Earlier this year we visited Imi Manning, a third-generation beef farmer just outside of Ledbury in Herefordshire, who has further expanded their contract calf rearing unit. The 350-acre farm is also home to 800 Aberfield Ewes and 1300
lambs during the spring months, sold into ABP and local markets. Investment has been made in their infrastructure which includes new buildings and a unique outdoor rearing unit.
In 2020 the decision was made to move the rearing units outside and keep the weaning units within the barn. Switching to a veranda style rearing unit, with insulated igloos, has enabled Imi and her team to reduce the impact of any disease transfer and heat stress, by maximising pen ventilation and reduced stocking density. Each igloo has automatic refillable water troughs, concentrate feeders and straw racks. To further support performance and overall wellness, each pen and igloo is then mucked out, pressure washed and disinfected after each batch, waiting at least seven days before a new batch is in the same pen.
“Since I last caught up with NWF, I was rearing roughly 650 beef cross calves a year, we are now averaging 800 a year, spread pretty evenly across the 12 months. Calves are brought onto the farm at 2-3 weeks old from collection centres across Herefordshire and the surrounding counties, weighing between 55-65kg”, says Imi who with her team rear the calves for 12 weeks, before selling them to Meadow Quality at 15 weeks of age, approximately 140-150kg.
“With calf rearing at the forefront of our business, we’ve put a real focus on maximising welfare and calf productivity during the 12 or so weeks they are here. Calves are pre-weighed before arriving on the farm, then again 3 weeks later, when weaned and then every 2 weeks after. By consistently weighing our calves, we can track DLWG’s and benchmark against previous batches and years,” adds Imi.
Straight after arriving on the farm, calves are split into groups of 15, selected based on their pre-arrival weight to ensure calves progress at similar rates and to enable diets to be altered accordingly. Calves are fed a combination of milk replacer and straw from day 1-26 before being weaned on NWF’s Fusion Rearer 18 and 16, a high-quality compound, formulated using Ultra Pro-R, a unique protected rapeseed
meal to ensure the nutritional make-up is not compromised.
“Since making the switch to NWF’s Fusion Rearer diets, we’ve averaged over 1KG DLWG. The calves absolutely love it, the coats are shiny, we’re more than happy with growth rates and the delivery service has been excellent. We’ve also built our foundations around the 5C’s of calf rearing. Aside from the colostrum, focusing on the other four elements has given us a solid foundation to increase productivity across all operations”, says Imi. With contract rearing, farms must hit final weight targets before Meadow Quality will collect at the 15-week mark. By consistently weighing, Imi and the team can ensure each calf receives the correct nutrition during its 12 weeks. If batches are underperforming, Imi will look at increasing the milk replacer or compound fed, and vice versa.
To reduce labour, Imi has installed an automatic calf milk feeder machine in each pen, offering calves free access 24/7, something they have found essential to keeping calves calm and content throughout. “These are some of the most content calves I’ve ever seen. The calves are happy and relaxed when myself, Imi and her team are in the pens. It is a testament to the wonderful rearing practices that are carried out”, says Abbie Norbury, NWF sales specialist, who provides nutritional expertise. NWF Agriculture would like to thank Imi and the team for their insight into their contract calf rearing operation and thank them for their continued business.
For further information on maximising your beef herd, please speak to your local NWF Sales Specialist or call 0800 756 2787.
