Asda CalfLink

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Asda CalfLink

• Catherine Matthews
• ASDA CalfLink Coordinator

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Asda Update

• Asda 180 Dairy Bull scheme launched in 2008
  Approx three thousand bulls put through the
  scheme to date.
• Dairy Bull Fantasy Farming Projects 1 2
  completed.
• 20 on milk muscle bull Huddleston Spooky for
  all Asda DairyLink Producers
• Discounted ear tags
• 2 TB Exemption Units set up

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180 Dairy Bull Scheme

• Feeding bulls to the peak of their feed
  efficiency.
• Making use of a product previously recognised as
  a waste product.
• Creating a more cost effective product for the
  consumer

4
Fantasy Farming

• Phase 1 was completed in November 2009 on Black
  and White bulls and the winning team had a total
  profit of 623.
• Phase 2 was completed in December 2010 focusing
  on the following breeds Montbeliarde, Brown
  Swiss, Swedish Red, British Friesian and
  Holstein. The winning breed was the British
  Friesian with the highest net margin.

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Breed performance
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Conformation performance of breeds
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Yr on Yr comparison
Carc wt (kg) Net margin (/head) DLWG (kg/d)
Average 2009 306 31 1.42
Range 2009 269?332 -32?89 1.18?1.64
Average 2010 307 36 1.43
Range 2010 240?381 -398?311 0.90?2.01
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Breed Performance
Sl LW DLWG Carc wt Days on farm KO p/kg Net Margin Value
Brown Swiss 589 1.43 305 316 51.7 247 42.02 745
Montbeliard 606 1.42 316 317 52.2 252 -36.21 786
Holstein 587 1.41 301 306 51.1 241 23.98 712
British Friesian 597 1.46 306 295 51.4 246 113.15 740
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Sexed Semen

• Huddlestone Spooky
• Strong, viable bull calves
• Very Easy Calving
• Positive Fat Protein
• Low Cell Counts
• Shorter than average gestation length (275 days)
• Less than 5 uptake due to reduced conception
  rates and limited choice. (Issues currently being
  addressed with semen supplier)

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Quick Tag

• To all Asda DairyLink Farmers there is a 50
  saving on cattle tags through QuickTag.
• It allows farmers to double tag their calves from
  as little as 98p per calf, this ensures farmers
  do not need to dispose of their dairy bull calves
  due to the cost being too high.

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The Calf Company

• 10 discount for all Asda DairyLink producers on
  colostrum enhancer and milk powder replacer.
• Pool Head Farm near Winsford, Cheshire is the new
  Asda Calflink centre of Excellence.
• Pool Head Farm is a commercial unit, producing in
  excess of 1200 calves per year.

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DairyLink Meetings

• 100 meetings per year, each group has 4 meetings
  per year
• Topics covered Birth to weaning, weaning to
  rearing, Calf feeding systems Housing/ Feeding
  Machines, Colostrum freezing and testing
• Approximately 60 of DairyLink producers in the
  last three years have installed heat detection
  systems.
• Future Meeting topics Heat Time Timing of
  service, conception rate improvements

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• Thank you for your time