Sustainable Beef Systems – Pre-Calving Nutrition for Calf Survival

Sustainable Beef Systems is back for series 4, focusing on one of the biggest challenges facing suckler producers – reducing losses at calving.

As a multifactorial problem that starts long before calving, this series aims to explore some of the genetic, nutritional, and management factors you can influence to maximise calf survival in the first 30 days of life in your suckler beef systems featuring practical tips from vets and geneticists.

Part Two: Pre-Calving Nutrition for Calf Survival

In our second webinar, Professor Alastair Macrae will give an insight into the foundations of pre-calving nutrition to maximise calf survival from his work as a veterinary surgeon providing independent consultancy to dairy, beef and sheep farmers at the Dairy Herd Health and Productivity Service (DHHPS) and undertaking research at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies on livestock health and productivity to prevent disease and maximise farm productivity.

What we will cover:

• How nutrition of the cow influences calf survival?
• An overview of body condition scoring and metabolic profiling of the pregnant cow
• The importance of trace elements at this key period
• The impact of getting pre-calving nutrition wrong on neonatal calf survival and beyond.

Linked FAS Material:

https://www.fas.scot/livestock/beef-cattle/sustainable-beef-systems/