Dairy specialist Joe Patton joins Emma-Louise Coffey to identify the key traits that drive profitable winter milk systems.

Joe compares top winter milk herds with average. Top herds have higher output from the same concentrate input as average. The difference is top farmers are achieving greater grass utilisation and feeding higher quality grass silage during the housed period.

The second driver is fertile cows. Joe targets 375 day calving interval, meaning there are greater days at peak milk production, lower number of days dry and reduced number of cows recycled.

Here more from Joe at the Winter Milk event at Teagasc Johnstown Castle on September 4th:

https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/national-events/events/winter-milk-event.php

For more episodes and information from the Dairy Edge podcast go to:
 https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/