Youngstock: Stop the Loss campaign launched
Farmers Weekly has launched a six-week campaign to highlight the youngstock losses occurring on UK farms and provide best practice advice on calf rearing for livestock producers.
The Farmers Weekly Youngstock: Stop the Loss campaign, in conjunction with the National Youngstock Association, has the support of key industry bodies – BOCM PAULS, Marks and Spencer, Pfizer Animal Health, Quedron, Tata Steel and Volac.
Campaign director Gemma Mackenzie said: “Our campaign has been launched to highlight the youngstock losses occurring on British dairy farms, and proactively address these losses in a bid to secure the future of the national herd.
“In the UK over 130,000 dairy calves, including dairy beef, are born dead or die within the first 24 hours. This is the equivalent of one calf every four minutes.”
Over the next six weeks, Farmers Weekly will go back to basics with youngstock rearing, providing best practice advice from leading experts alongside how-to videos and downloadable factsheets.
In addition, farmers from up and down the country will share their experience of youngstock rearing in key areas such as: colostrum management, management of calf on milk, weaning and nutrition, calf health and common diseases, housing options, and measuring and monitoring.
All of the campaign information and best practice advice will be available on a dedicated section of the Farmers Weekly website and you can pledge your support by clicking “like” on the campaign Facebook page.
“By providing practical, back-to-basics advice, we hope readers will take a fresh look at youngstock management and see calves as an integral part of their farming businesses,” said Ms Mackenzie.
CAMPAIGN AIMS
• Raise awareness of the scale of youngstock losses on British dairy farms.
• Support farmers in reducing losses by providing practical advice.
• Unite the industry to help secure the future of the national herd
GET INVOLVED
• For more information on the campaign, visit our dedicated page
• Pledge your support on Facebook
• Share your youngstock stories on our forums
• Email: gemma.mackenzie@rbi.co.uk
• Post: Youngstock Campaign, Farmers Weekly, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS