Dairy NZ

InCalf promotes a 'continuous improvement process' as shown in Figure 1. It will challenge farmers with their advisers to take a systematic approach towards a sustainable improvement in reproductive performance. InCalf will not deliver a "quick fix" or "silver bullet". To get the most from InCalf you'll need to be proactive and committed to solving the underlying cause of reproductive problems, not just the symptoms.

What's been missing is Step 1 Assess current herd reproducive performance. Without good measures and achieveable targets, farmers and their advisers struggle to know where they are starting from.

Without Step 1 the farmer cannot do Step 2 Identify scope for improvement and the associated benefits, which indicates improvement possible, and whether these are profitable to pursue.

By ignoring Step 1 and Step 2 the farmer with their advisers jump straight to Step 3 Consider options for change and select the best options, which may or may not be the best options for this herd?

Choosing options leads to Step 4 Implement selected options. However, the exercise is pointless if we do not learn from the Review step, and return to Step 1 to assess herd reproductive performance after implementing selected options.

The philosophy of InCalf is embodied in this 'continuous improvement process', which is farmer initiated and controlled, with support of InCalf trained advisers and InCalf tools and resources.