Over the coming weeks, farmers across the country will be begin to buy and rear dairy-origin calves for beef production.
In light of this, AgriLand – as part of the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme – will bring you the complete guide for buying dairy-origin calves, and outline best practice in regard to rearing these calves through the first 12 weeks – the most critical time in a young calf’s life.
This period of a calf-to-beef system is critical to overall performance and profitability.
Growth rates achieved during this period can impact on the lifetime performance of the animal. Failing to manage performance during this period can have a negative impact on the enterprise’s bottom line.
Buying the right calf, optimising its nutrition and health, along with limiting disease pressure are vital. This series of videos will cover everything from calf genetics to what farmers can afford to pay for certain breeds.
We will examine where to source calves and outline the importance of building relationships with dairy farmers in order to select the right calf for your system.
We will focus on best practice when it comes to feeding; health; housing; and hygiene. Finally, we will detail the importance of vaccination. The videos will also address some of the lessons learned during the spring period of phase 2 of the programme.
The articles – with accompanying video – will be available on all AgriLand platforms over the coming weeks, and involve expert technical advice from Teagasc and the stakeholders involved in the programme.