Dairy advisor, Trevor Dunwoody, joins Emma-Louise Coffey to discuss alternative calf rearing facilities.
Trevor explains examples of use of calf hutches on silage slabs, rearing calves outdoors from 3-4 weeks of age, contract rearing, sale of non-replacement stock from 2 weeks of age and construction of a new calf shed or modifying existing sheds.
With calf hutches, calves are typically housed in groups of 3 to 8 and Trevor explains it is important that run off can be collected.
When rearing calves outdoor, it is important to identify a sheltered paddock or provide an artificial shelter. Calves are generally fed with a mobile feeder and therefore, can be managed in larger groups.
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https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/