Eimear joined the Wynnstay team in 2017 as a Calf Specialist, covering the South West of England she developed the presence of calf milk and youngstock feeds and supporting the regional sales team. In October 2018 Eimear was promoted to the position of Calf & Youngstock Manager with overall responsibility to manage The Calf & Youngstock Team, whilst also being the Product Manager for Calf and Lamb Milk Replacers.
Eimear has a BSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare from Bristol University and after graduating she joined Foyle Foods, a meat processing company where she developed a keen eye for good carcass quality. Raised on a beef farm in Northern Ireland, Eimear has a firm understanding for the importance of getting the first few months of a calf’s life correct, resulting in a more productive cow and better quality carcass.
We have come to a point in calf rearing, where there is an abundance of advice and information available to farmers. We quite often know what the ‘ideal’ scenarios are for rearing healthy calves. Some farmers are putting these advised practises in place on their farms, and yet not getting the desired result – and this is understandably frustrating.
Calf weaning is always a topic of much discussion and debate; it is difficult to filter through advice and figure out what is best for your farm. I have sat around many farm kitchen tables and had the same discussion. As a calf specialist, I would always recommend weaning later, and using a step down weaning method but don’t just take my word for it, let’s have a look at some of the research.
This year has seen the launch of our milk powder that has been specifically designed and formulated for beef calves – Prime Beef. Prime Beef is a high quality whey based powder, a high 22% protein content promoting good growth rates, and a lower 17% oil rate to drive early concentrate intake.
As times change and farming becomes an ever more competitive business, farmers are all striving to get the best and the most from their calves. The first and most important factor in a calf’s first hours of life is colostrum.
Gone are the days where we leave the calf with the cow and hope that it sucks enough itself – with no idea how much the calf is getting or of what quality.