Background
The Greenmount Campus Protein Improvement Project is designed to demonstrate the latest developments in feeding, breeding and management to improve milk protein. As part of the project the Protein Improver Herd was set up at Greenmount in conjunction with John Thompson and Sons Ltd and is used to demonstrate practical methods of improving milk protein to farmers and students. Herd performance is benchmarked against eight commercial farms across Northern Ireland. The project started in April 1996 and will run initially to March 2001.
Protein Improvement Project Aims
- To manage the 50 cow Protein Improver Herd to acheive the following targets at the end of the five years of the project:
| Calving period: | September to December |
| Milk protein: | 3.60% |
| Milk yield: | at least 6500 litres |
| Total Production costs: | 11 pence/litre |
- To demonstrate the management skills necessary to produce milk of high protein content to students and farmers.
- To benchmark the performance and production costs of the Protein Improver Herd against Northern Ireland farms.
- To quantify the financial benefits of raising milk protein on farms.
