Cattle youngstock rearers now have a quick and easy way of recording and monitoring individual calf growth rates against pre-set targets, thanks to the availability of a new smartphone App from Volac.
Launched as a free tool available as a download from the company’s refreshed ‘Feed for Growth’ website, the new calf growth App is one of an innovative range of practical resources available from Volac to help farmers grow better cows.
“Our new ‘Feed for Growth’ App is designed to help farmers working with youngstock to simplify the process of assessing whether individual animals are on track to meet key performance targets,” says product manager Samantha Sampson.
“Once you have registered on the new www.feedforgrowth.com website and keyed in your growth ‘roadmap’ target data (i.e. calf birthweight; weaning weight; age at weaning; mature bodyweight; and desired age at first calving), simply download the App and get started. The App allows you to set up different holdings and record a calf’s unique ear tag number. You then simply record an individual calf’s weight as it develops and instantly see if it is on track against your pre-set roadmap graph, allowing you to make changes to its feeding programme as necessary.
“Herds can be congregated into coloured groups to help you keep track of different batches of calves. What’s more, each calf record contains useful areas for logging adversities and any notes; about its health, for example. The App has been created for farmers to do better by their cows and users can be confident that their data remains confidential – and is not visible, collected or used by anybody,” Ms Sampson says.
Volac has also refreshed its ‘Feed for Growth’ website, which contains a host of practical advice, help and resources to help farmers understand exactly what the calf needs, how to put an efficient growth plan together, and how to simply and effectively measure and monitor performance. The site also holds a range of downloadable calf rearing guides, a calf feeding calculator and the contact details of the local Volac business managers.
“How you manage a calf during the vital first few weeks of life and beyond has a significant impact on the lifetime performance of that animal. Consequently, our aim is to provide the best package of calf milk formulas, advice and practical management tools we can to make the whole business of successful calf rearing as profitable as possible,” Ms Sampson says.
Calf rearers visiting the Volac stand at UK Dairy Day on 12th September can ask for a demonstration of the new calf growth App and claim a free calf weigh tape at the same time. Alternatively visit: www.feedforgrowth.com for more information.
