The latest data from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) shows that 1,056,515 cows have been registered so far in 2026, giving us a strong indication of where milk is being produced.
Although 8,684 cattle have been registered so far this year, the total volume of cows registered is still 1% lower than the 1,067,102 cows registered at this time last year.
The number of cows registered during the 10-day period from June 9 to 19 reached 147,792 cows.
These cows came from a total herd of 1,210, bringing the average herd size to 122.
With strong grass growth in mid-June, what were these herds’ milk production like?
Milk production
The average milk production of these recorded herds was 25.19 kg/milk/cow with 4.03% fat and 3.53% protein.
This equates to an average of 1.9kg/milk solids/cow/day at present, which is a relatively strong holding for mid-June.
According to ICBF data, peak solids production lasted from March 24 to April 10, with an average of 2.15 kg/milk solids/cow/day.
This has been the trend over the past couple of years, with last year’s peak coming in mid-April with solids reaching 2.11 kg/milk solids/cow/day.
Despite the rainfall this year, the quality and abundance of grass has allowed the herds to push forward with solids, maintaining high production through the breeding season so far.
The average somatic cell count (SCC) for herds recorded in the past 10 days is 160,000 cells/ml.
This number has remained relatively constant over the past six weeks. However, it is some way away from the goal of less than 100,000 cells/mL.
Salon cleanliness and Spray the nipple It must be preserved to ensure that milk does not leak in the form of mastitis.
Milk recording
Milk recording can often be seen as an expensive procedure (around €12/cow/year), and can disrupt the milking routine when time and labor are short, but the benefits speak for themselves.
Regular recording will allow continuous tracking of each cow’s SCC and identify repeat offenders.
It can also reduce your herd’s SCC and improve milk price, and will also create a summary for the farm on mastitis control and areas to improve.
It is especially useful to know what cows do and do not do, in terms of milk production and milk hygiene.
This can make breeding and culling decisions relatively easy and data-driven.
