It has been very busy at Eastbrook Farm over the past few months as our dairy herds have been calving. We have had lots of happy new borns from January to April; we even had a view of the calves from the office! The majority of the dairy cows are a Fresian breed mixed with a beef breed (mainly Angus). This allows the cows to be dual purpose, making them great for dairy cows, but brilliant for our Good Beef too.
Good Beef has a much lower carbon footprint compared to beef produced from ‘suckler’ systems where a cow just rears one calf each year. Our dairy cows produce around 6000 litres of milk for human consumption, as well as a calf. Research shows this is usually 50% more climate friendly in itself. Then we ensure that after 6 months of age, our beef cattle eat only grass and other green forages, like hay, silage and root crops.
During the colder months, the cows are brought inside to give birth as it is a lot safer and warmer for the animals. Once the weather begins to warm up again, the cows are able to go outside again to enjoy the fresh air.