Testimonials and results

I am farming in Tipperary since 1994 when my father passed away. We were milking and we had some sucklers, a bit of everything. Once I took over, I decided to specialize in dairy. I only rear the calves from calf to 1 year and a half and then we sell them. I farm 33 hectares, we were farming a little bit more but the motorway took some of it away. 

We are intensive. There are 22 hectares on the home block for the grazing platform for the cows, and they are 8 hectares here, where we are standing at the moment. Presently we are milking 62 cows, with quotas now gone, we will probably go up to 70, and maybe a bit more. We will have to see from year to year, it also depends on milk price. We will probably keep less calves, and sell the calf once it is born.

I have first heard about SOBAC 3 years ago, through my brother in law John Bergin. John was the first man in Tipperary to use the product, Bacteriosol. That was the first product he has used and he then started with Bacteriolit. I got to see the way it worked on his farm. First of all, I have used Bacteriosol, I think we spread 5 bags then last year we have started using Bacteriolit through the slurry because I would be generating a lot of slurry. I have an over ground slurry storage and an underground tank, it is ideal for mixing through the slurry in the winter time, to spread it in the spring.

Basically I have seen the results that my brother in law had in his farm.

The results were there, I could see it

I saw the way he was using it and the results he was getting in his cow paddocks particularly. Cows were eating out the paddocks fully. Also, grass was coming back quicker and so I told myself, “If it is working for him it should work for me”. 

I have started using the Bacteriolit with the slurry; I have seen even better results with that. I put it in the slurry in the winter time, we agitate it in early spring and we spread it in February and then in April for silage. We have seen that the cows are cleaning out paddocks better. And the other thing I have to say is that with Bacteriolit in the slurry, it becomes very easy to agitate, there is no smell and the slurry is very easy to spread. 

I would honestly say that stock is striving on grass.

As regards to milk, yield would be up. I supply Arrabawn Coop with milk, and I won a milk award in 2014, the “quality milk” award

The award was based on tests results of fat, protein, cell count and bacteria count. My average fat for 2014 was 4.30, my average protein was 3.50, my cell count was 87, and my bacteria count was 13. 

Cost wise, as regards to fertilizer, application of other fertilizer, nitrogen would be reduced and also you don’t have to apply lime and P and K, so you are actually saving on artificial fertilizer.

As regards to silage quality, where I would be putting out the slurry, silage wise it would be good, and particularly last year the DMD was 60. I would say I am getting more grass.

I will continue to use Bacteriolit in the slurry. I have seen it working very well. I would recommend farmers to try it and see the results for themselves. They can come, I can show them particular paddocks, particular fields that has got both Bacteriosol and Bacteriolit.