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X L V E T S N E W S
The Heifer Calf Rearer
of theYear Award
2010
T
o raise the awareness of good practice in calf rearing management, Volac launched its first ever Heifer Calf Rearer
of the Year Award, supported by XLVets and British Dairying.
Open to all farmers rearing heifer replacement
calves throughout Britain, the award received
overwhelming interest and support. The initial
entries were screened and the shortlist was
judged by an XLVets vet and one of Volac's
regional business managers. Philip Metcalfe
was announced the winner of this year's
award at the Dairy Event & Livestock Show
in September.
Philip manages a 550 cow herd in
partnership with his family at Washfold
Farm, Leyburn, North Yorkshire. The Metcalfe
family's 1,400 hill acres are spread over three
units. They have adopted a high input,
high output strategy with the herd housed
throughout lactation and currently averaging
9,800 litres.
What the judges liked:
l
Large scale unit without compromising
health or welfare combined with intense
attention to detail
l
Huge awareness of the system's limitations
l
Priorities include staff motivation
l
Willingness to share knowledge and
experience with other farmers
Volac's Maggie Gould praised Philip’s all
round attention to detail, ‘Philip is managing
a large scale unit without compromising
health or welfare combined with intense
attention to detail,’ said Maggie. ‘He has a
huge awareness of the system's limitations,
his priorities include staff motivation and we
admired his willingness to share knowledge
and experience with other farmers.’
Philip believes in managing a 'hassle free'
dairy unit. ‘We're prepared to consider
investing in new equipment or adopting
a new system if it can save us hassle
and money and contribute to improved
performance,’ he says.
That approach is reflected in their calf unit
which utilises a simple traditional building
with individual pens for the first week
before the calves move on to a purpose
built shed featuring all-in, all-out pens,
each accommodating 15 head and a
computerised feeding system. Philip has
calculated the unit's current variable costs
to rear a heifer replacement to point of
calving to stand at an average £610.
‘Maximizing calf potential is equally
important to me as cow management.
A good start is essential because we target
calving at 24 months and 96% achieve that
date, we also aim for them living a healthy
life accompanied by a long profitable lifetime
production. In fact one of our priorities for
the future is to determine the impact of calf
diet - milk replacer type and volume together
with forage types - on lifetime fertility and
longevity. We're also going to look at the
impact of infectious diseases, such as
Neospora, specifically on heifer fertility.’
‘Each calf is stomach tubed within the first
six hours with four litres of frozen pooled
colostrum from cows tested negative for
Johne's and periodically for plasma Ig levels,
after which we feed to grow them as fast as
possible, whole milk for the first week, before
moving on to replacer, so that by weaning
they have reached 90kg target weight.’
All calves are routinely vaccinated against
major disease, however the Metcalfes
have recently adopted a new herd health
plan which features more active disease
monitoring and control and also weighing
the calves at various stages.
Calves feature among Philip's improvement
plans; extending the accommodation is on
the cards to enable 100% all in, all out,
together with integrated maternity facilities
with rubber matting and underfloor
heating and, for downer cows, specialist
hydro-facilities.
XLVets judge David Black commented, ‘I was
struck by Philip's detailed understanding of
the effects of disease on health, welfare and
productivity and his pragmatic approach to
preventative health strategies. As part of
this, he has developed a defined working
partnership with his vets, utilising agreed
standard treatment protocols, which is
commendable and very effective.’
For details of the 2011 Heifer Calf Rearer
of the Year Award visit
www.xlvets.co.uk
Pictured below
from left to right:
Maggie Gould, Mike Rogers
(Volac)
,
David Black
(XLVets)
, Mike Green
(British Dairying)
and Philip Metcalfe.
WINTER 2010 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
4