Pelvic Measuring to Improve Calving Ease

Local Business Development Group (BDG) members met recently on Bill Harpur’s farm, Portrush, along with local vet, David Harding, to discuss how pelvic measuring heifers can be used as a breeding selection tool. Bill has successfully reduced calving issues on his farm by using pelvic measurement data to select the correct heifers for breeding that are more likely to calve unassisted.

Farmers preparing to measure pelvis of heifers on Bill Harpur’s farm.

David Harding explained the benefits of pelvic measuring heifers and gave an excellent demonstration of the measuring process to those attending. Pelvic measuring is a simple process where the height and width of the pelvis are recorded before pregnancy. Calf losses as a result of long and difficult calving for heifers can be reduced by pelvic measurement carried out before calving, as Bill has proved.

This is just one of the many innovative technologies that is demonstrated to beef and sheep farmers within BDGs. The Business Development Groups Scheme is part of the NI Rural Development Programme, is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and is currently open for applications until Friday 24 January at 4pm.

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