DairyCo

Get interactive at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show

Published 1 September 09

Get interactive at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show

The DairyCo stand, at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show will provide visitors with the most up to date tools, advice and information on heifer rearing, milk quality and mobility, inside new, interactive, "pods".

Visit the stand, no. EH3-338, and get top level mastitis control advice, test your mobility scoring skills, and find out just how much your heifer rearing costs.

The heifer rearing pod will focus on helping farmers to get the most out of their heifers. DairyCo research has shown that of live born heifers, 14% fail to reach their first calving, and 15% are culled in their first lactation. DairyCo's Heifer Rearing Calculator helps farmers to cut unnecessary costs, identify areas for improvement and opportunities for change. This easy to use CD-Rom will be available for use throughout the Show and DairyCo Extension Officers will be on hand to offer advice to farmers, whatever their result.

Also on the heifer rearing pod there will be demonstrations of the 'Belly Band'.  This is a tool that helps farmers to determine if a cow is at a healthy weight, without the need for weighing scales!

Farmers visiting the mobility pod can learn about the advantages of regular mobility scoring.  By answering questions on a touch screen computer monitor farmers can test their ability to spot lameness in cows.  The farmer then has the option to talk to an Extension Officer or vet about how to tackle the issue of lameness on farm.  Poor mobility in dairy cows can cost farmers an average of £180 per case through lost milk sales, treatments and productivity.

The milk quality pod provides visitors with a wealth of information and advice on mastitis, including a Mastitis Clinic Q & A in association with Farmers Guardian, and how the DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan can reduce incidences of mastitis on farm.

It also includes an anti-bacterial hand swabbing machine. An easy to carry out test will show farmers just how much bacteria they are carrying around on their hands, even after they have been washed. This hygiene monitoring system helps to assess hygiene standards and on farm cleaning procedures to try to minimise the transfer of bacteria that can cause diseases such as mastitis. The machine measures the amount of bacteria in a sample which then indicates overall biological contamination of surfaces and milking equipment.

For more information on any of the topics above, or to order the Heifer Rearing Calculator and other DairyCo publications, please email publications@dairyco.org.uk or call 024 7647 8695.

ENDS

1 September 2009

For further information:

N:        Helen Bond

T:        02476 478696

E:        helen.bond@dairyco.org.uk

Notes for Editors:

DairyCo is a division of the statutory levy board, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

DairyCo's current focus is on improving the profitability of dairy farming by focusing on four specific areas:

• Provision of high quality market information to help farmers and their representatives make the most of dairy markets and opportunities.
• Helping dairy farmers increase their profits while meeting regulatory and environmental requirements - through the provision of world class research programmes and practical on-farm tools and services
• Helping promote the positive perception of dairy farming with the general public.
• The development of DairyCo activities towards a self-sustaining model.

DairyCo is funded entirely by milk producers, via a statutory levy on all milk sold off-farm, at the rate of 0.06p per litre.  This provides an annual income of around £6.5m.