VHBG is pleased to announce their 2023 field days on 25 to 26 March. This year member folds in South-West Victoria will be hosting the event; Cambus Glen Highlands in Framlingham will be hosting Saturday’s schedule and Russllyn Highlands in Laang will host Sunday’s. Topics covered will include pasture management, cattle structure and handling, and aspects of calf health.
This event is open to everyone, but places are limited. The days offer an opportunity for breeders and prospective breeders and owners to meet and discuss all things coo, and of course to have a bit of a sticky beak.
Cost
This is a free event, although attendees may be asked to bring along a plate of eats. However, there will be a raffle on the day(s) and the proceeds will be used to support the Victorian Highland Breeders Group, so make sure to bring some cash.
Confirmation
The current agenda is only a guide and may be adjusted on the day depending on weather, number and specific interests of attendees and availability and behaviour of animals. Places are limited so if you are interested in attending you must confirm attendance via e-mail to admin@victorianhighlandbreeders.org.au or call Hugo Howse on 0452 539708 if you have any questions. You will then be placed on our attendees list to receive updates as the event approaches.
Accommodation Options
For attendees planning to stay for both days (and we hope you all do), we suggest using one of many options available in Terang, since it is equidistant from Cambus Glen and Russllyn and we will be having dinner in Terang on Saturday evening. Check out Terang on Airbnb, Booking.com, etc.
Below is the proposed agenda. We believe it offers an educational experience, as well as opportunity for debate and discussion, no matter what your level of expertise.
Agenda – Saturday
10:00 – 11:00: Arrive and tea/coffee, introductions and coo talk
(start late to make allowance for people driving here on the morning)
11:00 – 12:15: Critical assessment of breeding females and the impact of sire selection
Glen will critically assess a number of closely related females that represent two dam lines used of
Cambus Glen but bred from a very diverse collection of quality sires (six different bulls represented).
The intention is to learn about identifying good traits (and identifying problems) in breeding females
and understanding the impact of sire selection.
Presenter: Dr Glen Hastie
12:15 – 13:00: The ‘Wannado’ Natural Cattle Handling approach – cattle handling in paddock and yards
Highlands are popular with novices but the animals often have little or no pressure or flight zones
(which is otherwise a good thing!). This can however make the safe moving and handling of these
animals in the paddocks and yards a challenge. Bree will introduce the ‘Wannado’ Natural Cattle
Handling technique she developed which is useful in a large number of animal handling and training
situations (moving cattle, halter training weaned calves, teaching calves to load on trailer etc.). Bree
will provide some tips and tools to assist the novice (and not so novice) on how to safely move the
cattle between paddocks and through yards.
Presenter: Bree Francis
13:00 – 14:00: Lunch
Bring a plate – to be arranged
14:00 – 15:30: Regenerative agriculture – the Cambus Glen perspective
Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems.
It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing
ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and
strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. Hugo will review some of the key principles of
regenerative agriculture and explain how two complete novices are trying to practically apply these
at Cambus Glen. Lesley will discuss some of the ecosystem rehabilitation currently underway. This
will be followed by an optional farm walkabout to demonstrate how the cows are being put to work
to regenerate the land.
Presenter: Hugo & Lesley
15:30 – 16:30: Farm walkabout
18:30: Dinner
Wheatsheaf Hotel in Terang, TBC
Agenda – Sunday
8:00 – 9:00: Arrive and tea/coffee and talk coos
9:00 – 10:00: The ‘Wannado’ Natural Cattle Handling approach – training of young animals Part 1
Bree will briefly review the ‘Wannado’ Natural Cattle Handling approach (for those who could not
attend the Saturday session) and will proceed to show how these techniques can be applied to
training of younger animals. This will be a hands-on session split into two parts to allow the calves
(and attendees) to digest the lessons.
Presenter: Bree Francis
10:00 – 11:00: Identifying and managing calf scours
Scours, or diarrhoea, is the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality in very young calves,
and Pam will briefly discuss some bad experiences that Russlyn have recently had with this issue.
Will, an experienced large animal vet, will then talk about prevention, identification, and treatment
of the different forms of scours, and touch on other notable diseased that could threaten the
wellbeing of a calf.
Presenter: Dr Will Bredin
11:00 – 11:30: Tea/coffee
11:30-12:30 The ‘Wannado’ Natural Cattle Handling approach – training of young animals Part 2
Bree will show how the ‘Wannado’ technique can be used for example for halter training or trailer
loading of calves.
Presenter: Bree Francis
12:30-13:00: The evolution of grazing management – the Russllyn perspective
Adam will talk about how grazing management has evolved at Russllyn, and specifically how more
than twenty years of dairy farming experienced on the same farm guides their thinking in this regard.
This will provide a valuable alternative perspective on practical grazing management. This will be
followed by an optional farm walkabout to see how these grazing practises are implemented.
Presenter: Adam Edge
13:15 – 14:00: Farm walkabout
14:00: Light lunch
