Dairy Calf Management for Finishing off Pasture

Field lab introduction

Two farms in England are trialling ways to make best use of pasture for rearing dairy-beef calves (surplus male calves bred in dairy systems). They want to prove that it is possible to pasture-finish dairy beef animals in a cost-effective way that has positive environmental outcomes.

They will be testing and refining pasture-based weaning and rearing strategies for dairy-beef calves, ultimately aiming to eliminate the need for concentrate feeds while ensuring optimal growth rates, health, and welfare.

The field lab is being coordinated by Pasture for Life, and is part of their broader initiative to support 100% pasture-fed livestock systems. The field lab will be supported by AHDB.

For more information and trial updates please click on the brown banner above.

How it works

Approximately 35% prime beef in the UK comes from dairy-beef cattle. Weaned calves are usually finished on grain-based, high protein concentrates in addition to pasture. Transitioning to 100% pasture finished dairy beef calves would reduce farm reliance on bought in concentrate feed, which:

• Is better for farm resilience and sustainability, by reducing reliance on inputs and therefore costs
• Reduces reliance on imported feeds such as soya
• Promotes better P management on farms (concentrate feed is the greatest source of P in UK agriculture).
• Potentially offers a net-zero beef pathway
• Potentially offers substantial additional benefits when accounting for ecosystem services provided by pasture-based farming systems within life cycle analysis.
• Reduces fossil fuel use compared to conventionally finished dairy beef
• Potentially improves animal welfare

Trial design

Each farm will test one of two feeding approaches:

1. Extended access to liquid milk with homegrown protein feed source (tested on two farms).
2. Extended access to liquid milk with diverse pasture only (tested on two farms).

Calves will be monitored from Spring 2026 to Spring 2027. 

Calves will be weighed at regular intervals to monitor DLWG from weaning through to 12 months.

Calf health monitoring will also be undertaken, alongside a ‘Good Life’ Framework assessment to assess welfare standards.

For more information on the trial design please click on the reports tab on the brown banner above