Calf Rearer of the Year Awards - 2021

We feel calf rearing is an extremely important part of dairy farming and that until recently, has not been fully appreciated. The research is clearly demonstrating that better calves = better dairy cows = more milk in the vat!

Not that productivity is the sole reason calf rearers do the wonders they do. They do it to achieve healthy, vibrant calves, by putting in an enormous amount of work and effort.

With the increase in popularity and to base the selection on hard data, we changed the procedure for this year’s awards. Out of the nominees, five farms with the top Failure of Passive transfer results received a visit from myself and Kurt from MSD for judging.

It certainly was a tough task to separate out the finalists! All of them had impeccable hygiene, fantastic looking calves, and next to no issues with disease. Massive congratulations to you all, on your fantastic achievements. Needless to say, making the decision for this year’s winners, really meant we had to nitpick through all the details.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

1st : Philippa Trounce from Eyrewell Dairy, Waipapa Farm.

2nd=: The quality of the calf rearers were so close this year, we could not separate out a runner up, this was shared by Amy Schouten, and Carine Joubert.

Honourable mention must also go to Jess Maaka and Jo Spencer-Bower at Claxby farms, as well as Glenn and Kirsty Prattley at Wychwood.