CalfCare Week online this year
ANIMAL Health Ireland (AHI) and Teagasc are working together to run their annual series of CalfCare events this month.
This time, however, they are going virtual and covering a wider range of topics relating to calf health.
CalfCare Virtual Week runs from Monday, January 18, until Thursday, January 21. The events will comprise a combination of webinars, videos, podcasts and supporting newspaper articles. David Graham of Animal Health Ireland said the areas to be covered during this week are of importance to both dairy and beef farmers as they prepare to implement high standards of calf health and welfare on their farms across spring 2021. “The range of topics to be covered include preparing for the calving season with practical tips, calf housing, colostrum management, vaccinating the pregnant cow, calf health and feeding,” he said.
Stuart Childs, dairy specialist with Teagasc, said: “With over 1.6 million calves expected to arrive on beef and dairy farms by the end of April 2021, spring has become an increasingly intense part of the farming calendar.” He said heightened awareness of calf health has resulted in improved standards and increased survival rates on dairy and beef farms nationally.
“The purpose of CalfCare Virtual Week is to remind dairy and beef farmers of the key practices necessary to maintain those standards in the busy spring period,” he said.
Martina Harrington, cattle specialist with Teagasc, said: “The principle of having a calf per cow per year is the cornerstone of profitable suckler farming. The care of the cow in the last two months of pregnancy and management around calving are key areas where suckler farmers can really push towards this goal. “These videos and webinars are a timely reminder of what needs to be done to ensure a live, healthy suckler calf, while also focusing on the important factors in rearing bought in calves,” she said. Farmers can register to attend the webinars at www.teagasc. ie/calfcare. The CalfCare videos will be available each day through social media and AHI and Teagasc websites.