A series of 18 on-farm CalfCare events for farmers will take place nationwide throughout the month of January.
The CalfCare events are held every January, with the aim of the events to keep farmers informed on best practice husbandry and management practices, to deliver best performance from calves in their care.
They are organised by Teagasc, Animal Health Ireland (AHI), and the dairy processors, and are supported by Volac.
The events taking place this year will focus on dairy beef, with the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 programme set to link-up with the annual AHI/Teagasc CalfCare roadshow on calf health and management in January 2024.
CalfCare
Rearing healthy calves has always been the focus of CalfCare events, and 2024 will be no different, but for the first time, a new dimension will be introduced, as beef farmers rearing dairy beef calves will host some of the events.
Speaking in advance of the launch of the EVE, Pearse Kelly, head of beef knowledge transfer at Teagasc, said: “Dairy beef system performance starts the day the calf is born, and the attention to detail of the dairy farmer is an important element in the performance of the beef farmer.
“However, equally so, dairy beef farmers have to pick up the baton once the calf transfers to their farm and follow best practice in calf rearing to achieve the targets that underpin successful dairy beef operations”.
Kelly continued by saying that he welcomed the opportunity to link with the very successful CalfCare series to deliver events in 2024, and encourages dairy beef farmers to attend their closest event.
Through the addition of some beef farms, it is hoped that even more people will attend these events to become updated on the fundamentals of good calf rearing and management.
Dairy beef
Both beef and dairy farm performance is built on the foundation of good calf rearing, and all farmers rearing calves are encouraged to attend in preparation for the 2024 rearing period.
Joe Patton, head of dairy knowledge transfer at Teagasc, said: “The integration of both teams to deliver the events emphasises the importance of the calf rearing process to both farming systems.
“The value of a good relationship between the dairy farmer and the beef farmer should not be underestimated.
“It is essential that dairy farmers do their utmost to produce calves that have enhanced profitability potential, and look after them well, to ensure the success of the dairy beef farmer’s operation.
“Their success is important to the dairy farmer, due to their dependence on them to buy the calves they produce,” Patton said.
Alan Dillon, DairyBeef 500 campaign coordinator, said that these farm events are extremely important dates in the calendar, for both dairy farmers and dairy calf-to-beef farmers.
Dillon added that getting young calves off to the best possible start in life over the rearing period is essential to the business of calf rearing.
Holding the events on both dairy and beef farms, highlights the common skills and knowledge required by both sets of farmers.
David Graham, chief executive officer (CEO) of AHI, said:
“AHI welcomes the opportunity to link with DairyBeef500 in the delivery and content of these events, reflecting the increasing interdependence of the two sectors as they work together to maintain an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable cattle sector.”