United Kingdom-Making the most of dairy bull calves.
UNITED KINGDOM-DAIRY BULL CALVES FOR VEAL AND BEEF.
After 18 months of genetic assessments and research, Blade Farming, the Westcountry company that has pioneered the UK’s first integrated beef-supply chain, has developed a scheme to help dairy farmers improve the beef qualities of the pure Holstein male dairy calves born on their farms.
Beef from the dairy herd supplies more than half of cattle processed in this country, but about 2,000 Holstein male dairy calves are killed each week, at or shortly after birth, mainly because their body conformation is not suited to beef production.
Beef finishers are often put off rearing and finishing Holstein bull calves due to the variability in carcass shape and health status of the calves – and welcome a scheme that would reduce the variability.
Richard Phelps, Blade Farming’s managing director, explained: "Blade Farming buys thousands of Holstein bull calves each year and we operate a number of farm-production systems.
"We commissioned research to identify the sires of calves that were found to produce good beef. As a result, we are now recommending eight bulls to dairy farmers as Blade Star Sires.
"We need to improve calf quality by improving the genetics, but we must also focus on the health of the calf at a very early stage.
"Blade rearing units are predominantly in the South West, where we operate a calf-collection centre. The Star Sires Scheme will focus on this region for the time being, with the objective for us to expand the scheme – provided that more beef finishers and processors come forward.
"Farmers using semen from one of these bulls will gain either a good dairy heifer replacement or a male dairy calf that will give a good return, instead of a disposal cost. The whole object of the scheme is to increase the value of the calves by improving the beef qualities and create a viable alternative to shooting for the dairy farmer."
The research into Blade Star Sires was carried out by Paul Westaway, a beef farmer who worked with a leading breeding company for nine years and who is currently chairman of the British Cattle Breeders’ Club.
He said: "Data shows that some farms produce over 90 per cent of Holstein bull calves that are suitable for beef production, while with others the number can be as low as 5 per cent.
"There are two main factors – providing adequate colostrum for the first three days of life and the genetic make-up of the sire and dam of the calf. We have set minimum criteria for production, type, lifespan and somatic cell count so that dairy farmers do not compromise the qualities they need in their heifers for future milk production."
The scheme has been approved by Professor Jeff Wood from the University of Bristol as a viable way to produce beef with good-standard eating qualities, on the basis that the cattle are reared and finished to a strict criteria.
Blade Farming has been involved with Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA on the Beyond Calf Exports Stakeholders Forum, along with other key industry players.
The objective of the forum has been to find welfare-friendly and economically viable options to keep black-and-white male dairy calves within the UK’s beef or veal production supply chain, rather than exporting or killing them.
In 2008, an estimated 115,000 black-and-white male dairy calves were killed on farm, and 67,000 were exported.
Philip Lymbery, chief executive of Compassion in World Farming, said: "Blade has been very active within the forum and is to be congratulated for identifying ways that dairy farmers can ensure that dairy bull calves can be reared and given a good life on British farms, instead of being exported abroad to continental veal systems, or killed at or shortly after birth."
David Bowles, the RSPCA’s head of external affairs, said: "We welcome this initiative and believe that schemes such as this that have been developed through the Calf Forum can be of long-term benefit to the UK beef and dairy industry, as well as boosting calf welfare."
Farmers who purchase semen from Blade Star Sires will be supplied with an additional ear tag for the calves – an orange tag with embossed star, the herd number and individual Blade ID.
The eight bulls being recommended to dairy farmers are: Leif, Levin, Lisleview Mtoto Lethal and Jelto from Bullsemen.com and Wa-del Junction, Ked Outside Jeeves, Regancrest RBK Diehard and Jeffana Outside Voyage, from Genus Breeding.
