Brian Reidy: Calf rearing and management for the herd's future

Social media is full of farmers with calf rearing queries at present - let’s all start to speak the same language, Irish Examiner Farming columnist Brian Reidy writes

Rearing calves is such an important part of the dairy production system and getting it right is key for the future of the herd.

Rearing calves is such an important part of the dairy production system and getting it right is key for the future of the herd. Every farm has a different way of rearing calves, but getting the basics right is the same for every producer.

The first priority must be getting the calves' immune system up and running by providing sufficient colostrum in the first 2 hours after birth.