Fully booked: Dairy Research Roadshow - North Yorkshire

Join us at Philip Metcalfe's Washfold Farm for our Yorkshire Dairy Roadshow. You will meet with industry experts who will be sharing their findings from our five-year research partnership led by the University of Nottingham. You will hear key findings from some of the studies and how they can be put into practice on farm.

During the day you will move through four themed interactive stations covering genetics, lameness, nutrition, and calf housing. There will also be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topics with the researchers and fellow attendees over lunch.

Station 1: Genetics

Andy Dodd, Director at WhiteAvon Consultancy (FCG) will present on the topic of genetic costs in the dairy industry and the economic impact on farms. He will discuss the importance of herd genetic reports as a tool for farmers to identify strengths and weaknesses within the herd, make strategic breeding decisions, and improve the efficiency and productivity of the herd to increase profitability.

Station 2: Calf health and management

Julia Moorehouse, Head of Veterinary Services at Map of Ag will present on the latest research on calf health and management, including the effects of colostrum management, housing and nutrition on calf performance. She will cover the crucial stage of rearing dairy heifers, which is the second-largest annual expense for dairy farms, accounting for about 20% of production costs. Julia will share information and resources on colostrum management, feeding, growth rates, disease control, and weather management to help farmers improve the efficiency and productivity of their heifers and ultimately increase their profitability.

Station 3: Managing staff

Mark Campbell from AHDB Agrileader's team will discuss the challenges of managing staff on dairy farms and ways to improve employee satisfaction and retention. He will cover topics such as effective communication, delegation, performance tracking, and motivation. setting objectives, communication and building trust, and delegation.

Station 4: Lameness

James Wilson, Foot Health Consultant with Herd Health Consultancy will present on the topic of lameness in dairy cattle, discussing the challenges it poses to the industry, as well as ways to prevent and treat it. He will also touch on the role of anti-inflammatory drugs in managing lameness and how they can be incorporated into the management of heifers to set them up for success.

Station 5: Public perception of dairy farming

Amy Jackson, a public relations expert has recently completed her PhD on the public perception of UK dairy farming. She will share with you the findings from her studies into what the public really want from dairy farmers. Amy has been involved in issues and crisis management for nearly 4 decades including in high profile stories on megafarms and antibiotic use. During her talk, she will highlight what the public think about how cows are managed and the role of dairy farmers. She will also explain how this knowledge can help the industry address reputation challenges and build bridges.

About Metcalfe Farms

• 2018 NMR /RABDF Gold Cup winner
• 1,300 Cows milked 3 x daily and 900 Young stock.
• Production of 12400 litres, 4.00% butterfat, 3.32 protein, Cell count 92, Bactoscan 25   
• All year TMR fed, grass and wholecrop. Milk sold to Payne's Dairies.
• Cows fitted with rumination collars. Genus RMS on cows and heifers.

A 200 KW AD plant has been installed to take all the farm slurry converting it into electricity. This provides all the farms electric requirements and surplus is sold into the national grid.