Three national breed shows and classes for four different breeds will headline the National Dairy Show at the Livestock Event in Birmingham this year on July 8 and 9.
Organisers of the show say that 300 available stall places will be occupied by entries for national annual shows for Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and British Friesian cattle societies, together with entries for Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey and Dairy Shorthorn classes.
A new aspect to this years show is a commercial stalls area for pedigree breeders with dairy cattle for sale. This year the event will also have a live calf rearing demonstration which organisers say is a first for the UK.
“Designed to showcase all types of housing and feeding systems, the demonstration will feature calves housed in igloos, conventional and specialist buildings including the Roundhouse,” organisers say.
Katie Davies from Delavel, the demonstration sponsor, says that the event plans to highlight just how significant first rate calf management can be and that a well developed and healthy heifer will generally calve earlier and produce more milk over the course of its life.
Matt Knight, the Livestock Event’s director, says that dairy continues to remain firmly at the heart of Livestock Event with almost 50% of last year’s visitors coming to see the livestock judging.
“This year we are pleased to welcome three different breeds staging their national shows at the event, as well as classes for more breeds. All are well aware that Livestock Event provides the best opportunity in the country for breeders to show their pedigree cows to commercial dairy farmers milking over 80% of the UK’s cows, along with international visitors; the 2014 event attracted representation from 23 countries,” Knight said.
Last year the event attracted over 17,000 visitors, this was up 6% from the previous year.