Two born, one to go! Young farmer, Hallam, introduces the calves at The Dairyy at Honeydale.
Cow-calf dairying is beneficial in terms of animal welfare, since natural suckling provides antibodies and is better for the calf than a milk replacer. It’s also better for the cow and udders as it avoids mastitis. Benefits to the dairy farmer include improved yield and cost savings by reducing the need for antibiotics and post-dipping. Cow-calf dairies work by striking a natural balance between milking and suckling to keep the yield up. The process involves ‘quiet weaning’, whereby cows and calves are separated overnight. The cows are milked first thing in the morning and the cows then run with their calves for the rest of the day, with the calves suckling at will.