Exceeding customer expectation will always be a fundamental driver for any new product that comes to market. And where United Feeds’ Advance Fortified calf milk replacer is concerned, this has been the strong view consistently expressed by milk producers across Northern Ireland over the past 12 months. Driving this recognition has been the capacity of […]
Category: Calf Rearing
Advancing young stock performance: Achieving the 24 month target
United Feeds’ nutritionist, Jenny Hamilton, confirmed that the onset of puberty is generally determined by heifer weight as opposed to age. And although weighing replacement heifers is the most accurate measure, it’s not often practical. She further explained: “Bodyweight and height at the withers are closely correlated with one another. So having a height gauge […]
Advancing young stock performance: Worming strategies at grass
Zoetis veterinarian, Patricia van Veen, informed the seminar that stomach worms continue to have a significant impact. An EU-wide study published in 2020 estimated that gutworm, lungworm and liver fluke infections cost the UK cattle industry an estimated £227M* annually. Her key take-home message centred around the benefits of working as a team with your […]
Advancing young stock performance: Rumen development
The absolute imperative of maximising rumen development throughout the rearing period of all calves and weanlings was emphasised repeatedly at a recent young stock performance seminar, hosted, by United Feeds. Courtesy of his presentation, Aaron Brown – Technical Sales Manager with Trouw Nutrition, specifically characterised the maturation of the rumen at two levels: the growth […]
Pre-weaning – The tiny window of enormous opportunity
Calf rearing practices have evolved over the years, but the fundamental goals remain the same: build immunity, develop the rumen and maximise growth, all at minimal cost. There’s no denying that cost will be at the top of the agenda this year. Focussing solely on the price of calf milk replacer or concentrate though, is […]
Growing your future
Due to the cost of milk replacer versus starter feed it’s not unreasonable to assume that feeding more milk replacer is expensive. However, if you consider cost per weight gained, then pre-weaning is in fact the cheapest period to obtain growth. The first 12 weeks of a calf’s life is also the period of highest […]
The 2022 grass year starts now
Grass remains the farming sector’s greatest resource. Our ability to produce significant quantities of milk, beef and lamb from grazed grass and silage sets us apart from the rest of the world. So much for the good news: the even better news is that local farmers are becoming better grassland farmers. This is a point […]
Looking back on 24 months of heifer rearing in Gilford
Ongoing Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) research is again confirming the importance of dairy heifers calving down successfully at 24 months of age. It’s an approach that ticks every box: two year old heifers that have reached their proper weight targets are more likely to achieve higher lifetime milk outputs. This level of performance is […]
Improved nutrition will act to boost immunity levels in young calves
The considerable daily fluctuations in temperatures of recent weeks are significantly increasing the respiratory challenges faced by calves across Northern Ireland. United Feeds’ nutritionist Jenny Hamilton takes up the story: Retaining body heat can be a real challenge for young calves at the best of times. So the recent variations in temperatures, particularly those mild […]
Management and feeding of today’s calves affects your herd’s future performance
By Jenny Hamilton – Ruminant Nutritionist I believe the genetic ceiling of many herds is higher than performance achieved, and I think nutrition plays the biggest role in filling that gap, not just dry cow and milking cow diets which clearly influence production, but also in growing youngstock correctly to take full advantage of their […]