DairyCo

Cheshire & Staffordshire

James Hague
Cheshire

Nicola Fair
Staffordshire

Introducing the Extension Team in your area

We aim to help farmers by arranging meetings to help develop techniques and deliver efficient use of time. We want you to get the best value from your levy.

An important aspect to what we do is helping farmers find solutions to technical problems they may encounter. The DairyCo open meetings provide a platform to speak to farmers and help with problems like lameness and mobility in your herd.

What's coming up?

• In May one of Extension Officer Nicky Fair's Staffordshire groups have asked to look at 'making sense of your medicine cupboard' when we will be trying to understand the different groups of antibiotics and other drugs,  the sensible use of them and how to make recording medicine use easier. Sensible use of antibiotics and other medicines is becoming increasingly topical in the dairy industry.  If you are interested in been part of a discussion group Nicky Fair is currently trying to establish groups in the Uttoxeter and Leek areas, please get in touch Nicky Fair - 07854 509076 or email Nicola.fair@dairyco.ahdb.org.uk

• The National Cattle lameness conference takes place on 2^nd May in Worcester featuring some of the top lameness experts on lameness. Mainly aimed at vets and other advisors, keep your eye out for write ups of the conference in the farming press.  
• DairyCo are working to train paraprofessionals from vet practices and other people within the industry in Mobility Scoring. These trained paraprofessional are then working with Mobility Mentors to carry out mobility scoring as part of the Healthy Feet Program. The next Mobility scoring training course next course is on the 9^th May in Cheshire but keep your eye on the website for upcoming courses.
• On 29^th and 30^th May Extension Officer Nicky Fair is organising two meetings in North Shropshire and on the Staffordshire border, that link in with some of the issues related to Catchment Sensitive Farming. We will be looking at soil structure and nutrients, different methods of slurry application and what benefits they can bring. More details are to follow so look out for the invites. 
• DairyCo will be attending the Cheshire County Show on 19^th & 20^th June.  Please come and visit our stand in the Agri Centre.  If you are already or thinking about hosting farm visits find out what resources DairyCo have to offer and how we can support you.

• Following a Milkbench+ feedback meeting, a Discussion Group have asked to look into their vet costs throughout the year with an aim to highlight areas of improvement and to cut costs.

What's been happening?

BGS Spring Walk comes to Cheshire
Over 200 farmers came to Home Farm, Wincham to see how Richard Fryer manages his grassland. We heard how Richard had made the transition from an all year round calving herd to an Autumn block and how he is working towards simplifying the system. Kate Burnby from Willows Vets spoke about the managing fertility in block calving herds and Chris Duller from DairyCo led discussion on nutrient management.

Energy Efficiency
In April the Belton Cheese Discussion group heard from Keith Maloney of Maloney Associates how to negotiate a better electricity contract.  The group debated the benefits of solar and wind power and also saw the investment that Belton Cheese had made into solar panels to produce electricity for the plant.