Dairy farmers will have the opportunity to see first-hand how herd monitoring technology, data and proactive animal health planning are helping to improve productivity, welfare and labour efficiency when one of Staffordshire’s leading dairy farms opens its gates this summer.
The inaugural MSD Animal Health Demonstration Farm Open Day will take place at Castle Hayes Park Farm, home to Major Farming, on Thursday, July 9.
With electronic identification (EID) set to become mandatory for cattle in England from January 2027, the event offers a timely opportunity for farmers to see the technology in action on a commercial dairy farm.
Hosted by dairy farmer Rupert Major and his team, the open day will demonstrate how data generated through SenseHub Dairy can support proactive herd health planning, helping improve decision-making, herd performance and labour efficiency. The farm will also showcase how they are using EID to ease management tasks.
Major Farming milks 650 Jersey x Holstein Kiwi crossbred cows within an extensive, spring block-calving system, with all calves born between February and April.
Since joining the MSD Animal Health Demonstration Farm Network in 2024, the farm has worked closely with MSD Animal Health and their vet to assess disease risk, review herd health protocols and implement a number of preventative strategies tailored to its specific challenges.
A key focus has been calf health. Following disease screening and a review of calf-rearing practices, the farm introduced targeted vaccination programmes alongside improved colostrum management and hygiene protocols.
As a result, calf scour has been significantly reduced, while calves have achieved weaning weights up to 10kg heavier at the same age compared with the previous year, enabling weaning around a week earlier. In addition, 98% achieved their target weight before the onset of winter, up from 87% the previous year.
Similarly, since introducing SenseHub Dairy collars to monitor fertility, alongside a SenseHub Dairy Sorting Gate, the herd has seen improvements in submission, conception and in-calf rates.
The collars, together with the SenseHub Premium application plan, which generates custom reports and highlights rumination health alerts, have also contributed to improvements in cow health and productivity. The system’s rumination alerts are used to identify cows requiring additional attention before service. Data from the system is also used alongside milk recording information to refine feeding decisions.
Rupert Major, owner of Major Farming, said: “As dairy farms continue to grow in size, technology has an important role to play in helping businesses work more efficiently.
“Through our involvement in the MSD Animal Health Demonstration Farm Network, we’ve seen how combining technology with proactive herd health planning can improve calf health, animal welfare and overall farm performance. We look forward to sharing those experiences with other farmers in July.”
Duncan Sinclair, associate director of MSD Animal Health’s Market Access Team, added: “The Demonstration Farm Network, made up of five dairy farms across England, Wales and Scotland, was established to show how incremental improvements in herd health management and the use of monitoring technology can deliver significant benefits for animal welfare, productivity and business performance.
“This open day provides an opportunity for farmers to see those principles in action on a commercial dairy farm and hear directly from the farm team about the challenges they faced, the changes they implemented and the results they have achieved.”
The event will include farm tours, practical demonstrations and presentations from industry specialists, alongside a selection of trade stands.
Attendance is free, but places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for your free place, click here.
