Top Tips for Devon Farmers on Fertility and Grazing Management
29/06/07

The EBLEX Beef Better Returns Programme (Beef BRP) has brought together some of the top experts on grazing management and herd fertility to share their knowledge with beef farmers in Devon.

On 13th July 2007 at Meldon Farm, Okehampton, beef producers will have the opportunity to visit one of the country’s top commercial beef herds. Philip and Mandy Heard farm 650 acres of permanent pasture. They also benefit from grazing rights on Dartmoor, with 100 Welsh Blacks making the most use of it. The rest of the 320-head herd is mainly Limousin x Friesian with a small number of pedigree Charolais.

“This farm is an excellent example of a producer using the land and resources available to them in the most efficient way possible to get the best return,” says Netta de la Cour, Beef BRP Project Manager, EBLEX. “We have put together an evening of guest speakers who are experts in their field and can provide the latest top tips and best advice available in the industry today.

“Improving fertility and reducing the calving interval of a herd, for example, or extending the grazing season can improve productivity and reduce costs substantially.

“The event is free to English beef producers and provides an excellent introduction to the many straightforward changes that farmers can put into practice on farm to achieve better returns.”

The programme for the evening:

• 5.30pm Arrival and welcome with Philip Heard (Meldon Farm) and EBLEX representative
• 6pm Pasture Management for Grazing Beef Cattle, with Bryan Evans, Independent Agronomist
• 6.40pm Optimising Herd Fertility – Bull and Cow Factors, with local vet Roger Cunningham
• 7.30pm Farm walk with hosts and speakers
  

To book a place, or for more information, beef producers should contact Sophie Whigham on 01953 601655 or email brpevents@eblex.org.uk

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