The discussion took place on a recent visit to the University College Dublin (UCD) dairy calf education and research facility located at UCD Lyons Farm, Co. Kildare.

The development of the calf-research facility was supported by ABP Food Group as well as other agri-businesses, and Bates pointed out some of the aspects that make the shed a good environment to rear calves.

While the state-of-the-art shed is not reflective of the facilities most farmers rear their calves in, many of the features in this shed can be replicated by dairy-calf-to-beef farmers in their own sheds to ensure calves are being reared in an optimum environment.

The Advantage Beef Programme farm liaison officer said "the key principles of what makes this such a good shed still ring true to any efficient calf rearing facility".

She noted the Yorkshire boarding ventilation allowing fresh air through the shed without causing drafts on the calves.

"Calves are not cold, but there's constantly a subtle air flow taking any stale air out of the shed," she said.

Bates also noted the deep straw bedding available for the calves, allowing them to nest in the bed.

She also said that it is important that moisture can soak away and that the calves' bed is dry.

On hygiene when rearing calves, Bates said: "A big thing in this system with the JFC Automatic Calf Feeders is taking the teats off once a day, washing the used teats in a bucket of Milton and reapplying them.

"When you have 30 calves in the pen, it keeps things clean," she explained, added that it will stop issues with bacteria.

ABP initiative

The ABP farm liaison officer explained that the beef processor runs an initiative linking dairy farmers with beef farmers "who are looking for high genetic-merit beef calves off good dairy farms with the right cow type".

"We have a source-base of dairy farmers who are involved in the programme and they contact us when they have calves ready to move," Bates said.

"And of course, we have the guarantee that the calves are bred off the right bulls, receive the right amount of colostrum and whatever vaccination programmes have been in place, whether it's for the cows or for the calves."

Commenting on the type of dairy farms calves are sourced from for the ABP initiative with farmers, she said: "They would be very similar to what the guys are doing here at Lyons Farm.

"A good cow type, no Jersey genetics, good calf facilities and plenty of colostrum in the calves as well as, ideally, a vaccination programme for scour in the cows.

"The bulls must be of a certain genetic merit. The sires have to be high carcass weight, so ideally above breed average for whatever breed that the farmer is using.

"So in Angus, we'd like to see plus 10kg carcass-weight and we'd like to see plus 23kg for the continental-type sires."

Bates said that the ABP farm liaison team has "moved over 2,000 calves last spring and a similar number the spring before that," and added that they hope to link a similar number of calves this year.