To evidence ‘best practice’ calf rearing first hand, the CCC students visited the Smethurst farm to look at their calf shed & calf rearing facilities with Byron & James Maxwell. Students inspected the herringbone dairy, drafting system, cow collars to detect mating & their calving pad which featured a camera so Byron could check his cows on his phone at anytime. At Powell’s farm, Andy described the workings of his rotary dairy & his computer system which enabled him to keep accurate farm records & treat individual cows. He outlined the use of technology & management systems he had in place to ensure his cows were fully fed, the annual production for the farm & demonstrated the importance of good farm layout & tracks. |