29 June).

See also: Rotational grazing allows farmer to up stocking rate by 40%

Barry Bateman

Barry Bateman is a dairy farmer from Bandon, Cork, milking 211 cows alongside his wife, Olivia, and daughter, Rachael.

Historically, the 75ha (185-acre) family farm had always been stocked at 4 cows a ha.

But when Mr Bateman took on the solo running of the farm in 2005, he set himself the target of getting this down to 3 cows a ha.

Since then, stocking rates have fluctuated from highs of 4 cows a ha to lows of 1.8 cows a ha because of changes in the management of the farm, but Mr Bateman says where he is now – at 2.8 cows a ha – is about the sweet spot.

As with many farms in Ireland, the herd is predominantly grass-based, though supplementary feeding can be given in the parlour if weather events challenge the grass supply.

Keeping a lower stocking rate means a better work-life balance for Mr Bateman and his family – who also have part-time jobs off farm – and makes best use of the grazing available.

“People ask why we don’t stay at a stocking rate of 3.8 [as it was in 2015] and milk 285 cows. But I like my system, where the cows are straight out to grass – I milk the cows and let them out. It’s very straightforward,” he explains.

Expanding the herd would mean taking on additional blocks of land and incur unnecessary expense, he reasons.

His buildings and parlour suit a herd size of 220, and financially, the farm operates well at 3 cows a ha, he says.

Based on a three-year average, Mr Bateman is achieving 519kg of milk solids a cow, equating to 1,555kg/ha.

This leaves him with a net margin of €3,119/ha (£2,666/ha) – equivalent to 19c/litre (16p/litre) (see Three-year average performance table, below).

Updated Irish regulations on nitrate management mean Mr Bateman now has to drop his stocking rate further to 2.7 cows a ha.

The challenge is how to do this without affecting production or grass utilisation.

Mike Bermingham

New entrant Mike Bermingham says stocking cattle at a rate of 2.6 cows a ha is a “lifestyle” stocking rate which gives him and his wife, Tina, more time to spend with their daughters, Sarah and Kayleigh.

The family is milking 96 cows on 37ha (91 acres) in Fermoy, Cork, after Mr Bermingham made the switch from a career in construction to farming in 2010.

The herd is Jersey cross-bred, with calving starting on 1 February and cows going out to grass immediately post-calving. Heifers are contract-reared, leaving as weaned calves in May and returning to the home farm on 1 November each year.

The grazing system runs until about 15 November, with the aim of all cows being dry by mid-December.

As well as awarding him with a better lifestyle, the lower stocking rate does not impinge on the financial viability of the farm. Looking at the three-year average performance, Mr Bermingham is achieving 540kg of milk solids a cow, equating to 1,350kg/ha.

This leaves him with a net margin of €2,089/ha (£1,780) – equivalent to 14c/litre (12p/litre) (see Three-year average performance table, below).

To make his stocking rate work financially, measurement and management of pasture is vital, he says.

In 2021, he carried out a total of 51 pasture measurements and says the whole farm is at optimum soil fertility for pH, phosphorus and potash.

He also reduced nitrogen to 209kg/ha in 2021 and has plans to move to less than 200kg/ha from 2023 by using more clover in his leys.

Looking to the future, Mr Bermingham says he would like to milk more cows one day, but he would not do so at the expense of a higher stocking rate.