CalfCare events to kick off next week
This year’s theme is “Getting Off to a Good Start”.
Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland have organised CalfCare events on farms throughout January, supported by Feed for Growth (Volac Milk Replacers Limited), and with the help and support of co-ops and meat processors in each region.
These annual CalfCare events keep farmers informed of best practice husbandry and management practices to deliver best performance from calves in their care.
Rearing healthy calves has always been the focus. The events are aimed at dairy farmers, as well as beef farmers who rear dairy beef calves.
Topics to be discussed include preventing pneumonia, understanding dairy and beef indices to produce quality calves, pain relief during the calving season, and achieving optimal rumen development.
This year’s theme is “Getting Off to a Good Start”. All these events are free to attend, and booking is not required.
All events will commence at 11am.
Nine of the 17 events are in Munster.
They start next Monday, January 6, on the farm of Richie Long, Knockaun, Ballymacarbry, Co. Waterford (Eircode: E91 VH67).
The next Munster event is on Tuesday, January 7, on the farm of Vivian and Evan Buttimer, Ford Farm, Crohane, Ballinascarthy, Clonakilty, Co Cork (Eircode: P85 A726).
It is followed on Wednesday, January 8 by a CalfCare event on the farm of John O’Connor, Coolageela, Kanturk, Co Cork (Eircode: P51 NX70).
Co Cork is again the location on Thursday, January 9, on the farm of Brian Buckley, Pluckanes, Donoughmore, Co Cork (Eircode: P32 Y772).
The farm of John Lawlor, Ballysheen, Abbeydorney, Co Kerry (Eircode: V92 A260) is the venue on Friday, January 10.
On Monday, January 13, the venue is the farm of Jimmy and Kieran Cummins, Two Mile Borris, Thurles, Co Tipperary (Eircode: E41 PW26).
There's a CalfCare event on the farm of Timmy, Therese and Brendan Ryan, Newtown, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick (Eircode: V94 PV2F) on Tuesday, January 14.
Friday, January 17 is the date for the event on the farm of Karl O’Shea, Angram, Drimoleague, Co Cork (Eircode: P47 RD42).
And the last Calfcare event is on Wednesday, January 22, on the farm of Sean Hayes, Tulla, Co Clare (Eircode: V95 W280).
There are also Calfcare events in January in counties Donegal, Wexford, Galway, Meath, Sligo, and Cavan.
Meanwhile, the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 team has organised a webinar starting at 8pm on Thursday, January 16, focused on Sourcing and Finishing of High Quality Dairy Beef Animals.
You can register for it on the DairyBeef 500 section of the teagasc.ie website.
It is aimed predominantly at the dairy calf to beef producer. Chris Daly, ICBF, will look at sourcing high quality calves from the dairy herd to be reared and finished as beef animals. He will outline the key elements in the Commercial Beef Value for each animal and the key figures to look out for when purchasing calves, in order to maximise performance.
DairyBeef500 participating farmer James O’Sullivan will outline his experience of buying higher genetic merit calves from the dairy herd, using the CBV tool as an aid, and the performance details of these animals at slaughter.
Aisling Claffey, Teagasc Nutritionist, will look at maximising performance of finishing animals, she will cover key diet parameters to maximise daily weight gain, while minimising stress and digestive upsets in the finishing period.
