It’s back – The Pr€vention for Profit competition

Now we’re looking for the best dairy calf rearer in the country! #MyCalfOurFuture

Competition Details

This year, the Pr€vention for Profit competition is focused on calves. The #MyCalfOurFuture concept highlights the importance of the newborn calf to the sustainability of the farm, the farmer, their family and the rural economy.

Prevention for Profit competition

This competition is aimed at dairy farmers who are maximising their on-farm profitability by focusing on the four key pillars of production – Nutrition, Genetics, Management and Animal Health. We aim to showcase the management of Irish dairy calves by identifying farmers who implement best practice when it comes to calf rearing.

Of those that enter the competition, there will be one dairy farmer selected from each of the four provinces as finalists. The four finalists will be assessed based on the four pillars of production. A panel of four judges will conduct a single half day farm visit to assess their calves’ level of productivity and profitability.

The winning farmer will win an all-expenses paid study tour to mainland Europe to visit some top-performing dairy farms, to see and learn how they operate. For your chance to win, click the link below. Good luck!

Please read the terms and conditions of the competition, here.

Announcement: Prevention for Profit competition

MSD Animal Health are delighted to announce the two overall champions of this year’s Prevention for Profit competition.

This year the competition was aimed at progressive sheep farmers who felt they were maximising their profitability by focusing on the four key pillars of production. These four key pillars are nutrition, breeding, animal health and management.

William Clarke was selected as the overall lowland champion of the competition. From just outside Ardrums, Co. Meath, William farms along side his father David.

William is a young farmer, mid-season lambing 570 ewes and ewe lambs. William excelled in the competition and provided a very clear rationale as to why he was taking particular steps on his farm.

William and his father place a strong emphasis on the health of their flock and are vaccinating against enzootic abortion, toxoplasmosis, pasteurella and clostridial diseases.

Check out the video below to hear more on why the judges chose William as the overall lowland champion of the competition.

Martin Hopkins was selected as the overall hill champion of the competition. His farm outside Drummin, Co. Mayo extends to 120 acres (48.6ha) of enclosed hill ground along with enclosed commonage grazing.

He is farming 300 Mayo-Blackface ewes and like William places a strong emphasis on his flock’s health to ensure they perform in the terrain in which they are run.

Listen to Martin, and why the judges selected him as the overall hill champion, by checking out the video below.

Three farmers were selected as champions from each category and the six finalists were judged by a panel of judges on the four pillars of production.

For more information on all six finalists, click here.

The Prevention for Profit concept is part of a global MSD animal health initiative which is called ‘#TimeToVaccinate’.

The ‘Time to Vaccinate’ initiative focuses on the use of preventative practices to ensure the well-being of farm animals and the sustainable production of meat, dairy and lamb.

It supports farmers who have already adopted vaccination, as well as farmers who want to learn more about how vaccination can improve animal health, productivity and subsequently profitability.

For more information on the #TimeToVaccinate initiative please click here.