Third GB Calf Week to launch at UK Dairy Day

The week of events, led by AHDB and the NFU, continues to celebrate the progress being made by industry to ensure all dairy-bred calves are reared with care and for a purpose – as part of either the dairy or beef supply chains.

Farmers, vets and industry representatives are invited to support GB Calf Week at its launch at UK Dairy Day on the NFU stand from 9am.

This year’s campaign will focus on two main themes that are at the forefront of the minds of many dairy farmers – bovine TB (bTB) and genetics.

Whether bTB is a constant threat on a farm or rears its head once every four years, mitigating risks and having a plan in place can give farmers and vets some peace of mind.

Meanwhile, maximising the value of each calf is a key component to the future profitability of dairy enterprises. This can be achieved via optimising the genetic potential of each calf and ensuring they get the best start in life – regardless of their destination.

Alongside breeding the best heifer replacements, looking at where other progeny will be sold and breeding animals that meet the required specification can pay dividends for dairy farmers. This is where genetic selection, including the use of sexed semen, is worth considering.

Dr Jenny Gibbons, AHDB’s Animal Health and Welfare Senior Scientist, commented: “The GB Calf Week continues to champion the progress being made in the dairy industry, whilst providing farmers and vets with the most up-to-date information that they can apply to their individual situations.

“Sometimes, challenging the status quo is all that is needed to ignite a conversation, and often, this can lead on to significant changes. We understand the challenges currently facing dairy farmers, and believe that GB Calf Week can help everyone to work together to come up with solutions.”

The launch of the event at UK Dairy Day in Telford will be followed by a series of on-farm events and a weekend where farmers can take to social media to discuss the issues they face, share the solutions they have found and ask questions from a range of industry representatives.

In the run up to the campaign, NFU dairy board chair Michael Oakes said: “As an industry, we have seen significant progress under the GB Calf Strategy. Since 2020, there have been a number of commitments made across both the beef and dairy supply chains to better integrate the two, and help ensure, as dairy farmers, we are breeding calves with an end market in mind.

“As we approach the end of the initiative’s final year, we need to continue working together to identify market opportunities and help ensure we are maximising the value of each calf to optimise returns.”