AS spring approaches, many dairy farmers are keeping a close watch on their herds.
Calving season has begun across the State,and for many this is a fast-paced time of the year.
Among those vigilant producers is Chris Kelliher, who runs 229 split-calving cows on the fringes of Neerim South in West Gippsland with his partner Sue Farthing.
The third-generation farmer was one of three dairy businesses in the region who took the time last week to explain their calf-rearing practices to a group of Young Dairy Development Program (YDDP) members.
Mr Kelliher said a three-pronged approach to calving worked best for his operation.
"I don't like calving for six months of the year – I try to make the process as quick and efficient as possible," he said.
He said a revamp of the property about 15 years ago led him to refine his calf-rearing methods.
By the late '90s, Mr Kelliher said, the family's century-old farm had reached a crossroads and had become unviable.
"Our eight-unit walkthrough couldn't take any more than 100 cows," he said.
So they set about expanding their capacity, installing a 21-a-side swing-over, among other things.
"We needed to upgrade the dairy, the laneways, the pumps, the effluent ponds. You name it, we had to spend money," he said.
"Getting new calf sheds was way down on the list of things to do."
Instead, Mr Kelliher opted to make the most of the facilities they did have.
Cows are dried off about six weeks prior to calving (spring and autumn), and are brought into the "springer group" two weeks out from calving.
Mr Kelliher also "lead" feeds his pregnant cows for two weeks before giving birth.
"I started that in the drought, and just stuck with it," he said. "The benefits are exceptional."
In the most recent autumn calving season, Mr Kelliher reported just one case of milk fever across 112 cows.
Today, three sheds are used in the calf-rearing process – all of which surround the dairy shed.
This way, Mr Kelliher can keep a close eye on the animals.
"Observation is the key. You have to make sure you get on top of sick calves early on," he said.
The first shed, an already established facility (albeit old), takes in all the newborns.
A bedding of sawdust adorns the floor.
"This shed works well because it is in a convenient location close to the driveway, so the calves can be picked up easily when they need to be sold," he said.
The young calves are fed two litres of milk in the morning and night.
Those staying on (Mr Kelliher requires about 40 replacement heifers each year) are transferred to the second shed.
"This shed has an elevated, perforated steel mesh floor, with shade-cloth and sawdust laid over the top," he said.
It is designed for maximum drainage, which is important when rearing healthy calves.
At first, Mr Kelliher installed the perforated mesh, but the calves preferred to sit on the concrete.
The addition of the shade-cloth has been welcomed by the young heifers, which he says are more comfortable now.
"When they get to once-a-day milking, they are transferred to the third shed, which has an elevated, mesh and perforated rubber flooring," he said.
There they are fed three litres of milk daily, which Mr Kelliher brings straight from the dairy by bucket.
They are also introduced to calf feeders, where they taste their first hard feed – pellets and straw.
They remain there for 9-10 weeks, and are then allowed on to pasture.
"It is a lot of shifting around, but it works well for us," he said.
"We hardly lose a calf at all."
Mr Kelliher said it was important to have a system that suited the individual's operation.
"Calves are the future of your herd, so you need to be making sure you've got a good system in place," he said.
In the past, Mr Kelliher reared extra calves to take advantage of the export market, but said it wasn't worth the effort unless the returns were there.
"If the export market stays down, which the trend is suggesting, it's really not worth it," he said.
At the moment the plan is stick to rearing 22-23 calves twice a year, as well as doubling the size of the first shed, which will help smooth out the calf-rearing process.
Irene Baker, who helped to organise the YDDP day, said she hoped the group of young farmers had taken in some valuable lessons about calf-rearing they could take back to their own farms.
