Calf poster gives blueprint for best practice
© Mint Images/REX/Shutterstock An educational poster on calf rearing has been released by a partnership of animal health professionals to promote best practice in youngstock management.
The Calf Health and Welfare Blueprint details all the core aspects of successful calf rearing and is part of the #Calfmatters initiative.
The poster’s content was decided through a peer-reviewed process by veterinarians, which included the Calf Matters Roundtable, hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Features include QR codes (quick response codes) that can be scanned by QR readers on smartphones to access industry documents from research organisations and universities to benchmark your animal welfare.Â
See also: How to reduce stress and disease in youngstock
What information does the poster cover? |
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Management |
Monitoring |
Teamwork |
Prevention |
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Nutrition tips on milk, colostrum, concentrate intake Health Sourcing Environment Table on milk replacer and weather conditions Stocking rates as calves grow |
Targets for colostrum quality and weight gain Cow targets for mortality and weight at first calving Vaccine monitoring – is temperature correct? Supply chain metrics i.e. abattoir results, disease screening Drugs use Cost of production Environmental assessment i.e. temperature and nesting |
Nine steps to managing staff Advice on how to consistently benchmark progress and hit goals Five bespoke key performance indicators |
Ten ways to cut the need to use antibiotics and improve calf resilience Two tips on vet involvement Seven tips on minimising stress on calves |
Where can I get the poster?
- Farmers can call their vet practice to request a poster
- Posters can be obtained directly from Boehringer Ingelheim by contacting ukcustomersupport@boehringer-ingelheim.com. Or call 01344 746978
- The poster will be available to download in March from calfmatters.com
What is Calf Matters?
- Calf Matters is an industry-wide calf health campaign centred around monitoring and improving calf health on farms across the UK.
- Based around an online hub, the website is a resource for farmers and vets keen on promoting best practice in youngstock management
This follows Boehringer Ingelheim’s Calf Matters survey, an audit of calf rearing on 395 farms in the UK and Ireland in 2018. Read more about the survey.Â