Second-year PhD student Ciaran McGee from Trim, Co. Meath, a familiar face in the UCD calf shed, is conducting research on the nutrition of dairy heifer calves and dairy-beef calves.

McGee graduated from Animal and Crop Production (ACP) in UCD in September 2024 and started his PhD in October 2024.

The PhD is funded through BiOrbic platform funding.

McGee said that the spring 2026 calving season began on the farm in the final week of January and as of the morning of Friday, February 13, there were 54 calves on the ground.

The PhD student explained the protocols in place for when a cow calves on the farm.

He said that - as is standard industry practice all calves get 3L of colostrum within two hours of birth.

Calves then receive a subsequent feed of colostrum from their own dam 12 hours later, with this being a 3-4L feed.

At a day of age, calves are then moved into the calf shed on the farm where they are moved into individual calf cribs.

Calves remain in these groups for three to four days, receiving subsequent feeds of transition milk.

When calves are six to seven days-of-age, they are then transitioned into a training pen where they are introduced both to other other calves as well as milk powder.

Then calves are moved into the larger pens at about 10 days-of-age, where they are put on to an experimental treatment.

What research is currently taking place?

Commenting on some of the research currently taking place at the UCD dairy calf education and research facility, the PhD student said: "We have a pre-weaning focused dairy heifer trial.

"We're investigating the different weaning strategies to successfully wean calves off of a high plane of milk feeding.

"The plan this year is to feed calves up to 8L of high-quality milk replacer, and then we're going to step them down with a linear reduction in milk volume over two or three weeks, with an adjustment then in feeding frequency, feeding four times versus two times a day."

Automatic feeder benefits

The student explained the benefits of the automatic feeder from an animal health and data-recording perspective.

He said: "The most important thing that the automatic milk feeder provides to us is a detailed breakdown of when calves have drank and how much they have drank.

"From a health perspective, it's a very useful tool to pick up on calves that are dropping in feed intake and allowing us to investigate does this calf need a treatment."

Key tips for the calf shed

McGee emphasised the importance of good hygiene in the calf shed.

He said: "It's very important from a calf perspective in terms of people coming in and out the sheds.

"We have dairy staff coming in [to the calf shed] from the from the dairy house so we have foot baths at the entrance to the shed. Coveralls and boots are washed on exiting the shed.

"Even from a calf milk feeding perspective, all feeders are washed down daily and teats on the on the milk feeders are swapped out and disinfected.

"It's very important from a from a calf's early life perspective to get health right," he said.