John O’Donovan reckons his investment will cut milking time for his 380-cow herd from 3½ hours to 1½
His herd is entirely made up of Jersey crosses, which he favours for their reliable health, low maintenance and strong milk solid counts.
This week on the farm outside Drimoleague, a brand-new 60-stall GEA T8600 rotary milking parlour has been the main focus.
“We just started milking in it this week, so were getting used to it,” says John, who farms with his sons Hugh and Will, along with a full-time and a part-time worker.
Cows in the parlour
“The first day was the toughest. They’re coming in fine. It’s just the backing off is a bit different for them. There’s a man standing there at the moment, just to tip them out.
The unit took four months to build and install, with an automatic plant washer placed next to the parlour.
John had hoped for his new parlour to be in use by last spring.
John watches Hugh working
“We started digging out for them about this time last year but it took longer than we expected. When I bought it originally, I said we’d have it going for this past spring. And they had the parlour arrived all right, but we weren’t ready,” he says.
The decision to move away from the previous 24-unit DeLaval parlour came as a result of labour shortages, given the time-intensive process needed to milk the O’Donovans’ 386 cows – milking used to take up to 3½ hours.
‘We think this will cut down our milking time by half’
“We think this will cut down our milking time by half. I’d say we’ll be about an hour and a half.
“It’s just harder to get staff… and I’d say it’d be easier to get fellas to do milking if they’re not as long at it like that.”
John is also hoping the investment will cut down his own workload.
“I have to get the cows in now for the person milking, whereas I’d be hoping that the fella that’s here all the time will be able to do that because he won’t be as long milking,” he says.
A farm walk in the sheds
Despite recent milk price cuts of 3-4c/L –and processors signalling that further reductions are expected – John’s outlook on the dairy industry remains positive, following his investment, which cost between €600,000 and €700,000 – “closer to €700,000, I’d say”.
“They’re taking a big cut at the moment, but it’s hard to predict a small variation in the world supply. That can change things overnight nearly. We’re dealing the world market and supply and demand,” he says.
Beef prices are expected to remain strong going into 2026 as a result of strong global demand and limited supply, but a return to beef is out of the question for the O’Donovans.
John has no expansion plans
“I wouldn’t go back to beef. It’s after taking a big jump this year in price, but there are years where beef fellas are making nothing,” he says.
Elsewhere on the farm, the O’Donovans aim to have all stock dried off by December 20.
John O’Donovan in the new rotary milking parlour on his dairy farm near Drimoleague, West Cork. Photos: Andy Gibson
Today’s News in 90 seconds – Monday, December 1st 2025
“It is just getting housing ready. We’ve brought all the in-calf heifers in now. The weanlings are still out, but they’ll be coming in in the next three to four weeks,” John says.
He is focused on fixing, maintaining and upgrading farm roads over winter. He has no plans for future expansion – that could be in the hands of his oldest son Hugh, a third-year agriculture student at Munster Technological University.
John’s son Hugh in the parlour
“He’s definitely going out farming. He wouldn’t do anything else.
“We’re happy enough where we are,” John says of any down-the-line expansion. “That’s up to himself I suppose. I have enough done now.