Halpin farm

The Farm:

Located in Ireland
Owners: Lorcan and Eamonn Halpin
140 dairy cows (Holstein X Rothbunt)
MidiLine™ milking system in a herringbone 50° configuration
2 milkings per day

Farm Location: Ireland

Some information relevant to the dairy industry in Ireland (2004):

The number of dairy farmers has declined substantially over the past decade from around 40,000 10 years ago to the current 28,000.
At the same time there has been little change in the number of dairy cows so the average herd size has almost doubled to almost 40 cows per dairy farm.
There are a total of one and a quarter million dairy cows in Ireland.
Irish cows produce around 5,500 litres of milk per year. Milk is mainly composed of water (87.5%) but it also contains important nutrients especially fat (3.5%) and protein (3.25%) and lactose/milk sugar (4.5%).
Most of the milk coming from spring calving herds is made into butter, cheese and other manufactured products. Exported dairy products are worth over €140 billion.
Teagasc predictions are for a further decline in dairy farm numbers, by around 1,000 per year for the next 10 years.

For more information on Irish dairy production click here

Source: Teagasc – Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority

Farm Management:

Lorcan Halpin and his father Eamonn have a commercial herd of 140 cows at Carhoon near Rathgormuck in county Waterford. The family live beneath the majestic Comeragh Mountains and close to the river Suir. Milk is supplied all year round to Glanbia Plc to make quality cheese such as Kilmeaden and in the winter to Virginia where it is used in Baileys Irish Cream.

Lorcan is 30 years old, studied Agriculture for one year at Rockwell College and did a two year Dairy Management course at Kildalton.

It took the Halpin family three hours to milk the cows in their old eight-unit recording jar plant. Their cows were waiting in the yard for hours. The latter wasn’t good for the cow’s feet and they had less time for grazing and relaxation. Lorcan Halpin says that a change was definitely needed.

Feeding:

The cows are now fed using a herd management system and in-parlour feeders. Lorcan is very pleased with “in parlour feeding” and has no problem getting cows to come in. He says “yields have increased and we are using less meals.” He also says that average yield remains very steady while herd health and fertility has improved. “We have no thin cows since we started using the herd management system and our feed costs have come down”.

Milking:

In February 2001 the Halpin family invested in a new milking system and other hi tech equipment. The latter includes milk meters, herd management system with automatic cow identification, ACR’s, a milk dumpline and a new cleaning unit.
The herd’s average is a respectable 1300 gallons per annum with butterfat at 3.6 percent and protein at 3.45 percent. Lorcan says “cell counts are low and the herd is healthy”.

The 16 x 32 herringbone milking system has swing over arms with vacuum operated entry/exit gates and sort gate for diverting cows in need of AI, drying off, hoof paring or veterinary treatment. “Milking is now a one person operation and takes one hour maximum,” including bringing the cows in and completing the cleaning process. “Cows can now milk to their full potential.”

Mr Halpin is particularly pleased with the sort gate because “separating cows used to be a nightmare” on the farm. Now he simply enters the cow numbers and says “the cows will be waiting there for me when the milking is over.”

He says the dumpline is also a “great invention” because milk unsuitable for processing is kept out of the bulk tank. “Just flick a switch, the milk is diverted and you have no worries about penalties.”

With the new cleaning unit, Lorcan says he simply has to “push a button and forget about cleaning - take a tea break and have a chat about the hurling”.

Lorcan does most of the milking and says the cows are “very content” in the new parlour. “Everybody should have an ACR system. Consistent milking means a lot to the cows.” As regards milk recording he says “the meters allow us to monitor herd performance on a weekly basis so I think they are worth the cost”.

There’s no problem finding milkers at Halpin Farm. Lorcan says “people are queuing up to do the milking”. He currently has two students and a young business lady available to do relief milking whenever they are needed.

But milking on Halpin Farm wasn’t always desirable as Lorcan explains. “Everything used to take too long in the old parlour and I had a pain in my back. Nobody wants to work in an out-of-date parlour. Milking used to start at 6 am and work did not finish until after 8.30 pm. Now it starts at 7.30 am and finishes around 6.30 pm. Milking is much easier now and we have no problems with hooves or thin cows. The new equipment is completely user friendly too - you can’t mess up the cows, no matter who does the milking. There is no stress on the cows or milker and it is a complete one person operation.”

Herd management:

The herd management system also allows the Halpin family to monitor and manage their herd. “The computer alerts us to cows due for service, repeats and potential problems such as mastitis. I have all the breeding data I need at the touch of a button. If a cow does not eat or her milk yield is down, I know something is wrong and can take immediate action.”

Every farmer knows yield varies from cow to cow during stage of lactation and Lorcan says it is “useful” to know which cows are doing well. “Some cows are sprinters and others are marathon runners – both should be treated accordingly”.

Housing:

The Halpin herd sleeps on comfort mats. The mats keep the cows clean and protect them from hock damage. He says his cows “like to lie on them”.

Published: December 2004