This website looks at the current practice and economics behind Holstein bull calf rearing up to 12 weeks of age. It is intended for those who are rearing, or are considering rearing, young calves from dairy herds.
- Current practice provides husbandry information on, for example, calf selection and procurement, feeding regimes and methods, housing, health and welfare, environment, and performance and targets. In the health and welfare section there are downloadable summaries of key legislation to take into account when considering calf rearing, and information about the common ailments of young calves.
- Market potential gives a brief overview of why calf rearers should consider Holstein bull calves alongside continental-cross calves when thinking of the end-market for their products.
- Economics provides a summary of the key considerations when choosing a calf rearing system along with a downloadable spreadsheet to enable farm-level assessments of economic viability. Variables such as input costs and batch size can be entered into the spreadsheet and comparisons made between Holstein bull calves and continental-cross calves in different rearing systems.
- Further reading signposts the keen reader to more detailed veterinary and husbandry information, and in the Acknowledgements section there are links to some of the organisations central to calf rearing, including livestock marketing groups and research organisations.
