THOUSANDS of UK dairy farmers will have to track all their calves – including bull calves – for the first eight weeks of life from January.

Opening up access to new markets and streamlining data compliance is the free Breedr app. Its founders have been working with the dairy industry to bring farmers closer together, fulfil Arla’s new eight-week reporting requirements, and help producers add value to their stock.

“We have been trialling the app with several Arla farmers, and it’s proven a tremendous success,” explains co-founder Ian Wheal. “Producers simply enter their calf data and sync the app with BCMS so that – with the right permissions – they can track the calves wherever they are reared, and produce an automatic eight-week report.”

In a bid to match up dairy farmers with potential calf rearers, Breedr is also launching a new online marketplace, helping producers to either form their own dedicated supply chain or sell calves to a range of local rearers and finishers.

“We firmly believe that farmers are stronger together – and by taking out the middleman and offering greater transparency, we can help producers to improve their margins and productivity,” says Mr Wheal.

Dairy farmers will be able to sell their calves through the app commission-free until the end of April 2021.

Patrick Morris-Eyton milks 230 Holstein cows at Beckside Farm in the Lake District, and started selling to a dedicated calf rearer, Damien Whiteman, 11 months ago. “It’s really taken the pressure off at our end; it saves space and time requirements,” he says. Both farmers use the Breedr app, meaning they know when calves will be ready to move, and ensuring traceability for Arla’s eight-week report.

Breedr is holding a webinar series for dairy farmers, entitled Dairy Beef Calves of the Future. The monthly series will explore how UK dairy farmers can streamline their dairy beef production and work with other farmers to deliver a step-change in beef productivity post-Brexit.

The first episode, Adding Value to Dairy Beef, will be held on Thursday, December 17, at 7pm. Join dairy farmer Patrick Morris-Eyton and Breedr product manager James Wright as they explore how simple processes can add significant value to dairy beef calves.

Visit www.breedr.co/breedr-for-dairy-farmers to sign-up for the webinar series.