Healthy calves, healthy profit

This webinar is a past event - watch the recording

Join calf rearing expert and vet Dr. Robert Hyde on September 9th to explore how to increase your profits by focusing on calf rearing performance.

Do you know how much your calf rearing is costing your business? Would you benefit from getting advice on the key factors that can help improve your calves’ welfare?

Calf diseases and growth rates have a major impact on the economic viability of all on-farm operations. This can range from the direct costs of calf losses and treatment, through to the long-term effects on performance from birth to milking or finishing.

Establishing the key factors that are specific to your farm helps you inform your actions and drive performance.

Robert will be joined by strategic dairy farmers, Anna and John Booth of Rhual Dairy, who will share their experiences of improving calf health over recent months.

In this webinar you will learn more about:

• Calf immune system development.
• What factors most affect calf health and productivity?
• Creating an environment where calves can thrive.
• Practically adapting existing building and management systems for better calf management from birth to weaning.

Who should attend?

Anyone working with youngstock who wish to learn practical strategies for improving calf health and welfare.

Booking Details

Address:       Online Webinar

Date:              Wednesday 9^th September

Time:             1.00 – 2.30 pm (may finish earlier if time not needed) 

Register for your place at this online webinar today 

For more information regarding the event please call Teaghan Tayler Knowledge Exchange Senior Manager on 07776 660 811.

About the Speaker

Dr Robert Hyde graduated from the University of Nottingham, and after working in practice as a cattle veterinarian returned to the University to complete a European Diploma in Bovine Health Management and achieve RCVS Specialist status. Following this, he has followed his particular interests in calf health and is currently undertaking a 3 year PhD research project in conjunction with AHDB, exploring factors affecting calf health and productivity on British dairy farms. 

About Rhual Dairy

Rhual Dairy has operated as share farming agreement between RFP (Rhual Farm Partnership) and John and Anna Booth since 2001. They have 336 Holstein Friesian cows calving all year around, with cows grazing during the summer, averaging 8,472L. 

All replacement heifers are home reared and calve at 24months. Total area farmed is 220 hectares, mainly grass, maize and a small area of combinable cereals. All land is within a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ).

Follow their story by visiting www.ahdb.org.uk/farm-excellence/Rhual-Dairy or get the latest updates by searching for #SDFRhualDairy on Twitter.

About Strategic Dairy Farms

Strategic dairy farms aim to help farmers learn from each other through regular on-farm meetings where we will share key performance data and showcase what the best farmers are doing.

They form part of the Optimal Dairy Systems programme which aims to help dairy farmers reduce costs and increase efficiency by focusing on either a tight block or all-year-round calving system.

The growing network of strategic dairy farms have calculated KPIs for their enterprises which are shared at meetings and published online. These are physical and financial performance measures that are critical to success. Farmers can benchmark their businesses against these KPIs to help identify areas for improvement.

Follow the programme and find other local SDFs at www.ahdb.org.uk/farm-excellence

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.