IN PRACTICE

We run a fairly large dairy farm, but for a long time the calves did not have any permanent accommodation. As calf rearing became more important on the farm and the cow shed became overcrowded increasingly more often, we had to come up with a solution. Because the risk of infection also increased and our calves started experiencing health problems, we opted for the CalfOTel outdoor rearing system.

Almost immediately after we set up our first calf boxes, we saw significant improvements the growth and development of the animals. This is why we also decided to rear our calves longer outdoors and move them into CalfOTel group accommodation after a few weeks in individual boxes.

We have now been working with this rearing system for several years and the results have always been excellent. The calves are healthier, stronger and fetch considerably higher prices when they are sold. We also benefit from the advantages of outdoor rearing with higher milk yields every day.

We have now recovered the relatively low investment costs and our conclusion regarding the CalfOTel system is that it is the best guarantee for rearing healthy calves during the first, critical months of their lives. Unfortunately, the importance of this period is underestimated by large numbers of dairy farmers.