Darragh McCullough: How we slashed the number of dairy bull calves we have to offload from 300 to 30
Sexed semen and cow collars have made the breeding process much more efficient, and improved safety and animal welfare
'A couple of key technological advances have made it all possible’. Photo: Roger Jones
Fifteen years ago I was getting worked up about the ‘biological waste’ from the dairy herd. Cross-bred dairy bull calves were becoming more common at marts, and for the first time in decades calves were being given away for free in the hope that someone would take a punt on them.
I called it a ticking time-bomb. Valueless calves are the first to get overlooked during the pressure cooker period of spring calving, and sick and dying calves are not an image that any livestock sector wants.
